Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted by Proposition 47, as approved by the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, reduced certain felonies to misdemeanors, including possession of specified controlled substances and theft of a firearm with a value under $950. This bill would authorize the prosecution to charge a person with a felony if the person has been previously convicted 2 or more times of the crimes reduced to a misdemeanor by Proposition 47 or, if the crime being prosecuted is petty theft, when the person had been convicted of specified other crimes, including grand theft and carjacking, and the date that 2 or more of the prior crimes were committed was within 36 months of the date of the commission of the crime for which the person is being punished. The bill would also make it grand theft, punishable in state prison as a felony, when any of the items taken is a firearm. The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature to amend or repeal an initiative statute by another statute that becomes effective when approved by the electors. This bill would provide that it would become effective only upon approval of the voters, and would provide for the submission of this measure to the voters for approval at statewide general election.
Sponsored bills
This measure would recognize and honor the men and women of California agriculture for their dedication and productivity by observing March 15, 2016, as National Agriculture Day, and designating March 16, 2016, as California Agriculture Day.
This bill would recognize May 26, 2016, as John Wayne Day.
Existing law requires a court to impose a separate and additional restitution fine in each case in which a person is convicted of a crime. If the economic losses of a victim cannot be ascertained at the time of sentencing, existing law requires a court to retain jurisdiction over a person subject to a restitution order for purposes of imposing or modifying restitution until such time as the losses may be determined. Two state appellate court decisions have held that under state law a court acts in excess of its jurisdiction by ordering restitution or modifying a restitution order after the explanation of a defendant's probation. This bill would expressly abrogate the holdings in those decisions by requiring the court to retain jurisdiction over a defendant for purposes of imposing or modifying restitution at any time.
This measure would, among other things, designate the year of 2016 as "State of California Year of Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," would designate April 24, 2016, as "State of California Day of Commemoration of the 101st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," and would call upon the President of the United States and the United States Congress to formally and consistently reaffirm the historical truth that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted genocide.
Existing law creates the Public Employment Relations Board and prescribes its powers, which include deciding contested matters relating to the recognition, certification, or decertification of public employee organizations. Under existing law, a decertification petition must be accompanied by proof that at least 30% of the employees in the established unit either no longer wish to be represented by the incumbent exclusive representative or wish to be represented by another employee organization. This bill would require the board to complete and publish the results of a decertification election within 90 days after the board has determined the sufficiency of the proof of support for the decertification petition.