California

To the Governor’s Desk: California Assembly Gives Final Approval to Right to Try Act Rejecting Some FDA Restrictions on Terminally-Ill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Aug. 24, 2016) – Yesterday, the California Assembly gave final approval to a bill that would set the foundation to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that deny access to experimental treatments by terminally-ill patients. A massive bipartisan coalition of 29 Assembly members introduced Assembly Bill 1668 (AB1668) on…

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California Senate Gives Final Approval to Bill to Curb Asset Forfeiture; Close Federal Loophole

Today, the California Senate gave final approval to a bill that not only bolsters restrictions on state officials from seizing property without due process, but also throws a wrench into federal efforts to do the same.

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California Senate Passes Right to Try Act Rejecting Some FDA Restrictions on Terminally-Ill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Aug. 19, 2016) – Yesterday, the California Senate unanimously passed a bill that would set the foundation to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that deny access to experimental treatments by terminally-ill patients. A massive bipartisan coalition of 29 Assembly members introduced Assembly Bill 1668 (AB1668) on Jan. 15.…

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California Assembly Passes Bill to Curb “Policing for Profit” via Asset Forfeiture; Close Federal Loophole

SACRAMENTO, Ca. (Aug. 15, 2016) – Today, the California Assembly voted 66-8 to pass a bill that not only bolsters restrictions on state officials from seizing property without due process, but throws a wrench into federal efforts to do the same. Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) introduced Senate Bill 443 (SB443) last year. The legislation sets additional…

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Police: Parking in Newport Beach Makes You Part of a Criminal Investigation

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (Aug. 4, 2016) – If you park your car in Newport Beach, police will likely scan your license plate with an automated license plate reader (ALPR). According to police, this automatically makes you the subject of a criminal investigation. In an effort to find out what police do with all of the…

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California County Passes Ordinance Taking on the Surveillance State

San Jose, Calif. (June 9, 2016) – On Wednesday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a surveillance technology ordinance that sets the stage to limit the acquisition and use of spy gear by law enforcement and other county agencies. It also highlights a strategy that can be used to take on federal surveillance…

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California Assembly Passes Right to Try Act Rejecting Some FDA Restrictions on Terminally-Ill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (June 1, 2016) – Yesterday, the California Assembly overwhelmingly passed a bill that would set the foundation to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that deny access to experimental treatments by terminally ill patients. A massive bipartisan coalition of 29 Assembly members introduced Assembly Bill 1668 (AB1668) on Jan.…

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Activists Successfully End Federal Militarization of Los Angeles School Police Department

LOS ANGELES (May 30, 2016) – Dedicated activists in Los Angeles forced the end to federal militarization of law enforcement on a hyper-local level, demonstrating the power of a bottom up approach when confronting federal power. After 18 months of pressure and activism, the Labor/Community Strategy Center reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Unified…

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New Survey: Over Two-Thirds of California Voters Oppose Asset Forfeiture

One thing Californians agree on is their opposition to laws that allow law enforcement to seize and keep people’s cash and property merely for being suspects of a crime, also known as asset forfeiture (learn more here). That’s according to a two new surveys by the Public Policy Polling. The surveys found “overwhelming statewide and…

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California Assembly Passes Bill Taking on Drone Surveillance

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 26, 2016) – On Monday, the California Assembly passed a bill that would restrict warrantless drone surveillance by state and local law enforcement. If ultimately signed into law, the legislation would not only establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would also help thwart the federal surveillance state. Assemblyman Bill…

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