California GOP lawmakers get booed as they unveil bill to roll back sanctuary state protections
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
SENATE GOP CALLS FOR AMENDING CALIFORNIA SANCTUARY STATE LAW, GETS BOOED
Speaking in front of the San Diego County Administration Building Friday, where two months ago the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to expand the city’s sanctuary status for undocumented immigrants, California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-Santee, and Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, R-Yucaipa, unveiled a bill, SB 554, to roll back not only the San Diego county supervisors’ decision but also part of the 2017 law SB 54 itself — the law that made California a sanctuary state to begin with.
They weren’t alone.
A sizable crowd showed up to protest the press conference, chanting slogans such as “Sí, se puede,” “We’re not going back” and “Shame on you” as Jones, Ochoa Bogh, Riverside County Sheriff and GOP gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco and others spoke in s support of SB 554.
At times, the protesters seemed to drown out the press conference itself, drawing the occasional rebuke from Jones and other speakers. As each speaker stepped forward, they were peppered with fresh boos and jeers from the gathered crowd.
Jones accused the crowd of not reading his bill, which would amend SB 54, the “California Values Act,” by requiring law enforcement to cooperate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when it comes to dealing with violent offenders and those who commit other specified crimes. It also would ban municipalities from enacting legislation stronger than what the state provides.
Jones, Bianco and other speakers argued that SB 54 actually harms the undocumented community by allowing other undocumented immigrants to prey on them without fear of getting deported.
It’s unclear whether that argument will be persuasive in the Senate and Assembly, where Democrats have supermajority control. The bill will likely face substantial pushback, from both Democratic lawmakers and immigrant rights activists.
CALIFORNIA BILL WOULD BAN CAT DECLAWING
Declawing a cat isn’t as simple as just trimming the claws. It’s a surgical procedure that severs the third phalanx, or knuckle, in each of the cat’s toes.
In a statement last week, Assemblymember Alex Lee, D-San Jose, called it a “harmful and barbaric surgical procedure,” and soon, it may be largely against the law in California.
Lee has introduced AB 867, which prohibits declawing a cat unless a veterinarian determines it to be medically necessary for the cat’s health.
“Cat declawing, the amputation of the first knuckle of each cat’s toes, is an outdated, cruel, and unethical surgical procedure that results in lifelong disfigurement and pain,” Lee said in a statement, adding that “many countries have already outlawed this inhumane practice.”
“AB 867 shows the nation and world that California does not endorse surgical mutilation performed electively on healthy cats for human convenience,” Lee said.
As Lee’s office notes, it’s already unlawful to declaw your cat in several jurisdictions, with West Hollywood passing the nation’s first ban on the practice. Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, D.C. all have outlawed cat declawing.
According to Danielle Bays of Humane World for Animals, roughly one-fifth of all cats are still subjected to declawing.
“We can’t continue to wait for declawing to fade away on its own,” Bays said in a statement.
Lee’s office notes that cat owners have several options beyond declawing, if they’re worried about scratches, including nail trimming, soft claw caps and behavioral training.
AB 867 will be heard in committee later this spring.
FAREWELL
And now for some bittersweet news. This is the last newsletter you will receive from this humble reporter.
Fear not! The AM Alert will carry on, albeit as more of an ensemble performance. And The Sacramento Bee Capitol Bureau team will still bring you the latest breaking news on happenings in the Capitol community.
As for this reporter, after 15 years in journalism and nearly seven years running this newsletter — including through five legislative sessions, two presidential elections, a midterm and a gubernatorial recall — I am moving on, though I will be sticking around Sacramento and the Capitol.
It has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime (not to mention, a heck of a lot of fun) to bring you what I felt was the best daily political news and insights. Some days, the newsletter overflowed with content. Other days, not so much. But I have always strove to do right by you, dear readers.
Not to get maudlin, but I’ll miss doing this. Thanks for reading.
- Andrew Sheeler
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Blanket advice to all #caleg offices on bill intro deadline eve: No is a complete sentence.”
- California lobbyist Jennifer Fearing, via Bluesky. Friday marked the deadline for lawmakers to submit new bills for consideration.
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