Latest news with #SenatePublicSafetyCommittee
Los Angeles Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Proposed bill would ban ICE agents, law enforcement from wearing masks in California
SACRAMENTO — In response to immigration raids by masked federal officers in Los Angeles and across the nation, two California lawmakers on Monday proposed a new state law to ban members of law enforcement from concealing their faces while on the job. The bill would make it a misdemeanor for local, state and federal law enforcement officers to cover their faces with some exceptions, and also encourage them to wear a form of identification on their uniform. 'We're really at risk of having, effectively, secret police in this country,' said state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), co-author of the bill. During a news conference in San Francisco announcing the legislation, Wiener criticized the Trump administration for targeting illegal immigrants without criminal records and alleged that current tactics allow ICE agents to make themselves appear to be local police in some cases. Under the proposal, law enforcement officials would be exempted from the mask ban if they serve on a SWAT team or if a mask is necessary for medical or health reasons, including to prevent smoke inhalation. Recent immigration enforcement sweeps have left communities throughout California and the country frightened and unsure if federal officials are legitimate because of their shrouded faces and lack of identification, said Sen. Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley), co-author and chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee. He said the bill would provide transparency and discourage impersonators. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies, called the proposal 'despicable,' saying it posed a threat to law enforcement officers by identifying them and subjecting them to retaliation. 'We will prosecute those who dox ICE agents to the fullest extent of the law. The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminal illegal aliens to protect and defend the lives of American citizens,' the department said in a post on the social media site X. 'Make no mistake, this type of rhetoric is contributing to the surge in assaults of ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE.' Wiener, however, said members of law enforcement are public servants and people need to see their faces so they can be held accountable for their actions. He likened ICE officials to Stormtroopers, fictional helmeted soldiers from the movie 'Star Wars,' and said masking the faces and concealing the names of law enforcement officials shields them from public scrutiny and from the communities they are meant to serve. 'We don't want to move towards that kind of model where law enforcement becomes almost like an occupying army, disconnected from the community, and that's what it is when you start hiding their face, hiding the identity,' he said. California law already bans wearing a mask or other disguise, including a fake mustache, wig or beard to hide your identity and evade law enforcement while committing a crime, but there are no current laws about what police can or cannot wear. It was unclear whether the proposal would affect undercover or plainclothes police officers, or if a state law could apply to federal police forces. The proposal is being offered as an amendment to Senate Bill 627, a housing measure that would essentially be eviscerated. The bill also includes an intent clause, which is not legally binding, that says the legislature would work to require all law enforcement within the state to display their name on their uniforms. 'Finding a balance between public transparency and trust, along with officer safety, is critical when we're talking about creating state laws that change the rules for officers that are being placed into conflict situations,' Jason Salazar, president of the California Police Chief Assn., said in a statement. 'We have been in touch with Senator Wiener, who reached out ahead of the introduction of this bill, and we will engage in discussions with him and his office to share our concerns so that we ensure the safety of law enforcement first responders is a top priority.' Wiener said the new measure would make it clearer who is a police officer and who is not, which would be essential in the wake of the politically motivated killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, and the attempted killing of another politician and his wife. The suspect, Vance Boelter, is accused of knocking on the doors of the lawmakers in the middle of the night and announcing himself as a police officer to get them to open up, authorities said. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), wrote in an X post that the bill would endanger ICE agents. 'Do not forget — targeted attacks on ICE agents are up 413%. This is yet another shameless attempt to put them in harm's way,' she said.
San Francisco Chronicle
16-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Can state make officers show their faces during protests? Experts appear doubtful
As officers across California clash with protesters of immigration raids, two Bay Area lawmakers proposed legislation Monday that would make it a crime for state or federal police to wear masks. 'We do not need secret police in California,' state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said at a news conference on the steps of City Hall announcing the introduction of Senate Bill 627. 'It's important that we know who are carrying out law enforcement operations,' said the bill's co-author, Sen. Jesse Arreguin, D-Berkeley, chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee. 'People are afraid. Families are being torn apart.' Under the measure, which would take effect next year, a masked officer could be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable by a jail sentence and a fine. The only exemptions would be for medical masks, masks needed to protect against smoke from wildfires and other dangerous conditions, and police emergency squads known as Special Weapons and Tactics teams, or SWAT. SB627 would also require officers to wear a name or badge on their uniform to identify them to the public. It would not prohibit them from wearing visors that left their faces visible. And it would apply only to law enforcement officers, and not to the National Guard troops that President Donald Trump has sent to the streets in Los Angeles while their deployment is challenged in court. Asked whether the state could regulate the clothing or conduct of federal officers, Wiener cited court rulings upholding state and local 'sanctuary' policies that prohibit federal immigration agents from requiring police and jail officials in California to hold undocumented immigrants in custody for deportation. But some law professors were skeptical about applying a state mask ban to U.S. government officers. 'Generally the state cannot dictate how federal law enforcement operates,' said Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former federal prosecutor. 'The state can't tell the feds what to do,' said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford law professor and co-director of the school's Criminal Justice Center. Citing violence in some of the immigration protests in Los Angeles, Trump declared federal control of the California National Guard last week and sent 8,000 guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines into the city streets. In a lawsuit by the state, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled Thursday that the president had acted illegally by failing to show that the takeover was needed for public safety and failing to consult with Gov. Gavin Newsom. But Breyer's order to remove the National Guard troops was quickly blocked by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has scheduled a hearing on Tuesday. Wiener said the federal government's actions in California 'have created an atmosphere of profound terror.' He said federal officers have covered their faces, badges and names, and some have worn 'police' tags on their jackets, impersonating local officers. In addition to Los Angeles, Wiener said, the raids have been conducted in San Francisco, San Diego and Concord. There was no immediate comment on SB627 from organizations representing local police. But they have said officers are already required to wear badges and have questioned the need for further requirements.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'It will save lives': Missing Indigenous people Amber Alert bill advances at Arizona Senate
A proposed bill would create an alert system for missing Indigenous people, something lawmakers believe will bring awareness to an ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. The bill, created by Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis and sponsored by state Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, aims to coordinate tribal, local and federal efforts to alert the public of a missing Indigenous or endangered person. The alert system would be modeled after the Amber and Silver alerts, which notify the public of a missing child, senior or person with disabilities. "These alerts are fantastic, but we leave off a segment of population who go missing, and the state of Arizona doesn't even know to look for them," Martinez said. House Bill 2281 was introduced in January 2025, but lawmakers and advocates have felt a renewed push to pass the legislation after the devastating discovery of 14-year-old Emily Pike, who was a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. "I testified in early February that this legislation is critical, and it will save lives," Lewis said. "Little did I know at that time, Emily Pike, a 14-year-old member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, had been missing for weeks. She was found brutally murdered nine days after that testimony." 'The system failed Emily': Indigenous community rallies around slain San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike The bill requires the Arizona Department of Public Safety to establish an alert system for missing Indigenous or endangered people between 18 and 55, the range between Amber and Silver alerts. The alert would be used if the investigating agency has exhausted all resources; determined the person went missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances; and believed that the person is in danger, in the company of a potentially dangerous person or other factors indicating their life may be in danger. In a Senate Public Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday, Lewis emphasized that the aim of the bill wasn't to favor Native Americans over others but noted that Indigenous people are victims of violent crimes at a higher rate than others. The bill has garnered much public support, including from the Office of the Navajo Nation President and Vice President, DPS, Tohono O'odham Nation and the Gila River Indian Community. The bill passed the House unanimously on Feb. 24, three days before the Gila County Sheriff's Office announced that Emily's body had been found. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate Public Safety Committee on Wednesday and will be voted on by the full Senate. "I can't help but think, what if this law was in place early, would Emily be alive today?" Lewis said. The sponsors of the bill don't anticipate any monetary impact. According to Mesa police, Pike had run away from her group home near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road in late January. Her body was found brutalized and in trash bags in Gila County, northeast of Globe, 17 days later, said Jim Lahti of the Gila County Sheriff's Office. What happened between when she was last seen and when her body was found is under investigation by the Gila County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, FBI and other local agencies. An Amber Alert was not issued for Pike because her case didn't meet the requirements of an alert, the Mesa Police Department said. The department said it had no indication she was abducted. "The reality is that this little girl was missing ... and they found her dismembered," Martinez said. The Gila County Sheriff's Office said there were no updates as of March 7. The investigators were "vigorously" working on the case, Lahti said. According to data analyzed by the Urban Indian Health Institute in 2018, Arizona ranked third in states with the highest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. In a survey of cities that provided data, Tucson ranked in the top 10. "Everybody is going to know (Emily's name), and we are not going to stop, we are going to be loud for everybody, not just Emily," said Alyssa Dosela, Emily's aunt, at a vigil for Pike on March 6. During the Senate committee meeting, legislators floated the idea of amending the bill to name the alert after Pike. The Amber Alert, while standing for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, also refers to the brutal kidnapping and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman of Texas in 1996. Additional help: Federal agencies join Arizona investigation into disappearance of 14-year-old Emily Pike This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Indigenous Amber Alert bill for AZ advances after Emily Pike's death
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'It will save lives': Missing Indigenous people Amber Alert bill advances at Arizona Senate
A proposed bill would create an alert system for missing Indigenous people, something lawmakers believe will bring awareness to an ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. The bill, created by Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis and sponsored by state Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, aims to coordinate tribal, local and federal efforts to alert the public of a missing Indigenous or endangered person. The alert system would be modeled after the Amber and Silver alerts, which notify the public of a missing child, senior or person with disabilities. "These alerts are fantastic, but we leave off a segment of population who go missing, and the state of Arizona doesn't even know to look for them," Martinez said. House Bill 2281 was introduced in January 2025, but lawmakers and advocates have felt a renewed push to pass the legislation after the devastating discovery of 14-year-old Emily Pike, who was a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. "I testified in early February that this legislation is critical, and it will save lives," Lewis said. "Little did I know at that time, Emily Pike, a 14-year-old member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, had been missing for weeks. She was found brutally murdered nine days after that testimony." 'The system failed Emily': Indigenous community rallies around slain San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike The bill requires the Arizona Department of Public Safety to establish an alert system for missing Indigenous or endangered people between 18 and 55, the range between Amber and Silver alerts. The alert would be used if the investigating agency has exhausted all resources; determined the person went missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances; and believed that the person is in danger, in the company of a potentially dangerous person or other factors indicating their life may be in danger. In a Senate Public Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday, Lewis emphasized that the aim of the bill wasn't to favor Native Americans over others but noted that Indigenous people are victims of violent crimes at a higher rate than others. The bill has garnered much public support, including from the Office of the Navajo Nation President and Vice President, DPS, Tohono O'odham Nation and the Gila River Indian Community. The bill passed the House unanimously on Feb. 24, three days before the Gila County Sheriff's Office announced that Emily's body had been found. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate Public Safety Committee on Wednesday and will be voted on by the full Senate. "I can't help but think, what if this law was in place early, would Emily be alive today?" Lewis said. The sponsors of the bill don't anticipate any monetary impact. According to Mesa police, Pike had run away from her group home near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road in late January. Her body was found brutalized and in trash bags in Gila County, northeast of Globe, 17 days later, said Jim Lahti of the Gila County Sheriff's Office. What happened between when she was last seen and when her body was found is under investigation by the Gila County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, FBI and other local agencies. An Amber Alert was not issued for Pike because her case didn't meet the requirements of an alert, the Mesa Police Department said. The department said it had no indication she was abducted. "The reality is that this little girl was missing ... and they found her dismembered," Martinez said. The Gila County Sheriff's Office said there were no updates as of March 7. The investigators were "vigorously" working on the case, Lahti said. According to data analyzed by the Urban Indian Health Institute in 2018, Arizona ranked third in states with the highest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. In a survey of cities that provided data, Tucson ranked in the top 10. "Everybody is going to know (Emily's name), and we are not going to stop, we are going to be loud for everybody, not just Emily," said Alyssa Dosela, Emily's aunt, at a vigil for Pike on March 6. During the Senate committee meeting, legislators floated the idea of amending the bill to name the alert after Pike. The Amber Alert, while standing for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, also refers to the brutal kidnapping and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman of Texas in 1996. Additional help: Federal agencies join Arizona investigation into disappearance of 14-year-old Emily Pike This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Indigenous Amber Alert bill for AZ advances after Emily Pike's death
USA Today
08-03-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Republicans racing to name roads after Trump keep crashing and burning
Republicans racing to name roads after Trump keep crashing and burning | Opinion Republicans aren't satisfied with just renaming roads after Trump. Some want an official holiday, too. Show Caption Hide Caption Frustrated Democrats want leaders to do more to stop Trump Congressional limitations hinder Democrats' pushback against the Trump administration, but constituents say more can be done. The drive to name an Arizona state highway after President Donald Trump ran off the road on Thursday. I know. I'm surprised, too. State Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, proposed transforming State Route 260 into the Donald J. Trump Highway, noting that it's the patriotic thing to do. He has, after all, been president for an entire six weeks now. 'All across the nation people have really endorsed this concept, and why?' Rogers told the Senate Public Safety Committee a few weeks ago. 'It's because WE THE PEOPLE should be able to name our roads and our byways, and WE THE PEOPLE need to be represented and to be proud of our United States president.' Alas, WE THE PEOPLE must be crushed because the legislation stalled Thursday on a 15-9 vote of the Republican-run Senate, one shy of passing. Opinion: Canada's Liberal Party looked doomed. Then Trump's tariff war revived it. Trump Highway could be revived from the dead The proposal could make a comeback, however, as state Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, was absent from Thursday's vote. Arizona is not the only red state looking to up its bootlicking game. In Missouri, Republicans also are working on a bill to name a state highway for Trump, and in Oklahoma, there is talk of declaring Nov. 5 (the day he was elected) a state holiday – President Donald J. Trump Day. I am not making this up. In Arizona, Senate Concurrent Memorial 1001 offers 15 whereases to justify the Donald J. Trump Highway. Among other things, it notes that he won the popular vote, unleashed the Department of Government Efficiency on federal workers and 'built over 400 miles of the world's most robust and advanced border wall' during his first term. Opinion: Georgetown law school dean clobbers Trump-loving US attorney's DEI griping Should the legislation be revived, it ultimately would be up to the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names to decide whether Trump rates the 217.8-mile scenic strip of pavement that runs from Cottonwood to Eager. Me? I'd suggest honoring him with a different route. One filled with harrowing switchbacks and plenty of potholes. Laurie Roberts is a columnist at the Arizona Republic, where this column originally appeared. Reach Roberts at or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz, on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz and on BlueSky at @
