State Senator Nancy Skinner (D) recently introduced SB 82, which would have reduced felony robbery not involving serious injury and not using a deadly weapon to a misdemeanor theft. The state Senate Appropriations Committee voted on the 5th to put the bill on Suspense File.
A joint statement issued by Equal Justice Association, the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce in Yalen, the California Coalition Against Drugs and the California Crime Stoppers Coalition said the bill was virtually dead. But the statement still cautioned against vigilance and called for letters to the Appropriations Committee opposing the bill to prevent the committee from continuing to discuss the bill and bringing it back from the dead.
Many in the Chinatown community strongly oppose SB 82, fearing it will condone crime and allow criminals to pay no price. At a press conference not long ago, several California district attorneys said that after felony robbery becomes misdemeanor theft, misdemeanor cases will be put into reformation court (Diversion Court) to handle, and suspects may not even have to sit in jail for a day before they are released back to the streets to continue doing evil.
At the meeting on the 5th, only one person called in support of the bill, but dozens of people voiced their opposition.
Frank Lee, president of Equal Justice California, said the bill’s suspension means it is close to being aborted, with only a slim chance of getting back on the Senate’s agenda. Lee said that after a press conference on March 30, no news reports in support of the bill could be found. “There were hundreds of phone calls to the Appropriations Committee after 30 days. The media and the general public are behind us. It’s rare to see such a lopsided reaction to a bill that shows it is not acceptable and should be banned. How can a crime be judged by how many punches a victim can take? Whenever there is force or fear involved, it is robbery and a felony. The safety of Californians should be the top priority of lawmakers.”
Chan Sik Pang, president of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce in Oakland, said he was glad to see common sense prevailing. “In today’s world of violent robberies, we need more protection, not less. When people know the huge problems with the bill, they will reject it.”
Larry Morse, legislative director of the California District Attorneys Association, expressed gratitude to Appropriations Committee Chairman Anthony Portantino (D) and colleagues for making the right decision to put SB 82 on hold.
Usually, the bills that are on hold have a chance to come back when legislators review all the bills again; that’s in late May, said the joint statement above. The coalition asks that you continue to write to Appropriations Committee Chairman Portantino and the other six senators urging them not to bring the bill back to the agenda for discussion.
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