December 19, 2024
Golden State Republican Women
Janet Price, President
Submitted by the GSRW Legislative Analyst Committee
Valerie Evans, Lou Ann Flaherty and Elaine Freeman,
December Activity in California Congress
More than 150 bills have already been introduced with plans for committee hearings in January 2025
Following up on the California Coastal Commission issue with Elon Musk, covered in Capitol Update #42:
AB 10, as introduced 12/02/24, Essayli (R). California Coastal Commission: consistency determinations: Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, provides for the regulation of development of certain lands within the coastal zone, as defined. Under the act, the California Coastal Commission generally has primary responsibility for the implementation of the act and is designated as the state coastal zone planning and management agency for any and all purposes, and is authorized to exercise any and all powers set forth in the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 or any other federal act that relates to the planning or management of the coastal zone.
Existing federal law requires federal agency activity within or outside the coastal zone that affects any land or water use or natural resource of the coastal zone to be carried out in a manner that is consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the enforceable policies of approved state management programs, as defined.
Existing federal law requires a consistency determination to contain specified information and outlines the process that follows a state agency objection to a federal agency’s consistency determination.
This bill would deem the commission’s objection to concurrence on Consistency Determination CD-0007-24 null and void. The bill would deem the activities at Vandenberg Space Force Base, outlined by Consistency Determination CD-0007-24, consistent with the objectives of the California Coastal Act of 1976. The bill would provide that it shall act as a concurrence regarding consistency with the California Coastal Act of 1976.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Vandenberg Space Force Base.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
May be heard in Committee January 2, 2025
AND SO IT BEGINS…
SB 48, as introduced, Gonzalez. Immigration enforcement: schoolsites: prohibitions on access, sharing information, and law enforcement collaboration.
Existing law prohibits, except as required by state or federal law or as required to administer a state- or federally supported educational program, school officials and employees of a school district, county office of education, or charter school from collecting information or documents regarding citizenship or immigration status of pupils or their family members.
This bill would prohibit school districts, county offices of education, or charter schools and their personnel from granting a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, or other federal official engaging in immigration related investigation or enforcement, permission to access a school campus without a judicial warrant.
The bill would require a local educational agency and its personnel, to the extent possible, to have the denial of permission for access witnessed and documented. The bill would also prohibit a local educational agency and its personnel from disclosing or providing, in writing, verbally, or in any other manner, the education records of or any information about a pupil, pupil’s family and household, school employee, or teacher to a United States Immigration and Customs
Enforcement officer, or any other federal official engaging in immigration related investigation or enforcement, without a judicial warrant, and regarding a pupil’s educational records or personal information, without the written consent of the pupil’s parent or legal guardian. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law, the California Values Act, generally prohibits California law enforcement agencies from investigating, interrogating, detaining, detecting, or arresting persons for immigration enforcement purposes. Existing law provides certain limited exceptions to this prohibition, including transfers of persons pursuant to a judicial warrant and providing certain information to federal authorities regarding serious and violent felons in custody.
This bill would prohibit California law enforcement agencies from collaborating with, or providing any information about a pupil, pupil’s family and household, school employee, or teacher in writing, verbally, on in any other manner, to immigration authorities regarding proposed or currently underway immigration enforcement actions when the actions could be or are taking place within a radius of one mile of any schoolsite. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on local law enforcement agencies or officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
AB 25, as introduced, DeMaio. California Voter ID and Election Integrity Act of 2025.
Under the California Constitution, a person may vote if the person is a United States citizen, 18 years of age, and a resident in the state. Existing law prohibits a local government from enacting or enforcing any charter provision, ordinance, or regulation requiring a person to present identification for the purpose of voting.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to improve the integrity of state and local elections by requiring a government-issued ID to vote, verifying the citizenship of voters, maintaining accurate voter lists, incentivizing timely counting of ballots, and enhancing the signature review process.
May be heard in Committee January 2, 2025
AB 68, as introduced, Essayli. School safety: armed school resource officers.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to establish a security department under the supervision of a chief of security as designated by, and under the direction of, the superintendent of the school district. Existing law also authorizes the governing board of a school district to establish a school police department under the supervision of a school chief of police and to employ peace officers.
This bill would require a school district or charter school to hire or contract with at least one armed school resource officer, as defined, authorized to carry a loaded firearm to be present at each school of the school district or charter school during regular school hours and any other time when pupils are present on campus, phased in by certain grade spans, as provided. By imposing an additional requirement on school districts and charter schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
May be heard in Committee January 5, 2025
AND FROM SENATOR WEINER
SJR 1, as introduced, Wiener. Rescinding previous applications for a federal constitutional convention.
This measure would rescind, nullify, and supersede all applications previously made by the Legislature for the United States Congress to call a convention for proposing amendments to the United States Constitution.
(Do we ask ourselves WHY?)
YOUR GOLDEN STATE REPUBLICAN WOMEN LEGISLATIVE ANALYSTS WISH YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, AND ALL THE BEST IN 2025
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”.
