National Lampoon’s recall + Child abuse reports at youth groups + Fentanyl bill pulled
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
NATIONAL LAMPOON’S RECALL ELECTION
Actor Randy Quaid, known for his roles in the National Lampoon movies, is thinking about running for California governor.
In a tweet Monday afternoon, Quaid, 70, said he’s seriously considering it.
“The prosecutorial corruption in California is.... rampant,” he said. “I promise that if elected I will clean up the District Attorney Offices throughout the state.”
California district attorneys are locally elected, for what it’s worth.
Over the past decade Quaid has run into a handful of legal issues, touted conspiracy theories, and attempted to seek asylum in Canada, claiming he and his wife feared for their lives in the U.S.
If he runs, he’ll have to meet the same requirements as the other candidates, which include the following, according to the Secretary of State:
A candidate must be a U.S. citizen; a registered voter and otherwise qualified to vote for that office at the time nomination papers are issued; not have been convicted of a felony involving accepting or giving, or offering to give, any bribe, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any of those crimes; and not have served two terms in the office since November 6, 1990.
Still have questions about the recall process? Here’s what happens now that the signatures passed the threshold.
MANDATED REPORTER BILL CLEARS COMMITTEE VOTE
A California bill that would turn volunteers at youth service organizations into mandated reporters of child abuse cleared the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday by unanimous vote.
AB 506 requires youth service organizations to conduct background checks on both employees and volunteers, and requires that all volunteers over the age of 18 report child abuse to authorities, provided they volunteer more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year.
The bill also requires volunteers, employees and administrators to take online mandated reporter training, and for organizations to develop child abuse prevention policies.
“We’ve heard horrific stories of abuses against children that went unreported for decades,” bill author Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, said in a statement. “As parents, we should have peace of mind that any adult responsible for providing our children a safe environment is qualified and trained to catch incidents of abuse early on.”
Gonzalez’s office pointed to a recent lawsuit filed against the Boy Scouts of America that alleged nearly 90,000 incidents of child abuse that took place across more than 40 years as justification of the bill.
The bill is sponsored by the California Department of Insurance.
“Assembly Bill 506 will protect children and prevent massive insurance liability by requiring background checks and mandated reporter training for youth volunteers. The pandemic has made youth organizations even more of a necessity for families, so we must do all we can to ensure they are safe places for our children,” California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement.
BATES PULLS FENTANYL BILL FROM CONSIDERATION
A bill to stiffen the penalty for selling fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 100 times the strenth of morphine, has been shelved by its author, Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, who said she intends to bring the bill back in 2022.
“California must do more to hold the traffickers accountable who have poisoned people with fentanyl,” Bates said in a statement. “That is why I will continue to try to work with the Senate Public Safety Committee on finding a consensus that can be ultimately signed into law.”
SB 75 would add fentanyl to a legal category of drugs including cocaine and heroin, subject to a criminal penalty enhancement based on the weight a person possesses for sale or distribution.
“The annual number of deaths related to fentanyl is rapidly increasing. Solving this problem must include additional mechanisms in the law to better hold accountable fentanyl traffickers. Such deliberate indifference to life must face a consequence that is proportional to the serious risk their action poses to our community,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, a supporter of the bill.
The decision to shelve the bill reflects the fact that it would be a tough fight getting it through the Senate and Assembly, where “tough on crime” bills face a critical reception from criminal justice reform-minded Democrats.
Another bill aimed at cracking down on fentanyl dealers was rejected by the Senate Public Safety Committee last month.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“People love dancing on California’s grave. We’re still here and still going strong. And, whatever our problems (which are certainly real), we’re still setting trends that others will eventually follow.”
- Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
California’s COVID-19 mask mandate will remain in place for now, but state officials say changes could be coming in light of new federal guidelines released Tuesday, via Andrew Sheeler.
Can serial killer’s prosecutor end losing streak for GOP, independents in California elections? Via Lara Korte.
California is set to lose a congressional seat. How will that affect upcoming elections? Via Kim Bojórquez.