By Jennifer Roe, Capitol Advocacy

On July 3, 2024, the Legislature adjourned for summer recess after a whirlwind two weeks. Just before they adjourned, the Governor and Legislature passed this year’s State Budget, the Legislature voted on several hundreds of measures that had to pass policy committees prior to recess, and negotiations culminated on several initiatives that voters will have a chance to decide on in November. The Legislature will return from recess on August 6,  where they will have until the end of August to move all measures to the Governor’s desk.

Budget Update

This year’s State Budget closes a $47 billion shortfall by cutting $16 billion, utilizing $12.2 billion from the state’s reserves, and suspending tax breaks to increase revenue. Key measures include eliminating $1.5 billion in vacant state worker positions, reducing department budgets by nearly 8%, and cutting $1 billion from affordable housing programs, among other items.

Prop 47 Update

Late on June 30th, Democrats introduced a new crime-fighting measure aimed at countering a more punitive proposed initiative from district attorneys (DAs), which they couldn’t negotiate off the ballot. Their measure would increase penalties for repeat shoplifting offenders and drug dealers who lace substances with fentanyl, partially rolling back the previously enacted Proposition 47, which had reduced sentences for certain non-violent felony crimes. But last week, the Administration and legislative leaders abruptly announced that they would not be able to meet the Wednesday deadline to finalize the measure for inclusion on the ballot. Governor Newsom attributed this withdrawal to a tight schedule.

As a result, there will be no alternate effort to reform Proposition 47. The DA-backed measure, which broadly enhances prison sentences for various drug offenses including fentanyl possession, remains on the ballot. Newsom and Democrats had previously believed they could address theft without altering Prop 47 and had planned to campaign on the distinction that their initiative avoided reviving the “War on Drugs” era policies. The situation underscores the complex dynamics and scheduling challenges involved in advancing significant legislative reforms.

Legislative Update

AB 1941 (Quirk-Silva) Local public employee organizations – Support

This bill would authorize a recognized employee organization to charge an employee covered by the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act for the reasonable cost of representation when the employee holds a conscientious objection or declines membership in the organization and requests individual representation in a discipline, grievance, arbitration, or hearing from the organization. The bill was signed by the Governor on July 2.

 AB 2042 (Jackson) Police canines: standards and training – Oppose Unless Amended

This bill would require the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to develop guidelines for the use of canines by law enforcement. While this bill is in a much better place than it was when originally introduced, and after multiple conversations with the author and key members on this issue, we continue to be at the table and actively engaged to ensure any standards and training for police canines are workable for peace officers in the state. This bill is currently in Senate Appropriations.

AB 2421 (Low) Employer-employee relations: confidential communications – Support

This bill would prohibit a local public agency employer, a state employer, a public-school employer, a higher education employer, or the district from questioning any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matters within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation. This bill is currently in Senate Appropriations.

AB 2872 (Calderon) Department of Insurance: sworn members: compensation – Oppose Unless Amended

This bill would require that sworn members of the Department of Insurance who are rank-and-file members of State Bargaining Unit 7 be paid the same compensation as the corresponding rank-and-file sworn peace officer employees of the Department of Justice. While we are always supportive of efforts to enhance the pay and benefits of Unit 7 classifications, we are not supportive of the bill’s efforts to tie compensation between classifications via a parity requirement. We would be supportive of this bill if the Legislature either studied the potential pay disparity for DOI Investigators or provided the DOI Investigators a one-time pay increase. This bill is currently in Senate Appropriations.

AB 3241 (Pacheco) Law enforcement: police canines – Support

This bill would require the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to adopt uniform, minimum guidelines regarding the use of canines by law enforcement and certify courses of training for all law enforcement canine handlers and those enforcement supervisors directly overseeing canine programs. This bill is currently in Senate Appropriations.