Latest news with #SenateBill54
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Lawmakers ask Newsom and waste agency to follow the law on plastic legislation
California lawmakers are taking aim at proposed rules to implement a state law aimed at curbing plastic waste, saying the draft regulations proposed by CalRecycle undermine the letter and intent of the legislation. In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and two of his top administrators, the lawmakers said CalRecycle exceeded its authority by drafting regulations that don't abide by the terms set out by the law, Senate Bill 54. 'While we support many changes in the current draft regulations, we have identified several provisions that are inconsistent with the governing statute ... and where CalRecycle has exceeded its authority under the law,' the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Newsom, California Environmental Protection agency chief Yana Garcia, and Zoe Heller, director of the state's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle. The letter, which was written by Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) and Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica), was signed by 21 other lawmakers, including Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hills Estates) and Monique Limón (D-Goleta). CalRecycle submitted informal draft regulations two weeks ago that are designed to implement the law, which was authored by Allen, and signed into law by Newsom in 2022. The lawmakers' concerns are directed at the draft regulations' potential approval of polluting recycling technologies — which the language of the law expressly prohibits — as well as the document's expansive exemption for products and packaging that fall under the purview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. The inclusion of such blanket exemptions is 'not only contrary to the statute but also risks significantly increasing the program's costs,' the lawmakers wrote. They said the new regulations allow 'producers to unilaterally determine which products are subject to the law, without a requirement or process to back up such a claim.' Daniel Villaseñor, a spokesman for the governor, said in an email that Newsom 'was clear when he asked CalRecycle to restart these regulations that they should work to minimize costs for small businesses and families, and these rules are a step in the right direction ...' At a workshop held at the agency's headquarters in Sacramento this week, CalRecycle staff responded to similar criticisms, and underscored that these are informal draft regulations, which means they can be changed. 'I know from comments we've already been receiving that some of the provisions, as we have written them ... don't quite come across in the way that we intended,' said Karen Kayfetz, chief of CalRecycle's Product Stewardship branch, adding that she was hopeful 'a robust conversation' could help highlight areas where interpretations of the regulations' language differs from the agency's intent. 'It was not our intent, of course, to ever go outside of the statute, and so to the extent that it may be interpreted in the language that we've provided, that there are provisions that extend beyond ... it's our wish to narrow that back down,' she said. These new draft regulations are the expedited result of the agency's attempt to satisfy Newsom's concerns about the law, which he said could increase costs to California households if not properly implemented. Newsom rejected the agency's first attempt at drafting regulations — the result of nearly three years of negotiations by scores of stakeholders, including plastic producers, package developers, agricultural interests, environmental groups, municipalities, recycling companies and waste haulers — and ordered the waste agency to start the process over. Critics say the new draft regulations cater to industry and could result in even higher costs to both California households, which have seen large increases in their residential waste hauling fees, as well as to the state's various jurisdictions, which are taxed with cleaning up plastic waste and debris clogging the state's rivers, highways, beaches and parks. The law is molded on a series of legislative efforts described as Extended Producer Responsibility laws, which are designed to shift the cost of waste removal and disposal from the state's jurisdictions and taxpayers to the industries that produce the waste — theoretically incentivizing a circular economy, in which product and packaging producers develop materials that can be reused, recycled or composted.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Want to understand CalRecycle's chemical recycling rules? You'll need to pay
Sacramento — Want to know what constitutes an acceptable form of recycling in California under CalRecycle's new draft guidelines for the state's landmark plastic waste law? It'll cost you roughly $187, and even then you may not find your answer. The issue arose this week when CalRecycle held a Sacramento workshop on its proposed regulations to implement Senate Bill 54, the 2022 law designed to reduce California's single-use plastic waste. In the regulations' latest iteration, the agency declared that it will only consider recycling technologies that follow standards issued by the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, the Geneva-based group that sets standards for a variety of industries, including healthcare and transportation. According to the draft regulations: 'A facility's use of a technology that is not a mechanical recycling technology ... shall not be considered recycling unless the facility operates in a manner consistent with ISO 59014:2024.' To access ISO 59014:2024, one must purchase the report for about $187. That's not fair, said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste. 'Copies of those ISO standards should be publicly available,' he said. Lapis and others also noted that the law, as written, expressly prohibits chemical and nonmechanical forms of recycling. Officials at CalRecycle, also known as the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, didn't respond to the criticism or to questions from The Times. ISO 59014:2024 turns out to be a 38-page report titled 'Environmental management and circular economy — Sustainability and traceability of the recovery of secondary materials — Principles, requirements and guidance.' A copy of the report reviewed by The Times offered no specifics on recycling technologies, or information about the operation of a recycling plant. The word 'recycling' is only used five times in the 'Annex,' a 13-page supplementary section of the report. And there it is mentioned only in the context of establishing definitions or examples of 'organizations engaged in the recovery of secondary materials' or 'collection system types.' For instance, 'Commercial waste and recycling companies' are listed as examples of a type of organization that collects waste. Other waste collectors, according to the report, include municipalities, retailers and reuse organizations such as nonprofit reuse operators. 'The draft calls on aligning facilities with this ISO standard,' said Monica Wilson, senior director of global programs at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. 'That ISO standard is not about recycling. It's not about chemical recycling, it's just not an appropriate comparison for us to be referring to.' Lapis also found the report hard to decipher. 'Maybe I should go back and look at it again, but it'd be helpful if you're citing ISO standards ... that you identify what parts' are being cited, he said. Karen Kayfetz, chief of CalRecycle's Product Stewardship branch, didn't respond to questions or concerns about the inclusion of a report that is not freely available to the public to review. During this week's workshop, she said the agency's use of the ISO standard 'is not meant ... to be a measure of whether you are recycling, but rather just one of multiple criteria that an entity needs to be measured against.' She said the SB 54 statute requires that CalRecycle exclude recycling technologies that produce significant amounts of hazardous waste and tasks the agency with considering environmental and public health impacts of these technologies. 'The ISO standard for the operation of facilities does address some of the best practices that would help to ameliorate and measure those impacts. ... It is meant to be one of multiple criteria that can be utilized as a measure and to help set a floor but not a ceiling,' she said. Ana Ferreira, a spokeswoman for the Wine Institute, which represents more than 1,000 wineries and affiliates across the state, was among those with no complaints about the proposed new regulations. 'We believe it incorporates common-sense changes that would reduce costs and ensure that products are appropriately recycled,' Ferreira said. Tina Andolina, the chief of staff for state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), SB 54's author, said the inclusion of the report and other items in the draft regulations suggests that CalRecycle is considering how to manage these polluting technologies — instead of forbidding them, as the law requires. 'The regulations unlawfully shift the standard from the production of hazardous waste as required by the statute to its management,' she said, reading from a letter Allen had written to the staff. Anja Brandon, director of plastic policy at the Ocean Conservancy, added that along with not being freely available, the ISO standard 'does not satisfy SB 54's requirements to exclude the most hazardous technologies and to minimize the generation of hazardous waste and environmental, environmental justice and public health impacts.' SB 54, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022, requires that by 2032, 100% of single-use packaging and plastic food ware produced or sold in the state must be recyclable or compostable, that 65% of it can be recycled, and that the total volume is reduced by 25%. The law was written to address the mounting issue of plastic pollution in the environment and the growing number of studies showing the ubiquity of microplastic pollution in the human body — such as in the brain, blood, heart tissue, testicles, lungs and various other organs. Last March, after nearly three years of negotiations among various corporate, environmental, waste, recycling and health stakeholders, CalRecycle drafted a set of finalized regulations designed to implement the single-use plastic producer responsibility program under SB 54. But as the deadline for implementation approached, industries that would be affected by the regulations including plastic producers and packaging companies — represented by the California Chamber of Commerce and the Circular Action Alliance — began lobbying the governor, complaining that the regulations were poorly developed and might ultimately increase costs for California allowed the regulations to expire and told CalRecycle that it needed to start the process over. These new draft regulations are the agency's latest attempt at issuing guidelines by which the law can be implemented.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
DOJ seeks to 'neutralize' California sanctuary state law by issuing federal warrants
The U.S. Attorney's Office has announced a plan that's already underway to circumvent California's so-called "sanctuary state" law that prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials by directly issuing federal arrest warrants for undocumented immigrants being held in jails across the state. U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli outline the program, dubbed "Operation Guardian Angel," on May 19. The operation, which began May 10, "seeks to neutralize California's sanctuary state policy and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails by issuing federal arrest warrants for them," according to a statement from his office. Thirteen defendants had already been taken into federal custody under the program as of May 15, officials said. As Operation Guardian Angel continues, DOJ staff will file complaints and federal arrest warrants "to take as many defendants as possible into custody from state jails," the statement said. Essayli said the program is necessary due to California's policies. "Even the worst criminal aliens in state custody are frequently released into the community because California's sanctuary state policies block cooperation with federal law enforcement," he said. "These laws effectively render federal immigration detainers meaningless," Essayli continued. "The days of giving criminal illegal aliens a free pass are over. While California may be presently disregarding detainers, it cannot ignore federal arrest warrants." As an example, federal officials cited the case of José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez, 30, of Mexico, who stands accused of shooting and killing a man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter in Inglewood in February of 2025. "Despite the fact he was an illegal alien who had been convicted of vehicle theft, was removed from the United States in 2013, and had been arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request," the DOJ statement said. California enacted Senate Bill 54, also known as the California Values Act, in 2017. It has since been written into law as California Government Code 7284. It bars local law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration officials in most circumstances. The bill mandates that California law enforcement agencies shall not use any department resources or personnel to "investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes," the law reads. Prohibited activities specifically barred in the code include inquiring into an individual's immigration status; detaining an individual on the basis of a hold request; providing information to immigration officials, except under specified circumstances; participating in arrests based on civil immigration warrants; and performing functions of an immigration officer, among others. The Central District of California includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Trump administration seeks to thwart California sanctuary state law
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Checking in on the Nevada Legislature: What's on death watch and what's still kicking
Time is ticking for the hundreds of bills still alive in the Nevada State Legislature. (Photo: Trevor Bexon/Nevada Current) The Nevada State Legislature has only a fortnight remaining before it must gavel out, which means it's crunch time for the hundreds of bills still trying to make it to Gov. Joe Lombardo's desk. Friday, May 16 marked the 103rd day of the session and the deadline by which most bills had to pass out of a committee. The bills subject to Friday's deadline had already passed one chamber of the Legislature, meaning their next step is to get a floor vote in whichever chamber hasn't already voted on it. The deadline for passing that full floor vote is this Friday, May 23. Meanwhile, there is an avalanche of bills exempt from standard deadlines. Some of these bills are chugging along. Others are languishing in inaction and likely already dead inside, though their sponsors may still be holding out hope. We know it's a lot to follow, so here's the Nevada Current's status check on the dozens of noteworthy bills we have covered so far this session. We've included links to our previous coverage and links to the official legislative website where you can find out more about each bill. This time around, we've broken out the bills that appear stuck in a budget committee. The rest of the bills are organized by subject. We've also added dates to give you a sense of how long each bill has been wherever it is. * Notes: Bills exempt from the legislative deadline are marked with an asterisk. Lead sponsors are listed in parentheses. Bills with no lead sponsor listed are sponsored by interim committees. One common joke among the halls of the Legislature is that Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means are the committees where bills go to die. That may especially be true this year because of a souring economic outlook and the potential for major federal cuts causing further financial damage later this year. Here's a look at bills that have been referred to these budget committees and not seen recent action. Senate Bill 54* would require the state's Department of Health and Human Services to apply for a federal waiver and amend the state Medicaid plan to cover medical respite care for people experiencing homelessness. Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Senate Bill 172* (Sen. Edgar Flores, D) seeks to bolster protections for farm workers and amend overtime pay laws to include agriculture workers. Referred to Senate Finance on April 16. Senate Bill 199* (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) would establish guardrails around artificial intelligence. Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Senate Bill 217* (State Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro, D) would establish the right to assisted reproduction treatment, including in vitro fertilization. Referred to Senate Finance on April 18. Senate Bill 220* (State Sen. Roberta Lange, D) is known as the Nevada Film Infrastructure, Workforce Development, Education and Economic Diversification Act. It is one of two bills that would massively expand the state's film tax credit program to support a film and production studio in southwest Las Vegas. Referred to Senate Finance on April 15. Senate Bill 244* (State Sen. Roberta Lange, D) would expand the types of obesity treatments covered by Nevada Medicaid, including approving weight-loss drugs like Ozempic for wider use. Referred to Senate Finance on April 1. Senate Bill 260* (Sen. Edgar Flores, D) seeks to ensure that outdoor workers receive protection when air quality reaches unhealthy levels due to wildfire smoke. Status: Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Senate Bill 353* (State Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop, D) would increase Medicaid reimbursement for mental health providers. Referred to Senate Finance on April 17. Senate Bill 391* (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) would establish a corporate landlord registry and cap purchasing power for corporate owners. Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Senate Bill 431* would apply the state's live entertainment tax to tickets resold by third-party vendors and dedicate some funding to transit. Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Assembly Bill 191* (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would give graduate assistants the right to collectively bargain for better pay and conditions. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 14. Assembly Bill 224* (Assemblymember Erica Mosca, D) would dedicate $100 million in state general obligation bonds for high-needs school construction projects in low-population counties that cannot fund them through typical means. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 10. Assembly Bill 246* (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) would require the Nevada Department of Corrections to conduct a study on food quality, waste and nutrition within state prisons. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 21. Assembly Bill 276* (Assemblymember P.K. O'Neill, R) would adjust the commerce tax threshold to inflation. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 21. Assembly Bill 366* (Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D) would appropriate $25 million from the state general fund to supportive housing initiatives throughout the state. Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on March 28. No action taken. Assembly Bill 388* (Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch, D) would require private employers with more than 50 workers, as well as all public employers, to provide paid family and medical leave. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 15. Assembly Bill 460* (Assemblymember Cecelia González, D) streamlines the process for selecting a temporary guardian for minors prior to any immigration action. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 21. Assembly Bill 475* would provide funding for eviction diversion programs in Clark and Washoe counties. Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on April 4. Senate Bill 121 (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) changes what homeowners' associations are allowed to require of new residents. Status: Passed Assembly Judiciary on May 8. Previously: Passed full Senate with bipartisan support: 18 yeas, 2 nays. Republicans Ira Hansen and Robin Titus opposed. Assembly Bill 121 (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) would require all non-optional fees, such as sewer and water, be listed in advertisements for rental properties. It would also require landlords to offer a way for tenants to pay rent without added processing fees. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 201 (Assemblymember Erica Roth, D) would expand efforts to automatically seal eviction records. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary on May 14. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 211 (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) would allow a third party to take over the property until repairs are made and living conditions improved. Status: Passed Senate Government Affairs on May 16. Previously: Passed full Assembly: 41 yeas, 0 nays, 1 excused. Assembly Bill 223 (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) would give tenants more power to hold landlords accountable for failing to provide livable conditions. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 16. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 241 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) would require counties to speed up the process to rezone land currently designated commercial use into residential or mixed use. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 16. Previously: Passed full Assembly 28 yeas, 14 nays. Republican Danielle Gallant voted with Democrats in support. Assembly Bill 280 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) proposes rent stabilization for seniors. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 283 (Assemblymember Max Carter, D) would restructure the eviction process. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary on May 14. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 540* is Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's housing bill. It would allocate millions of dollars to build more housing and expand the definition of affordable housing to include people with higher incomes. Status: Heavily amended and passed by Assembly Commerce and Labor on May 16. Senate Bill 316* (State Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, D) would curb how much profit pharmacy benefit managers can make. Status: Heard by Senate Finance on May 13. Senate Bill 417 would allow Southwest Gas and other natural gas utilities to ask the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to depart from traditional rate-setting in favor of alternative rate-making. Status: Heard by Assembly Growth and Infrastructure on May 15 and moved out of the committee without recommendation the following day. Previously: Passed full Senate unanimously. Senate Bill 442 mandates utilities report the number of disconnections due to non-payment. Status: Passed Assembly Growth and Infrastructure on May 8. Previously: Passed full Senate with some bipartisan support: 17 yeas, 4 nays from Republicans. Assembly Bill 44 (Attorney General Aaron Ford, D) seeks to crack down on 'knowingly deceptive' price fixing. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 16. Previously: Passed full Assembly: 24 yeas, 18 nays; three Democrats voted with Republicans in opposition. Assembly Bill 204* (Assemblymember Max Carter, D) would prevent collection agencies from threatening to arrest people for debt, obtain a lien against a primary residence, seek to foreclose on a home, or garnish wages. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 15. Senate Bill 348 (State Sen. Julie Pazina, D) would increase the fee hospitals pay the Nevada State Public Health Lab for a newborn screening panel to expand newborn screenings for rare diseases. Status: Passed Assembly Health and Human Services on May 14. Previously: Passed Senate with bipartisan support: 16 yeas, 5 nays. Senate Bill 495*, known as the Nevada Health Care Access Act, is Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's health care bill. Status: Introduced into the Legislature on May 15. Referred to Senate Health and Human Services. Assembly Bill 176 (Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, D), known as the Right to Contraception Act, would strengthen protections against a state or local government burdening access to contraceptive measures. Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly with unanimous support. Assembly Bill 235 (Assemblymember Erica Roth, D) protects employees and volunteers of reproductive health care facilities, as well as their spouses, domestic partners or minor children, by allowing them to request a court order that keeps their personal information confidential on otherwise public records within the offices of county recorder, county assessor, county clerk, city clerk, Secretary of State, or Department of Motor Vehicles. Status: Passed Senate Government Affairs on May 16. Previously: Passed the full Assembly with bipartisan support: 33 yeas, 9 nays; six Republicans supported. Assembly Bill 411 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) would allow prescriptions for drugs used for medical abortions and miscarriage management to list the name of the prescribing health care practice, rather than the name of the specific individual providing the prescription. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 26 yeas, 15 nays, 1 Democrat excused. Senate Bill 116 (State Sen. Skip Daly, D) would give pay raises to elected county officials. Status: Passed Assembly Government Affairs on May 16. Previously: Passed full Senate with bipartisan support: 19 yeas, 2 nays. Republicans Carrie Buck and Robin Titus opposed. Senate Bill 161* (State Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, D) would establish an expedited arbitration process for teachers unions and school districts and establish a pathway for K-12 public school teachers to legally go on strike. Status: Passed full Senate: 14 yeas, 6 nays. Republicans Lori Rogich and John Steinbeck voted with Democrats in support. Senate Bill 418* would enable the State Superintendent of Public Schools to withhold a charter school's per-pupil dollars in order to pay PERS delinquencies. Status: Passed Assembly Government Affairs on May 13. Previously: Passed full Senate unanimously. Assembly Bill 112 (Assemblymember Duy Nguyen, D) would allow workers covered by collective bargaining agreements to use their accrued leave to care for family members. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly: 29 yeas, 13 nays. Republicans Rebecca Edgeworth and Gregory Hafen voted with Democrats in support. Assembly Bill 215 (Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D) would prohibit high school teenagers from working between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. before a school day. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly unanimously. Assembly Bill 502* would boost the state's ability to investigate and enforce prevailing wage violations. Status: Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 17. Hearing scheduled for May 23. Assembly Joint Resolution 1* (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would let voters in 2028 decide whether the taxable value of property should reset when a home is sold. Status: Heard by Senate Legislative Operations and Elections on May 15 and advanced without a recommendation the following day. Previously: Resolution passed full Assembly: 26 yeas, 16 nays. Democrat Brittney Miller joined Republicans in opposition. Assembly Joint Resolution 8 (Assemblymember Joe Dalia, D) would let voters in 2028 decide whether Nevada should establish a dedicated business court with the goal of enticing large companies to incorporate here. Status: Passed Senate Legislative Operations and Elections on May 15. Previously: Resolution passed the full Assembly with bipartisan support: 40 yeas, 2 nays. Democrats Selena La Rue Hatch and Erica Roth opposed. Assembly Bill 256 (Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch, D) would create a Regional Rail Transit Advisory Working Group to assess the need for a regional rail system in the state's largest metro areas, as well as potential funding sources for such a system. Status: Passed Senate Legislative Operations and Elections on May 15. Previously: Passed the full Assembly with unanimous support. Assembly Bill 277 (Assemblymember Rich DeLong, R) would make the Net Proceeds of Minerals Bulletin public again. Status: Passed Senate Revenue and Economic Development on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly unanimously. Senate Bill 28 (City of Las Vegas) would create 'tax increment areas' in which a portion of future property tax revenue would be used to pay interest on bonds used to finance affordable housing development and public transit. Status: Passed Assembly Government Affairs on May 13. Previously: Passed full Senate with bipartisan support: 17 yeas, 4 nays. Four Republicans opposed. Senate Bill 69 (Storey County) would require companies seeking massive tax abatements to enter into agreements to defray the costs of the government-provided services they would require. Status: Passed Assembly Revenue on May 16. Previously: Passed full Senate with bipartisan support: 17 yeas, 4 nays. Four Republicans opposed. Assembly Bill 185 (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would bar most HOAs from prohibiting licensed home-based childcare operations within their communities. Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services on May 16. Previously: Passed Assembly with bipartisan support; 32 yeas, 10 nays. A third of the Republican caucus supported. Assembly Bill 238* (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) is known as the Nevada Studio Infrastructure Jobs and Workforce Training Act. It massively expands the state's film tax credit program to support a production studio in Summerlin in Las Vegas. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 9. No action taken since. Assembly Bill 376* (Assemblymember P.K. O'Neill, R) would create a 'regulatory sandbox' for the insurance industry. Status: Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 22. Scheduled for a hearing on May 20. Assembly Bill 457* (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) originally sought to close a potential loophole that can be used by corporate landlords to avoid paying the state's commerce tax. It has now been amended into a study on the issue. Status: Passed Senate Revenue and Economic Development on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly on party lines; 27 yeas 15 nays. Assembly Bill 487 originally sought to ban retail pet sales statewide. It has been amended into a study bill. Status: Passed Senate Natural Resources on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly with bipartisan support; 32 yeas, 9 nays, 1 excused. Six of the chamber's 15 Republicans supported. Senate Bill 318* (State Sen. Skip Daly, D) would ban charter schools from contracting with for-profit education management organizations. Status: Heard by Senate Finance on May 19. No action taken. Assembly Bill 217 would prohibit school employees from granting permission to immigration officers to enter a school, or provide student records, including information on a student's family, without a warrant. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary on May 14. Previously: Passed Assembly; 31 yeas, 11 nays. Four Republicans joined Democrats in support. Assembly Bill 398* (Assemblymember Steve Yeager, D) would provide additional pay for public school district teachers in hard-to-fill positions. Yeager plans to amend the bill to establish a fund for broader charter school raises. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 15. Assembly Bill 441 (Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D) would change how Opportunity Scholarships are administered. Status: Passed Senate Revenue and Economic Development on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly on party lines; 27 yeas, 15 nays. Senate Bill 88* would discharge medical debt from those incarcerated once they leave prison. Status: Heard by Senate Finance on May 19. No action taken. Assembly Bill 91* (Assemblymember Erica Roth, D) is known as 'second look' legislation and would create an avenue for those incarcerated to have sentences reviewed by the State Board of Parole Commissioners after they've served extended periods of time. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 14. No action taken. Assembly Bill 107 (Assemblymember Tracy Brown-May, D) would allow people convicted of marijuana possession for amounts that are currently legal to become foster parents. Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly with unanimous support. Assembly Bill 111 (Assemblymember Brian Hibbetts, R) would make driving the wrong way a misdemeanor crime. Status: Passed Senate Growth and Infrastructure on May 14. Previously: Passed Assembly unanimously. Senate Bill 323* (State Sen. Melanie Scheible, D) would create a pilot program to provide free phone calls at Florence McLure Women's Correctional Center. Status: Heard by Senate Finance on May 13. No action taken. Assembly Bill 320* (Assemblymember Jovan Jackson, D) seeks to stop judges from using dress codes to turn away defendants. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 14. No action taken. Senate Bill 350 (State Sen. James Ohrenschall, D) would extend the time period the state has for carrying out an execution of someone on death row. Status: Passed Assembly Judiciary on May 16. Previously: Passed full Senate on party lines: 13 yeas, 8 nays. Assembly Bill 381* (Assemblymember Melissa Hardy, R) is known as Reba's Law and mandates prison time for killing a domestic animal. Status: Passed full Assembly unanimously on May 16. Assembly Bill 402* (Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, D) would authorize traffic monitoring cameras in construction work zones when workers are present. Status: Scheduled for Assembly Ways and Means hearing on May 23. Assembly Bill 209 (Assemblymember David Orentlicher, D) would grant sex workers immunity from criminal liability from prostitution-related offenses if they call 911 seeking medical assistance. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary Committee on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly on party-line vote. Assembly Bill 321 (Assemblymember Jovan Jackson, D) seeks to establish a pathway for formerly incarcerated people to work as firefighters with the Nevada Division of Forestry. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly unanimously. Senate Bill 457 (Gov. Joe Lombardo, R) is known as the Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act. Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary on April 7, no hearing scheduled Assembly Bill 96 would mandate that cities and counties with populations exceeding 100,000 people include 'heat mitigation' as part of their master plans. Status: Passed Senate Government Affairs on May 14. Previously: Passed Assembly; 29 yeas, 13 nays. Republicans Gregory Koenig and Toby Yurek voted with Democrats in support. Assembly Bill 104 would establish the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program, which would allow willing landowners to sell their water rights back to the state through the year 2035. Status: Passed Senate Natural Resources on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly unanimously. Assembly Joint Resolution 10 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) a non-binding statement of support urging the federal government to prioritize the passage of the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, colloquially known as the Clark County Lands Bill, which would open 25,000 acres of public land in Southern Nevada to development. Status: Passed Senate Legislative Operations and Elections on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly with bipartisan support: 36 yeas, 6 nays. Six Democrats opposed. As of Monday afternoon, only four bills had actually made it to the governor's desk — a bill funding the session, a bill covering a budget shortfall in the Secretary of State's Office, a bill designating Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the 'emergency egg bill' designed to help reduce egg prices. Lombardo signed them all. However, four bills have passed both chambers and should soon head to Lombardo. Most prominently: Assembly Bill 530, which would allow the Clark County Commission to extend fuel revenue indexing (FRI) an additional decade beyond its current sunset date. The bill passed both chambers with bipartisan support. The Senate vote on May 12 was 14 yeas, 6 nays. Republicans Ira Hansen and John Steinbeck voted with Democrats in support. (Democrat James Ohrenschall was excused.) The Assembly vote in April was 39 yeas, 3 nays. Republicans Jill Dickman, Danielle Gallant, and Gregory Hafen were opposed. Lombardo vetoed a similar bill in 2023. Once AB530 formally arrives at his desk, he will have 5 days to sign or veto.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
DOJ seeks to 'neutralize' California's sanctuary state law by issuing federal warrants
The U.S. Attorney's Office has announced a plan that's already underway to circumvent California's so-called "sanctuary state" law that prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials by directly issuing federal arrest warrants for undocumented immigrants being held in jails across the state. U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli outline the program, dubbed "Operation Guardian Angel," on May 19. The operation, which began May 10, "seeks to neutralize California's sanctuary state policy and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails by issuing federal arrest warrants for them," according to a statement from his office. Thirteen defendants had already been taken into federal custody under the program as of May 15, officials said. As Operation Guardian Angel continues, DOJ staff will file complaints and federal arrest warrants "to take as many defendants as possible into custody from state jails," the statement said. Essayli said the program is necessary due to California's policies. "Even the worst criminal aliens in state custody are frequently released into the community because California's sanctuary state policies block cooperation with federal law enforcement," he said. "These laws effectively render federal immigration detainers meaningless," Essayli continued. "The days of giving criminal illegal aliens a free pass are over. While California may be presently disregarding detainers, it cannot ignore federal arrest warrants." As an example, federal officials cited the case of José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez, 30, of Mexico, who stands accused of shooting and killing a man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter in Inglewood in February of 2025. "Despite the fact he was an illegal alien who had been convicted of vehicle theft, was removed from the United States in 2013, and had been arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request," the DOJ statement said. California enacted Senate Bill 54, also known as the California Values Act, in 2017. It has since been written into law as California Government Code 7284. It bars local law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration officials in most circumstances. The bill mandates that California law enforcement agencies shall not use any department resources or personnel to "investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes," the law reads. Prohibited activities specifically barred in the code include inquiring into an individual's immigration status; detaining an individual on the basis of a hold request; providing information to immigration officials, except under specified circumstances; participating in arrests based on civil immigration warrants; and performing functions of an immigration officer, among others. The Central District of California includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. This is a developing story. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: DOJ seeks to thwart California's sanctuary state law through warrants
