It’s been two weeks since our last update, and in that time, spot bills have been amended or referred to committee and hearings are being set. The swing space is open, the annex is closed, and things are shifting to in-person, but remote participation is still available.
SB 1000 (Becker) Law Enforcement Agencies: Radio Communications
CNPA Position: Co-Sponsor
This bill would require a law enforcement agency, including the California Highway Patrol, municipal police departments, county sheriff’s departments and local law enforcement agencies to ensure public access to the radio communications of that agency. The fact sheet can be found here.
Next Step: A referral to committee
SB 1328 (McGuire) Prohibited investments and contracts: Russia & Belarus
Position: Support
This bill would allow California to use its economic power by utilizing legislation to divest state public funds from Russia and Russian-state entities following the unprovoked war against Ukraine. CNPA stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and supports the hard-working journalists reporting on the war – especially those on the ground in the Ukraine – who are risking their lives to deliver the news when we need it the most.
Next Step: Senate Governmental Organization Hearing, 9 a.m. March 29
Position: Support
The bill would make records and information obtained from records maintained by an agency or body established by a city, county, city and county, local government entity, state agency or state department for the purpose of civilian oversight of peace officers subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act. The bill would require those records to be redacted, as specified. The Fact Sheet can be found here.
Next Step: Hearing in Assembly Public Safety, 9 a.m. April 5
Position: Oppose, Unless Amended
This bill completely reforms the Bagley-Keene Act, governing all state agencies and boards, indefinitely. Over the past two years we have seen the pros and cons of remote meetings. While the bill seeks to greatly expand remote access for the public, it also changes the definition of meetings to include those that are completely remote. This means that the bodies would no longer have to meet and establish a quorum in a location that is accessible to the public. It, for the first time in state open meeting laws, would distinguish between public and private locations, allowing members of bodies to take the meeting from private locations. While the bodies would provide the public with locations to attend in person and increase remote access, CNPA will be opposing the bill, unless amended to require a quorum be in a public location.
Next Step: Referred to Assembly Governmental Affairs and Business and Professions Committees
Position: Opposed
This bill eliminates the requirement in the Brown Act that members notice the location they are participating from. Requires bodies that choose to conduct meetings via teleconferencing to offer a video stream that the public can participate from.
Next Steps: Assembly Local Government Committee
SB 1100 (Cortese) Open Meetings: Orderly Conduct
Position: None at This Time
This bill seeks to clarify what a willful disruption is and when someone may be removed from a local government meeting. Case law provides for the ability to maintain decorum of a meeting, but also makes clear First Amendment balancing.
The bill would expressly allow the removal of an individual for willfully disrupting a meeting, after a warning that they are being disruptive and a reasonable opportunity to cease the behavior. Defines “willful disruption” to mean intentionally engaging in behavior during a meeting that substantially impairs or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting in accordance with law.
Status: Passed Senate Government and Finance Committee with Amendments.
Next Step: Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 911 (Glazer) Public Media Fund
Position: None at This Time
This bill seeks to create a board that would provide grants for local and ethnic journalism. The bill has been referred to Senate Governmental Organization Committee. Many details of the bill are still being worked out, including what publications would qualify (for profit, nonprofit, local or ethnic) and what criteria and application process will be required to receive grants, who will sit on the board and other details. CNPA is excited about the proposal, but is waiting to work out some of these important issues before taking an official position on.
Next Step: Hearing in Senate Governmental Organization on March 29
AB 2284 (Gabriel) Pupil Instruction: Digital & Media Literacy Grant Program
Position: Support
This bill would establish a grant program, to be administered by the State Department of Education, for supporting media literacy and digital literacy. The bill would require establishing a leadership team to develop a curriculum on media literacy or digital literacy, that may be integrated into social studies, English language arts or health instruction. The bill would also require a grant applicant to include a description of how the local educational agency will incorporate age-appropriate instruction on at least four of a list of topics related to media literacy and digital literacy.
Next Step: Referred to Assembly Education Committee
Position: Support
Requires agencies to keep public records, including emails, for at least two years. This bill passes out of Assembly Judiciary on consent.
Other bills that may be of interest from the newsgathering perspective include:
AB 1608 (Gipson) which would separate county coroners’ offices from sheriffs’ offices, addressing a conflict of interest for police-involved shootings in around 90 percent of the counties in California.
AB 2761 (McCarty), which would require death certificates to include when an individual dies while in law enforcement custody.
