California passes ICE mask ban in closing days of legislative session

After a summer characterized by masked federal agents detaining immigrants in Los Angeles, the California Legislature passed two measures Thursday that seek to force law enforcement officers to identify themselves.

Senate Bills 627 and 805 were among the most controversial to pass in the final days of this year’s legislative session. They would ban local, out-of-state and federal law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings, as well as require officers to be readily identifiable, respectively.

• State Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat and lead author of SB 627: “As we go through this horrific era of mass deportation and a Supreme Court that allows this authoritarian regime to do whatever the heck it wants to do — including straight-up racial profiling of Latino people — California should lead and put a stop to the secret police.”

The measures passed along party lines, with Republicans in opposition. Police unions also oppose the proposed mask ban.

• GOP Sen. Tony Strickland of Huntington Beach, in a statement: “This is a reckless anti-law enforcement proposal that puts law enforcement officers and their families at real risk, undermining the safety of the men and women who bravely protect our communities.”

Though Friday was to be the last day of session, lawmakers were expected to extend their work through Saturday to give final votes to some last-minute deals they struck this week. Those that pass will head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature or veto, and those that don’t are dead for the year.

Other proposals awaiting Newsom’s decision, include:

• Regulate companion bots: SB 243 would put tighter regulations on online chatbots powered by artificial intelligence to limit their risks on young users.

• Higher car dealer fees: SB 791 would raise the cap car dealers can charge to process documents from $85 to $260.

• Wage boost for incarcerated firefighters: AB 247 would increase the minimum wage for incarcerated firefighters fighting active wildfires to $7.25 an hour.

• Abortion pill protections: AB 260 would help protect California pharmacists, doctors and hospitals from penalties for dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone to out-of-state patients and remove the names of patients and providers from abortion medication prescriptions.

• Kill mute swans: AB 764 would make it easier for hunters and landowners to kill the invasive species.

• Ban plastic glitter: AB 823 would enforce a first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of personal care products that contain plastic glitter or plastic microbeads.

• Save the bees: AB 1042 would create a health program for managed honey bees that would provide grants to beekeepers, farmers and others for projects and research supporting the struggling population.