In the News

CALIFORNIA SENATE OKS STATE REVIEWS FOR POLICE SHOOTINGS

August 31, 2020

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is close to requiring independent investigations any time police kill an unarmed civilian, a move that would strip authority from local prosecutors at a time of heightened distrust between law enforcement and communities of color.

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Statewide Eviction Protections Approved by State Lawmakers, but Tenant Groups Still Fear Eviction Wave

August 30, 2020

Lawmakers voted to approve statewide eviction protections Monday night, barring landlords from evicting tenants if they miss paying rent because of the pandemic.

Millions of Calfornia tenants who have faced pandemic-related hardship may be protected by this bill.

The vote came right under the wire, as Monday was the last day for the Legislature to approve bills for this year's session.

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California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Eviction Protection Legislation for Renters and Property Owners

August 30, 2020

August 30, 2020 - SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) on Friday announced that they have reached agreement on AB 3088, co-authored by Assemblymembers David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) and Senators Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), to protect millions of tenants and small property owners from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

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California moves to consider reparations for slavery

August 29, 2020

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers are setting up a task force to study and make recommendations for reparations to African Americans, particularly the descendants of slaves, as the nation struggles again with civil rights and unrest following the latest shooting of a Black man by police.

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Protests heat up across California

August 28, 2020

Protests over racism and police brutality are reigniting across California following the Wisconsin police shooting of Jacob Blake, even as state lawmakers back away from a slate of police reform bills introduced after George Floyd’s death as the legislative session draws to a close.

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Protesters rally in Sacramento demanding police reform, but when will that happen?

August 28, 2020

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As a black woman, Meg White said when she first saw the video of Jacob Blake Jr. being shot seven times in the back by police in Wisconsin, she went numb.

"The first thing I feel is anger, then next is powerless, then next is motivated. It’s just a reminder of just how important it is to not stay at home and wait for this to happen to me and my direct family,” White said.

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Police Reform Bill Faces Growing Opposition Days Before The Session Ends

August 28, 2020

On Thursday, a bill that would require police officers to be certified and more liable for their actions while on the job met growing opposition in the Assembly.

Opposition mounts against SB 731

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Protests heat up across California

August 28, 2020

Police reforms uncertain

Protests over racism and police brutality are reigniting across California following the Wisconsin police shooting of Jacob Blake, even as state lawmakers back away from a slate of police reform bills introduced after George Floyd’s death as the legislative session draws to a close.

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Caballero speaks out on renter protections

August 24, 2020

The following is a reaction to SB 1410 by Senator Anna M. Caballero who represents the 12th Senate District, composed of Merced, Madera, and San Benito Counties, and portions of Fresno, Monterey, and Stanislaus Counties.

Last week, the Assembly Judiciary Committee passed out of committee SB 1410, the Senate’s priority legislation to protect renters from evictions and provide financial relief to landlords with mortgages and maintenance bills to pay.

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California’s moment of reckoning on police accountability

August 24, 2020

California – a beacon of the future, icon of American promise and possibility, leading the way in everything from technology to environmental protection to music and the arts.

Also, California – stained by police abuses from the beating of Rodney King to the Rampart brutality scandal to forgotten tragedies like the death of Cal State Long Beach running back Ron Settles in custody of the notorious Signal Hill Police Department.

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