California Democrats push retail theft bills

Democratic leaders’ public safety ballot measure flamed out when Gov. Gavin Newsom shockingly withdrew the proposal at the last minute.

Now, legislators are pushing ahead with a retail theft bill package in their continued opposition of Proposition 36 — a November ballot measure backed by law enforcement groups and Republicans (and some Democrats) that would roll back parts of 2014’s Prop. 47. 

Key parts of the package could be voted on by the Senate as soon as Thursday and by the Assembly on Monday to reach the governor’s desk next week.

The major bill is the Retail Theft Reduction Act, authored by Assemblymember Rick Zbur, a Los Angeles Democrat and chairperson of the select committee on retail theft. 

Assembly Bill 2943 would create a new felony charge for thieves who steal more than $950 worth of property with the intent to “sell, exchange, or return the merchandise for value.” The value of the stolen items can also be totaled together if the person committed thefts within two years, or acted with someone else who also had the intent to sell. 

Currently under Prop. 47, thefts of goods worth less than $950 can only be charged as misdemeanors, not felonies — a provision that critics blame for retail thefts. 

After Democrats introduced their failed anti-crime ballot measure last month, AB 2943 was amended to avoid any duplicative or conflicting provisions. But now that the proposition has been nixed, the bill was amended Monday to revert back to essentially the same version the Assembly greenlit in May. 

• Zbur, in a statement to CalMatters: “The Legislature will move forward quickly in August to deliver effective solutions to retail theft that protect our store owners and businesses and keep workers and shoppers safe. These proposals are the culmination of months of hard work involving retailers, small businesses, law enforcement, workers, community advocates, and other key stakeholders who need solutions now.”

Retail theft has been one of the most contentious issues of the session, so it’s understandable why legislative leaders are trying to finish the bills well before the pressure cooker leading up to the Aug. 31 adjournment. 

First introduced in June, the bill package started out with 14 measures to combat retail theft and drug dealing. Initially considered a bipartisan effort, the package later drew ire among Republicans after Democrats moved to add “poison pill” provisions to some of the bills that would kill them (if they were signed into law), once Prop. 36 passed.

The amendments were ultimately walked back after the dustup. But since then, one bill has been pulled from consideration, while another legislator withdrew their authorship. Newsom signed two others into law in July, related to reimbursing providers for substance use disorder treatments and Medi-Cal billing.

CalMatters covers the Capitol: We have guides and stories to keep track of bills and your lawmakers, find out how well legislators are representing you, explore the Legislature’s record diversity and make your voice heard.

Four days after the start of the Park Fire — still burning into its second week and already California’s fourth largest fire ever — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he would send firefighters to help.

The deployment was part of a federal mutual aid system: When a state calls for help during an emergency, other states answer if they can. But as wildfires become more intense, calls for aid are happening more frequently, writes CalMatters environmental reporter Julie Cart.

Besides Texas, California received additional equipment from Utah and Nevada. Fire supervisors from Florida, Arkansas and Oregon are also currently working California fires. Crews from Australia are expected this week. 

For its part, California has sent first responders to Oregon and Texas this year.

Reinforcements are especially crucial when battling wildfires: Fire crews must move quickly to where they’re needed, and they must work long shifts, stressful and deadly conditions and scorching heatwaves. Cal Fire crews typically work 14 to 21 days before they are rotated out.

Although the ranks of California firefighters have grown from 6,700 in 2018 to 9,700 today, according to the governor, and firefighting apprenticeships are some of the most popular in the state, the mutual aid system is still being pushed to its limits. 

The U.S. is now at Preparedness Level 5 — the fourth time in 20 years that this highest alert level has been activated so early in the summer. California alone has had 4,900 fires this year, with more expected to come, and the acreage burned so far is four times the average for this time of year.

Read more about firefighting staffing in Julie’s story.

Wildfire season: Check out CalMatters’ wildfire tracker for live updates on active fires, a FAQ and other information. And find out more on wildfires in our updated explainer.

California has only just begun enacting its long-awaited rules for protecting workers from sweltering indoor heat temperatures. But as CalMatters Capitol reporter Jeanne Kuang explains, it still falls short when enforcing its nearly two-decade-old rules on outdoor workplace heat.

Reports from the state’s own Division of Occupational Safety and Health show that inspections and citations for the heat rule are way below the numbers before the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2022 UC Merced study also found that 20% of farmworkers surveyed said their employers never monitored the temperature on hot days, which is one of the state’s rules. And nearly two-thirds said they would not report a violation out of fear of retaliation or concern they’d lose their jobs. 

That’s what Isidro Fierros Hernandez claims to have happened to him and other workers in June, when they said they lost their jobs at a Dixon tomato farm because they requested to go home early after feeling sick from the heat. The owner of the contractor that employed the workers denied the workers had been fired. Two state agencies are investigating the incident and the case is still pending.

To protect farmworkers, the United Farm Workers union is pushing for Senate Bill 1299, which would make it easier to file a workers’ compensation claim for heat illness. The bill proposes tying eligibility for workers’ comp coverage with the skirting of the state’s heat rules by employers. The approach is unique since it involves two separate state agencies, one of which is Cal/OSHA. The union says this adds financial pressure for employers to follow the rules.

Opposing the bill are the California Chamber of Commerce and insurance carriers, who argue that the worker’s comp system should not enforce Cal/OSHA’s rules. The director of labor affairs at the California Farm Bureau also says more regulation may not be necessary.

Learn more about farmworkers’ heat illnesses in Jeanne’s story.

Federal officials issued a blistering review Tuesday of how California’s housing department tracked homelessness aid during the COVID pandemic. How much was at risk of fraud? Find out from CalMatters reporter Marisa Kendall.