AB931 would limit the use of force to strictly a last resort, when officers have no other option to protect themselves or civilians.

Currently, police officers may use deadly force if their actions “are ‘objectively reasonable’ in light of the facts and circumstances confronting them.” This standard was established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1989 in Graham v. Connor.

The bill was spurred by a spate of civilian deaths, particularly minorities, at the hands of police, with the killing of an unarmed Stephon Clark by Sacramento police officers in March in particular serving as the catalyst for legislative action.

“AB931 is about preventing unnecessary deaths by clarifying police use-of-force,” said Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego. “This bill is squarely in line with the best practices recognized by academics and best practices in the field.”

Additionally, Sen. Steve Bradford, D-Gardena, cited the need to protect communities of color.

The ACLU of California praised the development, tweeting, “We need the bill to address the policing crisis that has led to the deaths of far too many people.”

However, law enforcement groups, many of which have opposed the bill since its inception, will likely vigorously fight the bill’s passage. “We agree that more training can result in better outcomes, but there is a fundamental disagreement about raising the standards above what the Supreme Court has said,” one lobbyist for the California Police Chiefs Association told the Sacramento Bee.

AB931’s next test be the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Nearly 60 percent of voters in 2014 approved Prop. 47, which recategorized certain low-level drug and property offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, in an attempt to ease prison overpopulation. 

Since then, many have attempted to link criminal justice reforms like Prop. 47 with a spike in crime in 2015 and 2016. There was even a failed ballot proposal earlier this year that would have rolled back some reforms.

The PPIC found that the two-year rearrest rate for those released after serving sentences for Prop. 47 offenses was almost two points lower than individuals released before the reforms. Meanwhile, the two-year reconviction rate was more than 3 percent lower.

However, the study cautioned that “it is too early to know” how effective Prop. 47’s redirection of funding toward treatment for offenders was.

The study found that much of the purported increase in violent crime post-Prop. 47 was the result of methodological factors, such as police departments in years prior under-reporting violent crimes or the FBI expanding the definition of sexual crimes. Meanwhile, upticks in violence were already starting in 2013 and early 2014, before reforms were enacted.

With property crime, however, the study concluded that Prop. 47 was in part to blame. “It may have contributed to a rise in larceny thefts, which increased by roughly 9 percent (about 135 more thefts per 100,000 residents) compared to other states,” the report read.

Finally, while several thousand inmates were released as a direct result of Prop. 47, the PPIC concluded its effect was more apparent in a shift by law enforcement from arresting potential offenders to citing and releasing them.

Members of the California Poor People’s Campaign have been rallying outside the Capitol building weekly for the last month. The most recent protest marked the 50^th anniversary of the Poor People’s Campaign and March, which was organized by Martin Luther King Jr.

“Nothing feels progressive about the way California is run from the top,” Kait Ziegler, co-chair of the California Poor People’s Campaign, told the Sacramento Bee. “So we’re coming from the bottom to mobilize and say we aren’t going to be silent anymore.”

Chief among the concerns of the campaign were the issues of housing, homelessness and workers’ rights. Citing that “8 million Californians pay half or more of their income for rent,” the group demanded the establishment of a “human right to housing.” Additionally, they argue the state should invest more in affordable and low-income housing, as well as rent control and more protections for renters and tenants.

When taking into account the cost of living, California has the highest poverty rate in the country. By the normal metric, the Golden State comes in 35^th.

The Campaign also called for a homeless bill of rights, which, among other things, would safeguard the right of people to sleep in legally parked cars and sleep in public areas. The group also endorsed several bills that would divert some of California’s budget surplus toward affordable housing.

Finally, the group reiterated demands for measures to protect workers’ rights. These measures include Assembly Bill 2946, which would extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting wage theft and AB2293 and SB1412, which would reduce barriers to employment for those with certain prior convictions.

The Poor People’s Campaign expects to be back in action Monday.

While California, with its vast housing market, suffered grievously during the Great Recession, its economy – and that of its Northern California tech heartland – has largely boomed in recent years. Compared to the overall sub-5 percent state unemployment rate, the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area currently boasts a 2.4 percent unemployment rate.

When asked if they felt “things in the Bay Area are going the right direction,” only a quarter said yes. This figure represents a stark decline from previous years: 42 percent and 57 percent agreed with the statement in 2017 and 2014, respectively.

Skyrocketing housing costs were largely to blame for this dented confidence, with 42 percent citing it as the biggest regional challenge. In comparison, in 2015, only 18 percent held the view and 28 percent last year.

Eye-popping statistics bare these fears. In San Francisco, home values have risen 10 percent in the last year alone, with the median home price being nearly $1.2 million, according to Zillow. Renters aren’t any better off, as the median rent is currently $4,500.

Whether or not these problems are enough to cause demographic changes remains to be seen. A plurality, 46 percent, see themselves moving away in the next few years, a moderate increase from last year; 42 percent expect to stay, a moderate decrease.

Should people start leaving, however, it could be a loss for the state as a whole. A little less than a quarter would stay in the Golden State, while 64 percent would look elsewhere in the country.

Finally, those hoping these attitudes would translate into a paradigm shift at the ballot box may be disappointed. The majority polled look toward public entities and the government to solve problems such as housing costs and traffic – not the business community, tech industry or other private actors.

“We recognize that accomplishing these objectives will take time, but we must start now,” said Assemblymember Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, and Senator Holly Mitchell ,D-Los Angeles, the chair and vice chair of the committee, in a statement.

While the exact guidelines are still a work in progress, the pair announced three guiding principles: “Significant cultural change to create a workplace of respect, civility and diversity”; “comprehensive redesign of policy, procedures and training”; and “independent investigation and determinations of sexual harassment allegations to ensure equitable and accountable outcomes.”

The push to change the rules follows several months of revelations surrounding sexual harassment and a toxic culture for employees in the capitol. After Sen. Tony Mendoza’s resignation stemming from allegations of sexual harassment, the Senate announced new guidelines that require outside investigators in such cases. The Assembly, however, did not adopt similar reforms. The subcommittee hopes to streamline these disparities.

The Joint Committee’s next hearing will be on June 18.

The poll was based on 691 registered voters, as well as 517 voters likely to vote in the primary. The top two vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the Nov. 6 general election.

Newsom, the current lieutenant governor, received 21 percent of the vote, with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Republican businessman John Cox contending for second place with 11 percent and 10 percent of the vote, respectively; well within the margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Of potential interest to the battle for second place could be President Trump’s recent decision to endorse Cox. While it could potentially mobilize Republican support, it could just as easily backfire and turn away moderates.

California Treasurer John Chiang, who was hoping to become the state’s first Asian-American governor, and Huntington Beach State Assemblyman Travis Allen, who has brashly courted Trump supporters, stand at 6 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

When it comes to issues that could swing voters in congressional races, the Trump administration’s tax overhaul and attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act hold the most cache. Almost half of poll respondents opposed the December tax overhaul, with 52 percent being less likely to re-elect their representative if they supported the changes. And six out of 10 residents support the ACA; similarly, 54 percent would be less likely to vote for a representative trying to repeal Obamacare.

The meeting was the latest development in an ongoing battle between California and the Trump administration over its sanctuary policies. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state earlier this year and the disagreement is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court.

The main law in question, Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act, prohibits local law enforcement from diverting resources to assist federal immigration authorities and detaining citizens past their normal detention at ICE’s request. It’s backed by other laws, such as one that requires private companies to warn employees in advance of immigration inspections.

Since the announcement of the federal lawsuit, many municipalities, such as Orange County and the city of Los Alamitos, have expressed their opposition to sanctuary policies and tossed their weight behind the lawsuit.

Among those in attendance at the meeting: mayors from Los Alamitos, Barstow, San Jacinto and Escondido, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (CA-67), El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini, and Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel. On the federal side, Department of Justice Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Director of ICE Thomas Homan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

While supporters argue that the legislation makes the public safer by improving trust between police and immigrant communities, many in attendance pointed to public safety concerns as the reason for their opposition to sanctuary laws. 

“When Jerry Brown cares more about illegal criminals than he cares about the Hispanic community and the American citizens, this is insanity, and this is unconstitutional,” said Escondido Mayor Sam Abed. “This is personal to me. I’m going to work hard to make sure our community is safe.”

In response to the meeting, Gov. Jerry Brown tweeted that the president “is lying on immigration, lying about crime and lying about the laws of CA. Flying a dozen Republican politicians to flatter him and praise his reckless policies changes nothing. We, the citizens of the fifth largest economy in the world, are not impressed.”

Except for one bill sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Budget, every bill was Democrat-sponsored. The list is meant to sound “the alarm when a bill will hurt employers and the economy.”

The bills run the gamut from Assembly Bill 1761 –  which, inspired by #MeToo revelations, would require hotels to decline service to patrons who harass employees and issue panic buttons to employees working alone in guestrooms – and ACA22, which would add a 10 percent tax on net earnings of more than $1 million, with the revenue being funneled toward programs such as the earned income tax credit and health care.

While CalChamber is traditionally one of the biggest spenders when it comes to lobbying in Sacramento, spending $2.8 million lobbying last year alone, it figures to face an uphill battle. Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee passed Senate Bill 1284 (mandates publishing pay data for certain companies) and SB1300 (makes certain litigation easier) Friday, while the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee will considered AB2351 (increases personal income tax by 1 percent) Monday.

However, CalChamber will find more success with longshot bills, such as AB1745, which would ban sales of combustion engine vehicles in 2040. Similarly, AB1745, which would create a single-payer government health care system, has been in legislative purgatory since last year and is likely dead.

For a full list of “job killer bills,” see CalChamber’s website.

Chief among the provisions in Assembly Bill 2747, introduced by Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, is amending the Student Athlete Bill of Rights to include the “right to self-organization” and potential unionization.

“College athletes are playing in an exploitive system where the NCAA makes billions in profits while they are forced to pursue higher education without the same rights and financial freedoms as any other student on campus,” said Holden, a former college basketball player, in a statement. “These athletes are not able to self-organize like any other student group on campus, and can face retaliation by university officials and coaching staff for expressing their opinion or reporting any abuses.”

The legislation would pave the way for athletes to potentially profit from the use of their likeness and sponsors, and it also would strengthen protections from abuse and exploitation in the aftermath of botched handling of abuse at Penn State University and Michigan State University.

The issue of self-organization is a contentious one, and goes back to whether student-athletes are in fact employees.

On one hand, the National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel published a non-binding memo last February declaring that certain football players are employees because “they perform services for their college and the NCAA, subject to their control, in return for compensation.” On the other hand, two separate judicial rulings last year concluded that student athletes are not employees.

The NCAA has yet to comment on the bill.

Public figures such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have already signaled their support for AB2747.

The bill has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, which is scheduled to discuss the bill during its next hearing, on April 17.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, in her annual State of the Judiciary address on March 19, renewed calls for bail reform and making the legal system more attuned to the needs of Californians. She also doubled down on oblique criticisms of the White House.

The chief justice called then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s assertion in 1964 that the bail system is “a vehicle for systemic injustice” a “clarion for justice” in 2018.

Despite efforts in recent years to end the money bail system, they have hit roadblocks. Legislation to revamp bail was defeated last year after vigorous opposition from industry lobbyists and counties concerned with the implementation costs of the reforms.

While Cantil-Sakauye cited progress in criminal reforms over the last several years, she also spoke of a need to expand these efforts to civil cases. She called for the state to offer better self-help services to citizens who appear in court without attorneys. The problem is particularly acute in civil cases, where she cited a statistic of at least one side not having a lawyer in three-quarters of cases.

The address also contained clear references to President Donald Trump, even if he was never explicitly named.

“On the national front, we have unprecedented disruption, attacks on the free press, threats to the rule of civility, the Rule of Law, and judicial independence,” she told the joint session of the state Legislature.

The chief justice also addressed the U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ controversial announcement that the Justice Department would take the Golden State to court over its sanctuary city policies.

“We know that in California, California’s right to govern its own affairs is now being litigated in federal court. So it’s only natural that, nationally, the Law Day theme this year is ‘Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom,’” said Cantil-Sakauye.

Cantil-Sakauye was appointed chief justice in 2011 by outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Her 12-year term is set to expire Jan. 1, 2023.