California Senate Public Safety Committee

As Nation Mourns, California Debates Concealed Firearm Laws

On March 28, one day after three children and three adults were shot at the Covenant School, a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tenn., the California Senate Public Safety Committee heard arguments for and against Senate Bill (SB) 2, legislation proposing enhancements to California’s existing concealed carry permit law. “God bless the families of those little kids,” said the bill’s author, Senator Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) at the hearing. “Gun violence inflicts a terrible toll on our communities. Last year, nearly 20,000 people were killed in gun related homicides in the United States. To put that in perspective, it’s enough people

Tampering with Census Participation Would be a Crime Under New Law

In Response to Efforts to Discourage Census Participation, California Moves to Protect the Census Count Before 2020 Sacramento, CA – As the Trump Administration actively works to intimidate millions from participating in the 2020 census, the California Senate Public Safety Committee today passed AB 1563: The Freedom to Count Act. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), aims to ensure that all Californians have access to accurate information about the census, and have the opportunity to participate in the census without fear of fraud, intimidation, or harm.                                           “We cannot afford to lose the valuable resources and