Valladares Public Safety Package Clears Committee, Heads to Senate Floor
Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster) announced on Friday that all three bills in her public safety legislative package have cleared committee and are headed to the full Senate for a vote, targeting human trafficking, long-term protections for crime victims, and illegal dumping across California.
Senate Bill 1022, the California Multidisciplinary Alliance to Stop Trafficking (MAST) Act, would establish a statewide task force to strengthen collaboration between government agencies and nonprofit organizations serving human trafficking victims. The task force would identify best practices, close service gaps, and report findings to the Governor, the Attorney General, the Legislature, and the Office of Emergency Services.
“Human trafficking is an evil, complex, and evolving crime that demands a coordinated response,” Valladares said. “Getting this bill to the Senate floor means California is one step closer to an all-hands-on-deck approach that better protects victims and holds traffickers accountable.”
Senate Bill 1395, known as Kayleigh’s Law, would allow judges to issue 20-year protective orders at sentencing for individuals convicted of felony sex offenses against a minor — ending the cycle that forces survivors to repeatedly return to court to renew basic protections. The bill is named after survivor and advocate Kayleigh Kozak and is co-sponsored by the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.
“No survivor should have to keep facing their abuser in court just to stay protected,” Valladares said. “Kayleigh’s Law has cleared committee, and now the full Senate has the opportunity to finally put victims’ rights before perpetrators.”
Senate Bill 1230, the Illegal Dumping Accountability Act, increases penalties for repeat illegal dumping offenders, updates outdated fine structures, and designates CalRecycle as the state’s central resource hub for enforcement tools, funding, and best practices.
“Illegal dumping is not a victimless crime — it harms our environment, threatens public health, and drains local budgets,” Valladares said. “This bill now heads to the Senate floor with real momentum, and I urge my colleagues to send a clear message that California will hold offenders accountable.”
Torres Celebrates Passage of Bipartisan Organized Retail Crime Bill
U.S. Rep. Norma Torres (D-Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas) celebrated the passage last week of H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation she co-sponsored to strengthen federal efforts against organized retail theft, cargo theft, and supply chain crime.
The bill expands federal enforcement tools to target criminal organizations involved in large-scale theft operations, strengthens money laundering penalties tied to organized retail crime, and improves coordination between federal law enforcement agencies.
“Organized retail crime hurts workers, small businesses, and families already struggling with high costs,” said Torres. “These are not isolated thefts — they are coordinated criminal operations that drive up prices and threaten our communities. I proudly voted for and co-sponsored this bipartisan bill to give law enforcement stronger tools to crack down on these criminal networks.”
The measure’s key provisions includes, authorities will be able to total stolen goods over a full year to trigger higher federal penalties; retail theft will be tied to money laundering laws, enabling the government to seize cars, cash, and property purchased with stolen profits; and a Department of Homeland Security task force will be established to provide local police with data needed to track stolen property moving across state lines.
Organized retail crime costs California an estimated $19 billion annually — including $13 billion in stolen goods and $3 billion in lost tax revenue in 2021 alone. The National Retail Federation recently ranked Los Angeles as the top city in the nation for retail crime.
Durazo Calls on Newsom and Legislature to Reverse Medi-Cal Cuts for Undocumented Californians
Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-East Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Highland Park, Los Angeles, Pico Union, South Montebello, Vernon) called on Governor Newsom and the Legislature to reverse proposed cuts to immigrant health care included in the governor’s May Revision to the 2026-27 state budget, released last Thursday.
The proposed budget does not reverse the Medi-Cal enrollment freeze for undocumented Californians first imposed in the 2025-26 budget and goes further, raising the monthly premium for enrolled undocumented adults from $30 to $50. Individuals who lose coverage cannot reenroll for more than 90 days, even if they are otherwise income-eligible — leaving many with no option but the emergency room, at 12 times the cost of a routine visit.
“Undocumented Californians are already under assault from the Trump administration — facing deportation threats, workplace raids, and federal policies designed to strip away every support system they have,” Durazo said. “These are people who contribute $8.5 billion in state and local taxes every year. They have earned access to the safety-net programs their own tax dollars support. This May Revision is a missed opportunity.”
Durazo is the author of SB 1422, the Medi-Cal Access Restoration Act, which would end the enrollment freeze and restore full-scope Medi-Cal access for undocumented Californians ages 19 and older beginning January 1, 2027. The bill passed the Senate Health Committee on April 8 and the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 14 and continues to move through the legislative process.
She said the legislative path remains open and called on colleagues to act.
“I am still carrying SB 1422. The legislative path is open. What we need now is the political will to fund it in the final budget. The people we are fighting for harvest our food, build our homes, and care for our families. They deserve access to the care their taxes already pay for,” Durazo said.
Bass, Nazarian Unveil Solar Street Lights in North Hollywood
Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Adrin Nazarian this week unveiled new solar street lights in North Hollywood as part of Bass’ Street Lights Initiative to repair and replace up to 60,000 street lights citywide over the next two years through a partnership between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL).
The program harnesses new solar streetlight technology to bolster public safety, address Los Angeles’ decade-long backlog of streetlight repairs, combat copper wire theft, and reduce the city’s energy consumption as part of its transition to 100% clean energy by 2035.
“These are the basics that shape how we feel about our city, and whether our city is safe,” Bass said. “The street light backlog that piled up before I took office is unacceptable — we’re addressing it and making it safer for people to walk their dogs, come home from work, and park their cars at night. Instead of continuing to patch together antiquated street light technology, we’re using solar to make our lights more reliable, resistant to theft, and cleaner to operate.”
Nazarian, who chairs the Council’s Energy and Environment Committee, said the project is a public safety win.
“When I was in the Assembly, I secured funding to create this park when it was nothing but an empty field,” Nazarian said. “If you want to create spaces that people can utilize, you need to make sure that they feel safe, and that takes secure, reliable lighting. This is now a place where young families can walk with their kids and our seniors can go out in the evening and feel comfortable, because these lights won’t be ripped off and they won’t lose power during a blackout or a windstorm.”
