Newsom signs more anti-crime bills, including laws targeting rape

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed five more anti-crime bills sent to his desk by California lawmakers this month, enacting mostly modest increases in punishment and departing from a more liberal approach by state Democratic leaders in years past.

Highlighted by efforts to combat retail theft and fentanyl use, lawmakers passed tougher criminal penalties for crimes, some violent sex crimes and others more low-level, nonviolent property crimes, signaling a contentious moment in the state’s debate over balancing public safety with progressive criminal justice goals. They voted in favor of stiffer penalties for sex offenders, repeat shoplifters and car burglars, while they rejected bills to limit solitary confinement in prisons and expand eligibility for parole.

Newsom has until Monday to decide whether to veto bills or allow them to become law. Here are all of the significant crime bills he’s signed so far, including a pair he signed Saturday:

• Senate Bill 690, authored by Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), will extend the statute of limitations to charge a person with domestic violence, allowing abuse to be reported within seven years of the incident. The law currently allows abuses to be reported within five years. Rubio hoped to expand it to 15 years. The law is not retroactive and would apply only to future cases.
• Senate Bill 1414, authored by Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), makes it a felony to solicit or purchase a minor 15 or younger for prostitution. This bill was seen by the author as the second part of legislation to tackle child sex-trafficking from both sides: the sellers and the buyers.
• Assembly Bill 1960, authored by Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), will add tougher penalties for individuals who take, damage or destroy property while committing a felony. It was crafted to address retail theft crimes but could probably add years of prison time to individuals for a wide range of conduct far beyond retail theft. This bill is one of 13 that were bundled in a bipartisan package to address property crimes.
• Senate Bill 268, authored by Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, makes rape of an unconscious person a felony, adding to the list of violent felonies that qualify under California’s three-strikes law.
• Assembly Bill 2099 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan will make it a misdemeanor or a felony for people to harass, intimidate or commit an act of violence against someone seeking abortion care or working at abortion clinics.