Newsom highlights new laws + Poway shooter who inspired gun control law is sentenced
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
NEWSOM LISTS HIS TOP NEW LAWS FOR 2022
It’s a new year soon, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has highlighted several new laws set to go into effect in 2022.
“In partnership with the Legislature, we’ve advanced hundreds of new bills this year to make meaningful progress on an array of issues that matter deeply to Californians across the state,” Newsom said in a statement. “I thank Pro Tem Atkins and Speaker Rendon for their leadership in advancing historic measures to improve the lives of Californians, including new tools to boost our housing supply, improve workplace conditions and build a stronger state. As we head into the new year, I look forward to our continued work to expand opportunity for all Californians.”
One of the laws that Newsom highlighted was AB 701, by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, which “establishes nation-leading transparency measures for companies to disclose warehouse production quota descriptions and prohibits the use of algorithms that disrupt basic worker rights.”
The housing reform trifecta of SB 8, SB 9 and SB 10 also got a shoutout from Newsom, as did SB 2, authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Gardena.
SB 2 “creates a system within the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to investigate and revoke or suspend peace officer certification for serious misconduct,” according to Newsom’s office.
Other bills that Newsom lauded included AB 37, by Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, which makes vote-by-mail permanent in California; AB 1084, by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, which mandates that retailers maintain gender neutral childrens departments; and AB 338, by Assemblyman James Ramos, D-Highland, which replaces the Capitol grounds statue of Junipero Serra.
POWAY SHOOTER WHO INSPIRED CALIFORNIA GUN CONTROL LAW IS SENTENCED
The man who walked into a Poway synagogue and opened fire in 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison, plus 30 years for federal hate crimes related to both the shooting and an attempted arson of a mosque.
The shooter, who killed one woman, injured three others and attempted to kill 50 other people, previously had pleaded guilty to a 113-count indictment that included 54 counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
“All people in this country should be able to freely exercise their religion without fear of being attacked,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement. “This defendant’s horrific crime was an assault on fundamental principles of our nation. The Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to confronting unlawful acts of hate and to holding perpetrators of hate-fueled violence accountable.”
The 2019 Poway shooting inspired a new California gun control law, SB 715, authored by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, closed a loophole that when transferring or purchasing a firearm with a hunting license, there was no verification process during the 10-day background check process to ensure that the license was valid.
“This has been a two year effort and hopefully this can help victimized families have a moment of healing. It is an important step toward combatting the gun violence epidemic in our country and improving public safety for all Californians. I strongly believe that if the provisions of in this bill were in effect in 2019, the tragedy that took place in the Poway synagogue would have been prevented,” Portantino said in a September statement after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I’ve been removed as Vice Chair of the Education Committee after five years. This is retaliation for speaking out against Newsom’s corrupt school policies. Putin would be proud.”
- Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, via Twitter.
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