It could soon be a crime to sell farmed octopus in California. How will police tell the difference?

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CALIFORNIA MAY SOON BAN OCTOPUS ‘AQUACULTURE,’ BUT WHO CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

It may soon be a crime in California to sell, possess or transport any species of octopus that is the result of “aquaculture,” also known as farm-raised sea creatures.

California lawmakers voted to send AB 3162 to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has until the end of September to sign or veto it.

If it becomes law, it would be a misdemeanor to possess or distribute farmed octopuses, punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine or both.

The bill passed with bipartisan support out of the Senate, 37-0, on Monday evening, and the Assembly on Tuesday voted 59-10 to concur in the Senate amendments clarifying the language of the bill.

According to an analysis of the bill, there isn’t actually any octopus aquaculture in California. AB 3162 is intended to prevent future practices.

The author, Assemblyman Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, noted in the analysis that octopuses are intelligent, solitary creatures “not suited for large scale breeding.”

“Now is the appropriate time to make it clear that California does not support this activity,” Bennett said.

The bill had no listed opposition.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife noted in the analysis that wild-caught octopuses would still legally be sold commercially, and that if a restaurant or grocery store sold farmed octopuses from out of state, it is unlikely that the department would be able to tell the difference between legally sourced octopus and octopus that is the result of aquaculture.

VOTERS OF COLOR COULD TURN THE TIDE OF THIS ELECTION

Via David Lightman...

The path to victory for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris this fall could depends on whether voters of color turn out in battleground states, a new University of Southern California study found.

The report, released Wednesday by USC’s Center for Inclusive Democracy, found there’s a “voter representation gap.”

If the gap is narrowed by November, the report says, it could “ significantly influence election results, particularly in swing states that had close election outcomes in 2020.”

The center looked at 2020 general election data for Latino, Black and Asian American voters in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Texas

The populations of these groups grew significantly between 2010 and 2020, at a far greater pace than whites. But the vote turnout rate for people of color was consistently lower than that of whites.

“The huge number of eligible non-voters among communities of color in swing states presents an extraordinary opportunity for voter mobilization and engagement,” said Mindy Romero, founder and director of CID and the study’s lead author.

“Getting more voters of color to the polls could be transformational and have the potential to impact election outcomes in November,” said Romero.

Among the center’s findings:

• In Arizona, more than 850,000 Asian-American, Black and Latino eligible voters did not cast a ballot in Arizona’s 2020 presidential election, where President Joe Biden’s margin of victory was only 10,457, or four-tenths of 1 percent..
• In Florida, Asian American, Black and Latino eligible voter populations represented more than one-third of Florida’s eligible voters in the 2020 general election, yet 2.2 million did not cast a ballot, a number nearly six times larger than Trump’s 371,000 vote advantage in the state.
• In Georgia, where Harris visited Wednesday, more than 1.2 million Latinos, Blacks and Asian Americans did not vote in 2020, more than a hundred times the margin of victory for Biden, who won by 12,000 votes.

ASSEMBLY ADVANCES VOTER ID BAN

Via Nicole Nixon...

A California city’s new voter ID law would be defunct under a bill the state Assembly approved Tuesday evening.

SB 1174, by Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, bans cities from requiring voters to show identification at polling places or vote centers. Voters in Huntington Beach approved such a law earlier this year, prompting a legal challenge from Attorney General Rob Bonta.

The bill faced sharp criticism from Republicans, who argued it bulldozes local control and would lead to better election integrity.

“We should want to make voting easy, but we should also want to make sure that voting has integrity too, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City.

Democratic lawmakers argued voter ID laws have been used to disenfranchise poor voters who lack identification and likened the rules to poll taxes and voter literacy tests.

“Black folks all across the South are disenfranchised because of these exact tactics and taxes,” said Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles. “We see a local jurisdiction that wants to suppress the vote by using tactics we’ve seen around the country that have been proven to disenfranchise poor voters of color. We have more responsibility to do something about it.”

The bill passed the Assembly by a party-line vote of 51-16 and needs one more procedural vote in the Senate before it heads to Newsom’s desk.

BRADFORD NOTCHES LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT FOR LT. GOV. CAMPAIGN

The California lieutenant governor’s race doesn’t get as much press the other statewide races, but the position can be an important one, and has served as the springboard to the governor’s mansion for more than one person, most recently Newsom.

Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Gardena, who is running for the position, announced this week that he has secured the endorsement of several of his Democratic colleagues.

Supporting Bradford’s bid are Sens. Angelique Ashby, Bob Archuleta, Melissa Hurtado, Steve Padilla, Richard Roth and Tom Umberg, as well as former Sen. Ben Hueso, who left office in 2022.

In a statement, Ashby praised Bradford’s breadth of experience.

“Senator Bradford is an exceptional leader. His experience in public service spans decades — from his time on the Gardena City Council to serving in the California State Legislature. This experience makes Senator Bradford uniquely prepared to serve as Lieutenant Governor, as he understands how to navigate difficult challenges at both the local and state levels,” she said.

Bradford isn’t the only Democrat running for the position. Other high-profile Dems seeking the job include State Treasurer Fiona Ma and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The LGBTQ+ Commission will recognize the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ community members. It is an important step forward to ensure that everyone can live authentically and inclusively.”

- Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose, discussing his bill, AB 3031, to create a new commission that was sent to Newsom’s desk for a signature, in a statement.

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