The California Legislature is back — and so is work on crime and public safety bills.
Sacramento Snapshot
Editor’s note: Sacramento Snapshot is a weekly series during the legislative session detailing what Orange County’s representatives in the Assembly and Senate are working on — from committee work to bill passages and more.
Crime legislation, particularly dealing with retail theft and fentanyl distribution, has been a driving issue this year for state lawmakers. They’ve spent the year debating just how the state should crack down on rampant retail theft and the fentanyl crisis prevalent throughout the state.
Last week, legislators OK’d, often with bipartisan support, multiple bills related to retail theft and other property crimes.
That includes one from Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, that would increase penalties for those found to be reselling stolen merchandise. And courts would be able to tack on progressively higher penalties depending on the price of the stolen merchandise.
The bill, SB 1416, was approved by the Assembly last week in a bipartisan vote.
“SB 1416, which creates enhanced penalties for the middlemen who are recruiting and coordinating the kinds of statewide retail theft rings we’ve been seeing in recent years, is part of the broader package to punish and deter those who would seek to profit from organized retail theft in California,” Newman said. “I’m encouraged that my bill and others are now moving forward to better protect California retailers and consumers.”
Meanwhile, the Senate gave the OK to AB 1779 last week, a bill allowing certain theft-related crimes and other associated offenses to be prosecuted in a different county from where the theft occurred. The idea, according to the bill analysis, is to allow multiple theft-related offenses that can span several jurisdictions to be consolidated into a single trial.
While two senators did not vote on the bill, it passed the upper chamber without any no votes.
The Senate also passed legislation that makes permanent the crime of organized retail theft in California law. As it stands now, the crime of organized retail theft — defined as acting with at least one other person to steal merchandise from a store or online retailer with the intent to sell, exchange or return the product for value as well as recruiting, directing, organizing or financing someone else to steal — was set to sunset Jan. 1, 2026.
The bill, from Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, also extends the California Highway Patrol’s partnership with the Department of Justice on a task force to assist local law enforcement with organized retail theft and vehicle burglary, according to the bill’s analysis.
While the legislators are back in Sacramento, it’s only for a short time. Aug. 31 is the deadline for each house to pass bills.
In other news
• California has two new residents, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, the first two giant pandas to come to the U.S. in 21 years. Gov. Gavin Newsom was on hand at the San Diego Zoo last week to welcome the two black and white pandas, and he even proclaimed Aug. 8 as California Panda Day.
absolute PANDAmonium today with @heathermcrea @sandiegozoo #americasfinestpandas #pandiego pic.twitter.com/hEVZoYQ88V
— Kaitlyn Schallhorn (@K_Schallhorn) August 8, 2024
• Aside from the pandas, Sen. Janet Nguyen introduced a resolution to designate Aug. 8 as California Pickleball Day, noting the sport’s rising popularity.
“This appears to be the hottest sport in California right now — leagues have cropped up everywhere,” said Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach. “I’m sure everyone knows somebody who plays pickleball. California is the epicenter of sports 12 months a year. So it’s only fitting that we have our own Pickleball Day.”
• Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, who represents the sprawling 4th district, has switched parties and joined the Republicans. She said she has watched “the supermajority push California in the wrong direction.”
Assemblymember Laurie Davies, R-Laguna Niguel, said she’s worked with Alvarado-Gil on multiple issues, including in the California Problem Solvers Caucus. The state Republican Party, Davies said, “welcomes anyone who believes in using common sense solutions to fix our state.”
I’ve worked with @AlvaradoGil2026 on a number of issues, including our fight for tougher penalties on rapists w/ #SB268 and our work in bipartisan @CAProblemSolver caucus.
The @CAGOP welcomes anyone who believes in using common sense solutions to fix our state! https://t.co/XOt7cXayJD
— Assemblywoman Laurie Davies (@AsmLaurieDavies) August 9, 2024
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