California state senators to unveil major criminal justice legislation

Welcome to the AM Alert, your morning rundown on California policy and politics. To receive it regularly, please sign up for it here.

Two state senators are proposing a package of bills aimed at undertaking major criminal justice changes for adults and minors.

Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, and Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, are expected to announce legislation – eight bills in total – that seek to keep kids out of the juvenile justice system and address what the lawmakers characterized as “inequity” for juveniles and adults.

A news conference is set for 10 a.m. at Leataata Floyd Elementary School, at 401 McClatchy Way in Sacramento. Lara and Mitchell will unveil four proposed bills that specifically seek changes affecting youths. Together, Senate Bills 190, 394, 395 and 439 would end the collection of administrative fees against families with kids, enact into law a provision that juveniles can’t be sentenced to life without parole, require they consult with a lawyer before waiving constitutional rights during police interrogations and exclude children 11 and younger from juvenile court jurisdiction, according to bill authors.

Senate Bills 180, 355, 393 and 695 target changes for adults that would reduce enhanced drug sentences, eliminate court fees and seal arrest records for people not convicted of a crime and create a tiered sex offender registry, according to the authors.

Hearings on the proposed bills begin Tuesday in the Senate Public Safety Committee.

WORTH REPEATING: “It’s a bit too skinny for my tastes.” – State Sen. Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, on the Brown administration’s dam safety and flood protection proposal.

TEACHER TENURE: Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, wants to extend the probationary period for teachers to qualify for tenure from two years to three.

She is expected to introduce bill language today for Assembly Bill 1220, which would tack on an additional year, and allow school districts to extend teachers’ tenure probationary period up to five years, while providing professional development support.

“For students to succeed, we must provide teachers with what they need to achieve success in the classroom,” Weber said in a statement. The bill “will provide the extra time and support essential for teachers to demonstrate success and be recognized for their hard work.”

The bill is likely to receive opposition from union groups, which opposed a similar proposal in 2005 from former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that would have extended tenure probation from two to five years. The proposition was defeated, with more than 55 percent of voters against it. It has support from teacher advocacy groups, including Teach Plus and Educators for Excellence.

PARKING NIGHTMARE: Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, is expected to introduce legislation today that would create a payment program for drivers who can’t afford to pay their parking tickets. A news conference is set for 10:30 a.m. at the Capitol.

“With many cities like Sacramento monetizing their parking operations to increase revenue, more and more low-income drivers have been caught in a death spiral of late fees and penalties, which can force them to lose their car registration and ability to legally drive,” Lackey said in a statement.

WATER BOTTLE FILLING STATIONS? That’s what grant funding from the State Water Resources Control Board could help fund for local schools.

The board meets at 10 a.m. to discuss a new $9.5 million grant program for schools. Money could help districts improve school drinking water quality, including efforts to address potential problems with lead contamination. It could also help provide access to clean water by installing water bottle filling stations common in other places like gyms.

The meeting is at 11020 Sun Center Drive, Suite 200, Rancho Cordova.

CLIMATE BATTLE: John Callaway, an oceanographer and professor at the University of San Francisco, will lead a talk on wetlands restoration in the San Francisco Bay at noon at the Park Tower Building, 980 Ninth St. in Sacramento. More details about the talk on “mud and carbon in the San Francisco Bay wetlands” here.

This story was originally published March 20, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "California state senators to unveil major criminal justice legislation."