California will become the first state to eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial under a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The bill signed Tuesday will replace bail with a risk-assessment system, although it's still unclear how the system will work. It will go into effect in October 2019. Brown's signature gives the state's Judicial Council broad authority to reshape pretrial detention policies. Each county will use the council's framework as a basis to set its own procedures for deciding whom to release before trial.
Meanwhile, California would set a goal of generating 100 percent of the state's energy from carbon-free sources under legislation approved by the state Assembly. The bill approved Tuesday would accelerate California's renewable energy mandate from 50 percent to 60 percent by 2030. It would then set a goal of phasing out all fossil fuels by 2045, but it does not include a mandate or penalty.
It was one of hundreds of bills voted on Tuesday by the Senate and Assembly ahead of a Friday deadline. There is the net neutrality bill, the mental health diversion measure, among others. Here is a roundup of California bills.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Alexei Koseff, reporter for the Sacramento Bee covering state politics, who has been reporting on the bills; he tweets
Jeremy White, Bay Area-based reporter for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s California Playbook; he tweets