California lawmakers’ safety gets new attention after Trump shooting

Former President Donald Trump evaded serious injury, or death, by mere centimeters after a bullet struck his upper right ear during a campaign rally Saturday in Pennsylvania. The Republican presidential candidate pumped his fist, his face bloodied, as Secret Service agents hustled him off the stage following the shooting. But one spectator was killed, two were critically injured and the Secret Service killed the suspected shooter, identified by the FBI as a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man.

Saturday’s mayhem is the most recent known assassination attempt of a president or presidential candidate since the 1981 shooting of President Ronald Reagan, and renewed conversations about the country’s deep partisan divide, gun safety and dangerous political rhetoric — especially violent threats toward officials and candidates.

So it’s no wonder that beefing up personal security has been a priority for some lawmakers. As explained earlier by CalMatters Capitol reporter Sameea Kamal, the Secretary of the Senate and chief administrative officer of the Assembly said that there has been heightened concern about political violence in recent years, and a bill is underway to protect California lawmakers and candidates from rampant threats.

The measure, Assembly Bill 2041, would allow candidates and elected officials to use more campaign funds for personal security for themselves, family members and staff. Democratic Assemblymember Mia Bonta of Oakland is carrying the bill and said she hopes to “see it across the finish line for the safety of candidates across the state.” If passed, Bonta’s measure could be enacted in time for the November election.

• Bonta, in a statement: “(Saturday’s) events show that political violence continues to plague our democracy. … This bill has had bipartisan support because people on both sides of the aisle recognize the safety needs in this charged political climate.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose office did not immediately reply to a request for comment, vetoed similar legislation last year, saying that the bill did not clearly define “security expenses.” Bonta’s newest bill, however, has been amended to specify what’s considered a security expense, as well as clarifies disclosure requirements for transparency.

The bill sailed through the Assembly this year and is expected to be up for a floor vote in the Senate shortly after the Legislature returns from summer recess in August, according to Bonta’s office. It has received no vote in opposition so far, though three Republican senators voted against last year’s bill. During a March hearing in the Assembly’s elections committee, Republican Assemblymember Tom Lackey of Palmdale raised concerns about the “broad potential interpretation of security expenses.”

California is no stranger to shootings tied to the Oval Office. In 1975, a member of the Manson family cult attempted to shoot President Gerald Ford near the state Capitol in Sacramento while Ford was en route to meet then-Gov. Jerry Brown. And in 1968, U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy died shortly after being shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles while running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

And on Sunday, Newsom said he has deployed 61 Highway Patrol and police officers to assist local, state and federal law enforcement during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which kicks off today. “Public safety transcends party lines,” said Newsom in a statement. The plan to send these officers has been in the works since May.