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Senate Leader McGuire, Senate Colleagues announce ‘Working Together for a Safer California’ bipartisan legislative package
The legislative package is called “Working Together for a Safer California.”
McGuire’s office reported that the package is built upon months of research, input from stakeholders and experts, and feedback from Californians.
The plan focuses on both the fentanyl crisis and retail and community-based crime, and includes increasing access to treatment, offering rehabilitative services for those already in the criminal justice system, preventing trafficking of dangerous new substances, and addressing and deterring retail theft and community-based crimes.
“Alone, these bills are strategic ways to tackle these dual crises of fentanyl and retail theft. But collectively, they are working together for a Safer California. The plan includes a series of targeted policies aimed at stemming the rising tide of retail theft that’s impacting our communities, while also enhancing and protecting the quality of life for Californians and businesses up and down our state,” said McGuire.
He said the package includes a slate of legislation built on months of research and extensive outreach with all sides of the fentanyl crisis – a deadly epidemic that they propose to address through evidence-based treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation efforts.
“When there is a need at hand, as there is with the fentanyl crisis and retail theft in our state, it’s not time for politics as usual — it’s time to come together and find solutions. That’s what the Senate is aiming to do. I’m optimistic about the proposals here today and look forward to continuing to work together for a Safer California,” said Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego).
“We are seeing unprecedented rises in overdose deaths and a rapidly changing drug supply of unregulated substances that we are struggling to keep up with. We need to tackle this crisis with what’s proven to work,” said Dr. Aimee Moulin, professor of emergency medicine in Sacramento. “Rapid access to evidence-based treatment is the only way to address the epidemic of substance use and overdose that will have a lasting and meaningful impact on people and our communities. I’m thrilled to see so many of the Senate’s Safer California policies focused on that and know that this will make a difference. It may take time but it’s important to do this right and continue to work together for a Safer California.”
Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and former White House senior drug policy advisor in the Obama Administration added, “This data-driven plan reflects the intensive thought and study Senator McGuire and his colleagues have devoted to reducing our state's fentanyl addiction and overdose crisis. I am grateful for the strong leadership of the State Senate for their efforts to save lives. We can’t move fast enough to tackle this crisis and this Plan will deploy resources and make a difference in all corners of the Golden State.”
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, led to 6,473 deaths in 2022, according to the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard.
Research on the science of addiction and treatment of substance use disorders has led to research-based approaches that help people stop the cycle of addiction and lead productive lives, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports.
While shoplifting saw a decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic, commercial burglary saw a sharp and sudden increase. From 2019 to 2022, commercial burglary increased by 15.7%.
In 2020, commercial burglary became a more commonly reported retail crime than even shoplifting. That, coupled with the increasing reliance on online retail, has created a massive issue for businesses and law enforcement that has been difficult to manage.
The bills in the Senate plan are aimed at stemming the rising tide of property-related crime in California.
The Safer California plan includes bills authored by Senators Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento), Dave Min (D-Irvine), Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa), Richard Roth (D-Riverside), Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana), Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward), and Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).
A list of bills and more information is available here.