Valladares fights loophole letting child sex offenders run for office
State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Lancaster, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, portions of the Antelope Valley) is pushing to amend legislation meant to bar sex offenders from public office that now exempts some child predators instead.
The legislation, AB 2691, as originally written, would bar anyone convicted of felony sexual assault or human trafficking from holding elected office.
However, according to Valladares, the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee gutted the bill’s core protection, and rewrote its definition of “sexual assault” to strip out offenses that trigger 10- or 20-year sex offender registration — meaning people convicted of sodomy, oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child could still run for school board under the bill as it now stands.
“AB 2691 originally did what common sense demands: bar convicted criminals, including sex offenders from holding public office. Then Sacramento Democrats gutted the bill’s protections and created a loophole so large that people convicted of the most heinous crimes against children can still run for office and serve in positions of public trust,” said Valladares.
Valladares, along with fellow state Sen. Steven Choi (R-Orange County), has filed amendments to strip the exemptions back out and restore the bill to its original scope.
The clock is short: AB 2691 must reach the Senate floor before the Legislature’s Aug. 31 deadline, or it dies with the loophole intact.
Bass calls for swift Paramount deal, splits from Raman
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass yesterday called for a swift resolution to the dispute over the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, joining entertainment industry labor leaders and members of her Entertainment Industry Council to urge Paramount, Attorney General Rob Bonta and all parties to reach a settlement that protects LA jobs and productions.
Bass’s office outlined the city’s priorities: protecting entertainment jobs, strengthening local production and keeping Paramount headquartered in Los Angeles. The mayor said she would not support any deal that costs Angelenos their jobs.
“Productions in LA are hurting and hardworking Angelenos are out of a job because ongoing disputes over the proposed merger have stalled filming in our city – it’s time for all parties to come to the table. Any resolution must put the long-term stability of LA-based entertainment jobs, productions and investments first. This is not about taking sides. This is about fighting for Los Angeles’ talented and unparalleled creative workforce,” said Bass.
Bass’s remarks came the same day her November runoff opponent, LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman, publicly broke with her, telling The Hollywood Reporter she still supports Bonta’s lawsuit and that the merger’s legality “should be decided in court, not through corporate threats.”
Harabedian’s local contracting bill clears the Legislature
Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Claremont) saw his bill giving local governments more say over who builds their public projects clear both houses of the Legislature this week.
Under current law, agencies like the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) and general law cities are largely locked into lowest-bid contracting on major infrastructure projects, meaning price is effectively the only factor that legally counts — even when the cheapest bidder has a worse track record, less experience or a slower timeline.
AB 1786 gives these municipal entities the option to use “best-value” contracting instead, weighing a contractor’s experience and expertise alongside price rather than automatically awarding the job to the lowest number on the page. It’s the difference, for example, between being forced to buy whatever phone is cheapest regardless of whether it does what you need, and being allowed to pay a bit more for the mid-range option that actually has the features that matter.
“Local governments should have the flexibility to choose the best value for taxpayers, not simply the lowest number on a piece of paper. When we are talking about roads, parks, housing, and other projects people depend on, Californians deserve projects that are done right and at a reasonable cost,” said Harabedian.
SGVCOG President Ed Reece said the organization first identified the contracting barrier and pushed for the fix.
“AB 1786 began with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments identifying a real barrier to delivering infrastructure efficiently, and today we are thrilled to see it heading to the Governor’s desk. Best value contracting will give local governments greater flexibility to select contractors based on experience, expertise, and value—not simply the lowest bid. We are grateful to Assemblymember Harabedian for championing this important legislation and urge Governor Newsom to sign AB 1786 into law,” said Reece.
The measure now goes before Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature.
Sherman targets Trump’s paid Truth Social access scheme
U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks, Encino, Woodland Hills, Northridge, Malibu, Pacific Palisades) joined U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CN), and fellow House Financial Services Committee Democrats Thursday in introducing the NO PROFIT Act, a bill that would bar social media companies from selling paid early access to government officials’ posts containing material financial information.
The bill is a House companion to a Senate version Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va), introduced Aug. 3, and responds to Truth Social’s launch of “Truth API,” a subscription data feed priced as high as $100,000 a month that gives paying subscribers early access to posts from 10 of the platform’s most-followed accounts, including President Trump’s.
The legislation would make it illegal to trade securities, commodities, swaps or prediction market contracts based on material information obtained through that kind of prioritized access.
“The President’s latest corrupt scheme, selling early access to his government Truth Social posts at the expense of the American people, is crony capitalism at its worst. The public deserves to hear from their elected officials first, not wall street traders. I am glad to join Congressman Himes in introducing the NO PROFIT Act to put a stop to Trump’s scheme to turn government statements into a paid subscription service,” said Sherman.
According to regulatory filings cited in Sherman’s release, Trump is Trump Media & Technology Group’s largest shareholder, holding more than 114 million shares in a trust controlled by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
