California bill barring officers from wearing masks heads to governor
Alan Riquelmy
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — The California State Senate on Thursday sent a bill to Governor Gavin Newsom that would prohibit local and federal law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while on the job.
Senate Bill 627 targets federal immigration agents that, while wearing masks hiding their identities, have detained and taken people suspected of being in the country without legal authorization. Local law enforcement agencies are included in the bill, though state law enforcement is exempt.
Called the No Secret Police Act, the bill provides certain exceptions for officers, like motorcycle helmets and clear face shields, and for undercover officers.
The bill — written by state Senator Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat — underwent significant changes during the legislative process, requiring a committee meeting Thursday morning before its Senate floor vote that afternoon.
The legislation passed 26 to 10 in the waning days of the Legislature’s session. It now proceeds to Newsom’s desk, where the governor has until Oct. 12 to sign or veto the law. The bill will become a law even if he does not sign it by then.
“People are wearing ski masks and you have no idea who they are,” Wiener said. “If you can’t tell the difference between a law enforcement officer and the guy robbing the liquor store, we have a problem.”
Arguing in favor of the bill, Wiener said much misinformation about it has been disseminated. He pushed back on claims that the state had no power over federal officers, noting that the state prohibits them from, for example, speeding.
Democrats spoke in favor of the bill, with Republicans opposing.
State Senator Jesse Arreguín, a Berkeley Democrat, said officers already must have badges identifying them. This legislation added another level of transparency.
“I believe this bill is important for public safety,” he added.
State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, a Pasadena Democrat, said immigration raids had overwhelmed her community. Some children now sell fruit from carts, as they don’t want their parents in public.
“It’s about building trust with our communities,” Pérez said, “but it’s also about accountability.”
Republicans disagreed with Wiener’s view that lawmakers could prohibit federal officers from wearing masks on the job. State Senator Kelly Seyarto, a Murrieta Republican, argued the state had no power over federal officers. That meant the bill would only affect local law enforcement, he said, which isn’t the true target of the policy.
Seyarto said the law would fail once challenged in court.
“Bad guys wear masks because they don’t want to get caught,” he said. “Good guys wear masks because they don’t want to get killed.”
State Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares, a Santa Clarita Republican, added that people would be able to identify officers and then put their personal information online, called doxing, and send terrible messages to their families on social media.
“You’re making them more vulnerable, not just at work but when they go home to their families,” she said.
The Senate also passed a companion bill — Senate Bill 805, written by Pérez — after sending the masking bill to the governor.
The No Vigilantes Act, also sent to Newsom, would require certain law enforcement officers to display ID with their name or badge number when not uniformed and on the job. It would also require law enforcement agencies to create policies about displaying that ID. Additionally, it enhances the crime of false personation of a peace officer.
“Masked individuals with no name identification, no uniforms, driving unmarked vehicles, and carrying firearms are taking our neighbors — both immigrants and American citizens — in broad daylight,” Pérez said in a bill analysis. “When asked by members of the public to provide badge numbers, they refuse.”
The Senate also passed an unrelated but high-profile bill focused on ultra-processed food in school meals. Assembly Bill 1264 — written by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat — will return to the Assembly for a final vote.
The bill would create a definition for ultra-processed food and direct state scientists to determine which items should be phased out of school meals.
The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.
“It’s a good bill,” said state Senator Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican. “We all want healthy kids.”