Senate Bills 627 and 805 were among the most controversial to pass in the final days of this year’s legislative session.
They would ban local, out-of-state and federal law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings, as well as require officers to be readily identifiable, respectively.
Ban plastic glitter: AB 823 would enforce a first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of personal care products that contain plastic glitter or plastic microbeads.
CalMatters events: Join us Sept. 24 in Sacramento for a special event celebrating CalMatters’ 10th anniversary and Dan Walters’ 50th year covering California politics.
But a bill that aims to incentivize more farmers to install solar panels has farmers split, writes CalMatters’ Rachel Becker.
The California Legislature on Thursday approved two bills that aim to require law enforcement officials to reveal their identities, following a summer in which masked federal agents detained immigrants in Los Angeles.
Senate Bills 627 and 805, which were passed in the last days of this year’s legislative session, were two of the most contentious. They would mandate that law enforcement officials be easily identifiable and prohibit local, out-of-state, and federal law enforcement personnel from covering their faces.
State Sen. California should take the lead in stopping the secret police as we move through this terrible period of mass deportations and a Supreme Court that permits this authoritarian regime to do whatever the hell it wants to do, including outright racial profiling of Latino people, said Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco and the primary author of SB 627. “.”.
Republicans opposed the measures, which passed along party lines. The proposed mask ban is also opposed by police unions.
Sen. “This is a reckless anti-law enforcement proposal that puts law enforcement officers and their families at real risk, undermining the safety of the men and women who bravely protect our communities,” said Tony Strickland of Huntington Beach in a statement. “.”.
To give final votes to some last-minute agreements they made this week, lawmakers are expected to continue working through Saturday, even though today should be the last day of the session. Those who pass will go to the governor. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his approval or disapproval; those who don’t are out for the year.
The following other suggestions are pending Newsom’s decision.
Control companion bots: SB 243 would implement stricter guidelines for AI-powered online chatbots to reduce the risks they pose to minors.
Increased fees for auto dealers: SB 791 would increase the maximum amount that auto dealers can charge to process documents from $85 to $260.
Wage increase for incarcerated firefighters: AB 247 would raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour for firefighters who are incarcerated for fighting active wildfires.
Protections against abortion pills: AB 260 would help shield California physicians, hospitals, and pharmacists from fines for prescribing the abortion pill mifepristone to patients from outside the state and removing patient and provider names from prescriptions for abortion drugs.
Eliminate mute swans: AB 764 would facilitate the eradication of the invasive species by hunters and landowners.
The sale of personal care products that contain plastic glitter or plastic microbeads would be prohibited for the first time in the country under AB 823.
Save the bees: AB 1042 would establish a managed honey bee health program that would award grants to farmers, beekeepers, and other stakeholders for research and projects that would help the population that is in trouble.
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Other Stories You Should Know.
In the background, Google pulls the strings.
Google has spent millions of dollars to influence the state government, making it one of the biggest spenders on lobbying in California last year. However, its role in some proposals isn’t always obvious, highlighting the tech giant’s covert methods of attempting to influence laws, according to Khari Johnson and Yue Stella Yu of CalMatters.
It masterminded a covert effort to weaken a proposed California law, and it was so covert that lawmakers were unaware of the company’s involvement until CalMatters alerted them.
The business started using email lists to contact small businesses in April, asking them to sign a petition against a bill that would force browsers to provide users with an option to automatically prevent websites from sharing their personal information with outside parties.
However, this outreach initiative appeared to have been sponsored by the “Connected Commerce Council,” which Google funds, rather than Google itself. Google never publicly stated its opinion on the measure either.
Even though Google’s strategies are legal, some activists who oppose the power of big tech are alarmed.
“No one wants to go into a surveillance marketplace every time they use the internet,” said Brandon Forester, an organizer for the nonprofit MediaJustice. They must engage in shadow lobbying in part because the actions they intend to take to realize their infinite growth model are detrimental to the general welfare. “.”.
Go here to learn more.
Food less, solar more.
A new crop that farmers and ranchers can produce on arid, parched land in parts of the San Joaquin Valley that rarely receive enough water to produce food is solar energy. But according to Rachel Becker of CalMatters, a bill that would encourage more farmers to install solar panels has divided farmers.
Farmers can sign agreements with local governments under the Williamson Act, a law that has been in effect for 60 years, that lowers their property tax payments as long as they continue to farm on the land. Strict penalty fees apply if the contract is terminated before the end of its term.
However, if approved, AB 1156 would allow farmers to use their land to capture solar energy without incurring fees and suspend contracts, even though their property taxes would still go up. Given that hundreds of thousands of acres are needed to generate solar power, the bill would assist the state in meeting its clean energy targets.
While some farmers applaud a new purpose for their depleted land, others contend that the bill undercuts farming areas and erodes the local economies that support the agricultural sector.
Click here to read more.
Voices of California.
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Although California passed a law raising the minimum wage for fast food workers more than a year ago, it’s still unclear how the law has affected the workers and the industry.
Stephen Routh, a political science professor at California State University Stanislaus, writes that anti-masking laws for local police create tensions between holding officers responsible for their actions and allowing them sufficient latitude to make tactical choices.
There are other worthwhile endeavors.
The Los Angeles Times reports that California is taking action to close an overdose prevention loophole that discourages students from seeking emergency assistance.
In opposition to the legislative clock, a contentious California bill to stop antisemitism in schools is being contested.
Los Angeles Times: The Forest Service lifts a decades-old ban and permits firefighters fighting wildfires to wear N95 masks.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Trump administration wants to revoke a rule that prioritizes conservation on public lands throughout California and the country.
Hispanic-Serving Institution grant funding will be discontinued by the Trump administration, impacting numerous California colleges // EdSource.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, California Forever’s most recent proposal for Solano County calls for a “drone ship” factory along the shore.
People’s ability to apply for asylum is impacted after Trump dismisses another immigration court judge in San Francisco // San Francisco Chronicle.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the city of Los Angeles is considering establishing its own organization to manage homeless housing and services.
One Republican lawmaker has proposed that Orange County become a new state // The Orange County Register.
