March 20, 2025
Golden State Republican Women
Janet Price, President
Submitted by the GSRW Legislative Analyst Committee
Valerie Evans, Lou Ann Flaherty and Elaine Freeman,
ActBlue
As we discussed in our 2024 Capitol Update #43, ActBlue, the Democratic Fundraising website, has been of interest in trying to determine where the donations are coming from. Now since DOGE and President Trump are trying to stop the wasteful government spending…………. THE PLOT CONTINUES. The stoppage of money to US AID appears to have stopped some contributions to ActBlue………interesting
What is ActBlue?
ActBlue is a Democrat-leaning fundraising platform. It facilitates small-dollar donations to left-leaning candidates and causes. The platform was established in 2004 and has raised over $16 billion. Reports suggest that it plays a crucial role in financing election campaigns, NGOs, and activist groups.
Republicans also have a similar platform known as WinRed, which operates on similar lines but on a much smaller scale. According to experts, ActBlue has a very opaque funding flow. Furthermore, there are accusations of foreign funding being funnelled through unverified contributors.
One of the biggest issues with such platforms is that they allow anonymous funding. In many countries, foreign funding must be declared by NGOs. However, funding platforms are often misused to funnel foreign contributions without informing the government.
According to the US State Department, there are no limits or restrictions on the receipt of foreign funding by NGOs operating in the US. However, laws are in place to restrict contributions from terrorist organizations. Furthermore, there is a restriction on direct financial support of political candidates by foreign individuals.
Now, as Musk has accused ActBlue of indirectly funding anti-Tesla and anti-X protests, there is a possibility that the Trump administration is moving ahead with a crackdown on the platform, similar to its approach towards USAID-funded NGOs and groups receiving taxpayers’ money from international projects.
(We will keep our eyes on this…….)
IN THE NEWS
AB1333 introduced 02/21/2025, amended 03/13/2025 (Zbur)(D) Crimes: homicide
Existing law defines homicide as the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with or without malice aforethought, as specified. Existing law establishes certain circumstances in which homicide is justifiable, as specified.
This bill would eliminate certain circumstances under which homicide is justifiable, including, among others, in defense of a habitation or property. The bill would additionally clarify circumstances in which homicide is not justifiable, including, among others, when a person uses more force than necessary to defend against a danger.
Existing law makes homicide justifiable when attempting to lawfully suppress a riot or to keep the peace, as specified.
This bill would eliminate that provision. The bill would also specify certain circumstances in which homicide is not justifiable, including when a person was outside their habitation or property and did not retreat when they could have safely done so, when a person used more force than a reasonable person would to defend against a danger, and when the person was the initial aggressor.
However, the bill would specify that homicide is justifiable if the initial aggressor actually and in good faith tried to stop fighting and indicated they wanted to and tried to stop fighting, as specified, or, in cases of mutual combat, the initial aggressor gave the opponent an opportunity to stop fighting.
(IN OHER WORDS, IF YOU ARE DEFENDING YOURSELF IN YOUR HOME FROM AN INVADER AND YOU KILL THAT PERSON, YOU CAN BE CHARGED WITH A HOMICIDE IF YOU COULD HAVE FOUND ANOTHER WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF OR YOUR FAMILY.)
AB380 introduced 02/03/2025 amended 03/11/2025 (Gonzalez and Gipson) (D) – Price Gouging –
Under existing laws, upon the proclamation of a state of emergency by the President of the United States or the Governor, or upon the declaration of a local emergency, by the executive officer of any city or county, and for 30 days, following a declaration of emergency, it is a misdemeanor for a person, contractor, business, or other entity to sell or offer to sell certain goods or services for a price of more than 10% greater than the price charged by that person immediately prior to the proclamation or declaration of emergency.
This bill would instead make the misdemeanor applicable for the duration of that proclamation and would increase the fine to $50,000. This fine would include impersonating a fire fighter or law enforcement person. It also applies to rental housing to accommodate the victims.
FIREARMS
AB 1187, as introduced February 21, 2025, by Celeste Rodriguez (D). Firearms: safety certificates.
Existing law requires any person who purchases or receives a firearm to possess a firearm safety certificate. Existing law also prohibits a person from selling or transferring a firearm to any person who does not possess a firearm safety certificate. A violation of either of these provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor.
Existing law requires a personal firearm importer, within 60 days of bringing any firearm into this state, to, among other things, submit a report including information concerning that individual and a description of the firearm in question to the Department of Justice.
This bill would also require that personal firearm importers obtain a valid firearm safety certificate and include a copy of the valid firearm safety certificate within the report. The bill would make it a misdemeanor for that personal firearm importer to bring a firearm into this state without obtaining a valid firearm safety certificate within 60 days, except as specified. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law requires an applicant for a firearm safety certificate to pass a test developed by the Department of Justice covering specified subjects, including, among others, the laws applicable to carrying and handling firearms and the responsibilities of ownership of firearms.
This bill would require any applicant for a firearm safety certificate, on or after July 1, 2027, to complete a training course no less than 8 hours in length that, among other things, includes instruction on firearm safety and handling and live-fire shooting exercises on a firing range. The bill would require the Department of Justice to promulgate regulations and provide additional information for the implementation of this subdivision.
AB 1316, as introduced February 21, 2025, by Addis (D). Hunting licenses: information on firearms.
Under existing law, a hunting license grants the privilege to take birds and mammals. Existing law requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue an annual hunting license upon payment of a specified fee that varies in amount depending on the age and residency of the applicant.
Under existing law, an annual hunting license is valid for a term of one year beginning on July 1 or for the remainder of the term if issued after July 1. Existing law also requires the department to issue a lifetime hunting license to a resident of the state upon payment of a specified fee that varies in amount depending on the age of the person.
This bill would require the department, beginning July 1, 2027, to ensure that every person who purchases a hunting license receives, at minimum, information on certain topics related to firearms, including the safe storage of firearms, liability for parents and guardians who should have known their child could access a firearm at home, basic California firearm laws, and how to legally transfer or relinquish a firearm. The bill would authorize the department, in cooperation with the Department of Justice, to promulgate regulations regarding the implementation of this requirement, and to include additional information to be provided with a hunting license.
IMMIGRATION
SB 554, as introduced February 20, 2025, by Jones (R). (Coauthors: Senators Alvarado-Gil, Choi, Dahle, Grove, Niello, Ochoa Bogh, Seyarto, and Valladares). Law enforcement: immigration enforcement.
Existing law, the California Values Act, generally prohibits California law enforcement agencies from investigating, interrogating, detaining, detecting, or arresting persons for immigration enforcement purposes, including providing information regarding a person’s release date or responding to requests for notification by providing release dates or other information, as specified. Existing law provides that responses are never required, but are permitted, provided that they do not violate any local law or policy.
Existing law provides the above-described prohibition does not prevent a California law enforcement agency from performing certain limited exceptions to this prohibition that do not violate any policy of the law enforcement agency or any local law or policy of the jurisdiction in which the agency is operating.
Existing law provides a law enforcement official with discretion to cooperate with immigration authorities only if doing so would not violate any federal, state, or local law, or local policy, and where permitted by the California Values Act.
This bill would instead provide that responses relating to a person’s release date, as described above, are permitted. The bill would instead require a California law enforcement agency to perform certain limited exceptions to the prohibition, as described above. The bill would prohibit a local agency, as defined, from enacting an ordinance that would impose any additional prohibitions other than those described above on California law enforcement agencies related to immigration enforcement.
The bill would instead require a law enforcement official to cooperate with immigration authorities only if doing so would not violate any federal, state, or local law, or local policy, and where permitted by the California Values Act. By imposing new duties on local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Legislative Portal links – Express your support or opposition to a bill or directly to the Legislative committee currently reviewing it (as an individual, not as a member of RW or GSRW) – click here, or the bill’s author – click here, enter your bill # and look for tab at top of the bill page labeled “Comments to Author”.
