Transcription
An update on SB 747, the No Kings Act. It passed the Senate 30 to 10, and it's advancing to the Assembly. All 10 no votes were Senate Republicans.
Here's how the vote went down: 30 nos, 10. The measure passes. But it was a lengthy and fierce debate that at one point the secretary of the state Senate had to say this.
"What we will not do, because we are so much better than this, is to disparage another member of this body, nor will we, uh, believe that we have the knowledge that we can assume their intentions for a particular piece of legislation."
And that was in response to State Senator Shannon Grove of Bakersfield, who said this about Senator Scott Weiner, the bill author who was running for Congress.
"My colleague from San Francisco, I know you have a tough congressional race on your hands, but this rhetoric has got to stop."
And Senator solving problems Senator in the middle. Take a listen to some of the Republican senators' concerns about the bill.
"When it expands liability in ways that create uncertainty and deepen division. Tone matters, rhetoric matters. The way we talk about law enforcement sends signals far beyond this chamber. I'm standing up as the most conservative Republican on this floor, most likely, telling you that we both, both of our parties have a problem with this issue. OK?"
"Do I think that I should be working Casework on a DACA recipient that came here at 5 years old and has never been back to Mexico. No, that person has assimilated into the society, and they should have a way to keep their livelihood here. It should be a shock to no one that President Trump is enforcing our federal immigration laws. What is the difference between President Obama, President Clinton? And what's going on right now with this chaos going across this country. Well, I'll say one of the main reasons is because we have something called sanctuary city and sanctuary state laws."
The senator there is referring to SB 54, the California Values Act, which limits local and state law enforcement from assisting with federal immigration enforcement.
"It's our law for our state. We chose it. That's our Attorney General Rob Bonta saying SB 54 remains strongly in effect."
He and other Democratic leaders, including Assembly Speaker Robert Riebus and Senate President Poh Tem Lamon, are also behind SB 747.
And to wrap this all up, here's a back and forth on the Senate floor that really clarifies the purpose of this bill.
"In other words, it doesn't increase state or local liability. Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"All right. And secondly, that the current immunities that exist in law for state and local law enforcement continue to exist should this bill become law."
"That's correct."
"All right."