Safe Schools and Places of Worship Act Passes CA Senate Public Safety Committee
(FOX40.COM) — A proposed change to state law could add more consequences for those who make threats against certain institutions.
Under current law, it is a crime to make violent threats against a specific person at a school or house of worship.
Senate Bill 19 has just passed the California Senate Public Safety Committee and would broaden the law to make it illegal to threaten violence toward the institution itself.
'California is falling short in tackling this issue and protecting schools and those institutions that worship from criminal threats,' said Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), the author of the Senate Bill.
These threats often cause schools to go on lockdown and can lead to a large and expensive law enforcement response, causing major disruptions.
The Safe Schools and Places of Worship Act aims to ensure that those who make these threats face the consequences.
Several organizations support the Senate Bill, including the California District Attorneys' Association.
'Someone, for example, could threaten to shoot up this building, and without a specific person targeted or identified, I could not prosecute that,' California District Attorneys' Association Representative Rochelle Beardsley said in the hearing.
Several schools in our area, including those in Elk Grove, Marysville, and Mountain House, were recently threatened.
In a statement to Fox40, Marysville Acting Superintendent Jordan Reeves said in part, 'I wholeheartedly support legislation that will bolster school safety and enhance measures to keep our school communities safe.'
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said the Mountain House bomb threat was a logistical nightmare for all involved.
'Even if there is no real threat of you showing up to kill somebody and you just think it's a joke, no no, no. There is a tremendous number of resources and trauma that happens because of this,' said the Sheriff tells Fox40.
Sheriff Withrow classifies these threats as terrorism and believes any extra steps we can take to hold people more accountable is a step in the right direction.
Marc Levine is a former California State Assemblymember, representative of the Anti-Defamation League and global leader in combatting antisemitism and extremist hate, spoke with Fox40 about this Legislation.
'If we look merely at bomb threats to synagogues and K-12 schools in the state of California, we saw about 96 of these threats,' Levine said. 'In 2023 and 2024 that number climbed to 204, a 113% increase year over year, so it's skyrocketed.'
Levine adds that it's important that all Californians take any necessary action to stand against hate and hate-based threats.
However, several organizations vehemently oppose the Senate Bill. Some cited concerns about the growing number of incarcerated individuals, including those struggling with mental health.
'It will target black and brown students the most,' a gentleman in attendance stated at the hearing. 'Schools are underfunded, mental health resources are stretched thin, and youth programs struggle for support instead of spending money locking up kids for things that can be resolved without police intervention.
The California Department of Education told Fox40 they are still looking into this Senate Bill before they can provide comment.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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