Progressive Zionists of California is thrilled to support Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Timothy Grayson’s new bill, AB 2925, which would update the current penal code to make it a misdemeanor or a felony to target a group of people, and not just an individual.
Currently, terrorist threats against protected classes based on disability, gender, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, can only be charged as misdemeanors. AB 2925 would give district attorneys the option to charge terrorist threats and certain acts of property destruction as hate crimes that carry either misdemeanor or felony penalties. District attorneys would then have the option to request the court to lengthen the pretrial detention of the accused. The legislation would also apply to threats against other protected classes and locations.
“In light of the loose restrictions placed on would be terrorist Ross Farcas after he threatened California’s Jewish community with violence, updating our penal code to reflect the challenges of a new reality is more important than ever”, said Matthew Finklestein, PZC Board Member. “My synagogue is a mere ten-minute drive from his house, and I still worry what he might have tried had he not been apprehended.”
AB 2925 addresses new realities on domestic terrorism and will make it easier to hold individuals accountable for crimes against communities, which has previously been difficult or impossible to do. We strongly encourage Californians to call their representatives in support.
About Progressive Zionists of California
Progressive Zionists of California is a grassroots collective of activists and California Democratic Party (CDP) leaders dedicated to reshaping the discourse around Zionism and antisemitism in California Democratic politics. We do this by advocating for pragmatic progressive party platforms, resolutions, and legislation around both domestic and Israel-related issues, and educating activists about antisemitism and Zionism.
https://caprogressivezionists.org//