Happily Divorced And After

TORRANCE, CA—- 1,200 local families received free turkeys and groceries to make their Thanksgiving special. Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), in partnership with El Camino College, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and U.S. VETS Inglewood distributed  1,200 turkeys and pork roasts, bags of groceries, and gift cards to families in need this holiday season. Senator Bradford began this annual tradition when he served on the Gardena City Council and has continued it during his service in the State Assembly and now as a member of the State Senate.

“This incredible community event grows bigger and more important every year,” said Senator Bradford. “Seeing the faces of the people receiving these turkeys gives me great hope that these meals will not only feed our community but act as the centerpiece of families gathering to give thanks for each other’s support, faith and love. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to represent our communities in the state capitol and this turkey giveaway is one of my favorite ways to show my appreciation. We could not do this without all our sponsors and volunteers who care deeply about serving and helping others. An event of this scale is only possible because of them. I am enormously grateful to each of them.”

This drive-thru event was made a reality by volunteers and sponsors from Senate District 35 and the surrounding area including: Lawndale Councilmember Pat Kearney, Gardena Councilmembers Paulette Francis and Wanda Love, Torrance Councilmember Bridgett Lewis, U.S.Vets Inglewood, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Phillips 66 Black Employee Network, Torrance Refinery, AAA, Republic Services, Starbucks, Enterprise, LA County Probation Department, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Sigma Pi Omega Chapter, Zeta Phi Beta, Stiiizy, Crystal Stairs, Let’s Be Whole, National Association of University Women, and the AMAAD Institute.

“Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things we are most grateful for in life. Thank you again to all the participants who stopped by and to El Camino College for hosting our event this year,” said Senator Bradford.

RIALTO, CA— A new state-of-the-art police station is coming to one of Southern California’s fastest-growing communities following a decision this week by the Rialto City Council to move forward with a development agreement and financing for the planned 56,500-square-foot facility.

The new police station and support building will replace the Rialto Police Department’s 50-year-old facility on North Willow Avenue, which was built when the City had fewer than 30,000 people and a total of 45 sworn and civilian police staff. Today, Rialto is home to 104,000 people and has 135 sworn police officers and 84 civilian staff.

“It has been the dream of the Rialto City Council to have a police station that represents the hard work of the dedicated men and women of the department and their service to the community. This is something we’re all very proud of,” said Rialto City Councilmember Ed Scott.

On Tuesday, November 14, the City Council approved a development agreement with Griffin, Swinerton and a financing agreement that includes the issuing of lease revenue bonds to help cover the projected $83 million cost of the project. The City will contribute $30 million from its unrestricted fund balance – money that is not part of the General Fund or other operating reserves. The balance, estimated at roughly $53 million, would be paid for through the sale of bonds. The agreement with Griffin Swinerton reflects an innovative public-private partnership (P3) which streamlines the development process.

Groundbreaking would occur by midyear 2024, with a projected completion date of mid 2026.

The new two-story police station near Willow Avenue and Rialto Avenue would include a 40,800-square-foot main building and a 10,000-square-foot support building. The latter would house a firearms range, logistics and quartermaster, animal control, bicycle patrol and storage. The existing police station will remain operational during the construction period, with no interruption in service.

By building the new station now, the city will be able to meet the public safety and quality-of-life needs well into the future. By 2035, Rialto forecasts its population to exceed 111,000, along with continued business expansion that has made it a critical economic and employment hub within the Inland Empire. Police staffing by 2035 is projected to reach 169 sworn officers and 91 civilian staff.

“On behalf of the Rialto Police Department, we are honored to serve the Rialto community and we’re looking forward to THIS new police facility to set the standard for law enforcement, ” said Mark Kling, Chief of Police who has served in that capacity since 2017, and also served as Chief of Police for Rialto from 2001 to 2012.

The California Black Power Network has been actively involved in the movement to make reparations in California a reality. As we move forward in the next phase of this work, we care excited to announce a new alliance in collaboration with six former members of the California Reparations Task Force – Dr. Cheryl Grills, Lisa Holder, Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Senator Steven Bradford, and Donald Tamaki.

Introducing the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth Equal Justice Society (ARRT). The Alliance’s mission is to educate the public about reparations; amplify the Task Force on Reparations’ report and its recommendations; achieve broad-based, multi-racial public support of reparations; and grow the base of multi-racial and multi-sector allies who support reparations in California.

For more information about this historic collaboration, visit Alliancefor.org.

YUCAIPIA, CA— Crafton Hills College (Crafton) is a 2023 Equity Champion for Higher Education, a designation from the Campaign for College Opportunity, in recognition of its work in supporting and improving Black student transfer to universities.

The Campaign for College Opportunity recognized Crafton and 26 other community colleges and universities for ensuring strong pathways to earning an associate degree for Transfer (ADT) for students of color and for supporting transfer to universities are supported on a guaranteed pathway to earning a degree.

“Supporting our transfer students to help them reach their academic goals is core to our institution’s mission,” said Crafton President Dr. Kevin Horan. “We are incredibly proud of all of our hard-working students and graduates, and grateful for every single staff and faculty member who is doing their part to ensure our students have what they need to make it to their transfer goals.”

Crafton and other awarded colleges were recognized by the Campaign for College Opportunity on November 14 during an awards celebration. The institutions recognized for the Equity Champion designation led the way in supporting Black students to earn an ADT with at least 65% of their Black associate-degree earners receiving ADT and ensuring that Black students earn ADTs at rates comparable to their peers.

“For nearly a decade, the ADT has given community college students struggling to navigate a complicated transfer maze a clear path to success with a degree to show for their hard work,” said Jessie Ryan, executive vice president of the Campaign for College Opportunity and former community college transfer student. “As colleges grapple with pandemic-induced enrollment declines, we laud the 27-community college and CSU campuses that continue to forge ahead for students by strengthening the transfer pathway and removing unacceptable equity barriers in transfer for Latinx, Black, and first-generation college students across the state.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The San Bernardino County Probation Department received funds for an intensive probation supervision program for high-risk DUI offenders with multiple DUI convictions.

The $645,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), approved by the Board of Supervisors, will go toward additional proactive home contacts with probationers to make sure they are following court-ordered terms of their probation and prevent probationers from re-offending.

“Our monitoring program supports probationers to stay on track with treatment and other court-ordered measures,” Chief Probation Officer Tracy Reece said. “The goal is that with additional supervision and treatment options, it will reduce the number of probationers who are re-arrested for DUI offenses.”

The probation grant will also pay for warrant operations targeting probation violations and/or DUI suspects who do not appear in court, alcohol testing, treatment compliance, DMV restrictions, and special weekend, evening, and holiday operations to enforce terms of probation.

“Monitoring programs are critical to reducing the devastating consequences of DUI offenses,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Prevention is an effective, proactive tool to address the often-tragic consequences of impaired driving.”

The grant program runs through September 2024.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

FONTANA, CA— On November 14, the City of Fontana Regular City Council Meeting was regrettably disrupted by several agitators protesting the October 24th council vote that approved the enhancement of code compliance efforts of unlicensed sidewalk vendors. These ongoing disruptions necessitated the meeting continuance to November 15th at 7:30 a.m.

Despite repeated warnings and several attempts to bring the meeting to order, the apparent deliberate acts of disruption persisted, resulting in a Council recess. Efforts to resume the meeting were thwarted by unrelenting shouting, threats of violence, and general intimidation tactics from the protestors. Consequently, the Council, prioritizing the safety of all involved, voted to adjourn and reschedule the meeting at the earliest available opportunity.

Several of the agitators attempted to vandalize Council Chambers and City Hall offices, while others attempted to intimidate City Council members and other meeting participants with continued threats of violence. Many attendees expressed genuine fear for their safety and required police escorts from council chambers to their vehicles.

“It was clear that the agitators were intent on interfering with the orderly business of the City Council meeting even before the meeting began,” said Mayor Acquanetta. “Chaos and violence within the Council Chambers will not be tolerated. The city council is committed to ensuring the safety of all meeting attendees, irrespective of their viewpoints.”

Following the adjournment, a group of individuals congregated for a second time at Mayor Warren’s home, attempting to intimidate the mayor’s family and neighbors ultimately causing severe distress to the children in the neighborhood. Due to concerns for the safety of the mayor’s daughter, she was relocated to an undisclosed location.

In light of these incidents, it is essential to emphasize that the City of Fontana remains committed to upholding a professional and respectful environment during council meetings. The actions taken, and the tactics employed, by these individuals do not reflect the values of the City of Fontana and will not impact our commitment to open dialogue and civility.

For more information regarding Code Compliance efforts for unlicensed food vendors please see the Letter from the Mayor re Council Meeting.

The ‘BallotMobile: Traveling Voter Education’ Will Stop in all 24 San Bernardino County Cities and in Unincorporated Communities Leading up to the 2024 Presidential Primary Election in March

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters launched its first-ever traveling voter education pop-up, dubbed the BallotMobile: Traveling Voter Education. The BallotMobile will stop in all 24 San Bernardino County cities, plus additional unincorporated county communities, to share voter education resources with voters in their respective area.

The BallotMobile route commences on Friday, January 5, 2024, in the City of Needles and culminates on the Presidential Primary Election on March 5, 2024, at the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters’ headquarters, where a special gold ballot will be ceremonially cast. The two-month journey will play an important role in educating the county’s 1.17 million registered voters about new and important information regarding the election. BallotMobile resources include informing voters on the earlier 2024 Presidential Primary Election date, how to register to vote, how to check personalized voter information, the four ways to vote in San Bernardino County, and Primary Election-specific topics such as crossover voting.

“The election is coming up and we want to ensure that every eligible voter in our county understands how to register to vote and cast their ballot,” said San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, Stephenie Shea.  “San Bernardino County is the largest county by size in the contiguous United States. The BallotMobile will help us travel to even the farthest corners of our county to share this important information.”

The BallotMobile will deliver a two- to three-hour pop-up experience at local events and well-known locations throughout the county. Residents will receive voter education materials, resources, and giveaways, and take advantage of an Instagram-worthy backdrop for photo opportunities.

“For the 2024 Presidential Primary Election, we’re excited to visit all 24 cities and unincorporated communities in the county, meet with community members and give them the tools they need to be an informed voter,” Shea said. “The BallotMobile will go a long way in ensuring that every voter’s voice can be heard on Election Day.”

For more information on the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters’ BallotMobile or to find out when the BallotMobile will visit your area, visit Elections.SBCounty.gov.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

As California and the federal government invests trillions of dollars in infrastructure projects, advocates say there’s a cost for not guaranteeing equitable racial and ethnic participation in contracting, as firms are hired to carry out the necessary work.

In California, many of the firms owned by Blacks and other minorities qualify as Historically Underutilized Businesses, a U.S. Small Business Administration certification that prioritizes companies in the procurement process.

“Inequity costs everybody,” said Ingrid Merriwether, a member of the Equity Infrastructure Project (EIP)Advisory Council and CEO of Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services (MWIS).

Merriwether told California Black Media (CBM), “Things cost more because you don’t have enough competition. In public contracting, they award business on the lowest responsive bidder,” she said.

“When you have fewer people competing, people are paying more. With tax dollars involved, we are all paying more.”

Merriwether and other advocates are working to ensure more Black-owned and other minority-owned firms gain from California’s upcoming taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects through government contracts.

In California, where more than 99% of all businesses are designated small businesses and 45% are minority-owned, advocates stress the importance of fair contracting according to the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA).

Merriwether played a key role in the creation and administration of the LA Regional Contractor Development and Bonding Program (CDABP).

MWIS has administered successful contractor development programs for the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Metro, County of Los Angeles, Alameda County, and the City and County of San Francisco – the latter for over 20 years. These programs have facilitated over $1 billion in bonding for small local contractors and have saved public sponsors over $22 million due to low bids from program participants.

In 2021, President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, mandating a minimum of 10% of its funding for surface transportation projects go to ‘small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled proposals to streamline projects, declaring that the state will invest up to $180 billion towards clean infrastructure over the next decade. His office predicts this investment will generate 400,000 quality jobs while helping to achieve the state’s climate goals.

“The only way to achieve California’s world-leading climate goals is to build, build, build – faster,” said Newsom, speaking at the site of a future solar farm in Stanislaus County.

“This proposal is the most ambitious effort to cut red tape and streamline regulations in half a century,” the Governor continued. “It’s time to make the most out of taxpayer dollars and deliver results while creating hundreds of thousands of good jobs.”

Newsom says that California is funding statewide construction projects. Funding will come from previous state budgets and from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

On the local level, organizations are doing their part to increase equity when it comes to diverse firms landing infrastructure contracts. In Los Angeles, the CDABP is actively helping small, local and diverse contractors build their business capacities and access millions of dollars in contracts. The program helps fund surety bonds which can be expensive barriers for smaller firms fighting for contracts, and financing for firms whose cash flow is held up during the long wait for approval to pay workers after completing government jobs.

Critics of government preferences for minority-owned businesses claim that programs raise costs and invite fraud. In 2019, $300 million in federal contracts intended for minority-owned businesses went to business owners with false claims of Native American Heritage.

Another concern critics share is that smaller firms have a lower work completion rate. The industry ‘loss ratio’ or number of contractors who do not finish the job is 20% in the United States.

However, with a track record of having less than a 1% surety bond guarantee default rate for program-enrolled contractors, Merriwether envisions being able to facilitate access to contract funding once they’ve been successful in winning contracts with the program’s public agency sponsors.

“We’ve been able to demonstrate that these contractors are also competent. If you provide equitable resources, they can compete, they can be low bidders and they successfully complete their contracts compared to their peers,” she pointed out.  We’ve been very fortunate to demonstrate the true potential of these firms. What we want to do is amplify what we’ve been doing on a small scale to show folks that this is what we need to be doing on a national scale; using public funding as an appropriate source to change these dynamics and supply chain for small minority business. It’s the right thing to do.”

EIP was formed in April 2022 to leverage infrastructure spending to build wealth in underserved communities. It has persuaded several municipalities, including the California State Transpiration Agency to pledge more infrastructure funds to HUBs. On October 11, 2022, EIP and five other state-level departments of transportation signed an equity pledge in Washington, DC.

“Some may say that our work is about infrastructure or contracting, and indeed it is. Most importantly, however, our mission is about people,” said Co-Founders Phil Washington and John Porcari in a letter on EIP’s status. “It’s about creating careers in underserved communities. It’s about creating generational wealth and closing the racial wealth gap to break long-lasting cycles. It’s about people’s economic security and peace of mind.”

“The recommendations are the result of meeting with Californians from all walks of life—elected officials from around the state and heads of major transportation agencies but also community leaders and members,” said former Los Angles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a press release. “Centering community and advancing equity is essential in this work, as is promoting environmental sustainability and expanding economic opportunity for all.

Learn more about the CDABP and find out how to apply for state government procurement in California.

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

Aaron Ellis, 43, has personally experienced the pain and animosity victims of hate incidents suffer.

On January 30, Ellis, an editor for a press release service and a Black resident of San Dimas, was dressed in his workout clothes and wearing a backpack filled with bricks to increase the intensity of his workout when as he started to walk around his Charter Oak neighborhood in the San Gabriel Valley, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department cruiser pulled up and directed him to halt.

Within moments, Ellis reported that the officer aggressively slammed him against the cruiser hood, frisked and handcuffed him, and tossed him in the backseat of the patrol car. Someone had accused Ellis of peeking into parked vehicles. Ellis, barely 10 minutes into his 45-minute workout, said he was dumbfounded and terrified.

“The deputy said they got a call that someone matching my description was trying to break into cars,” Ellis recalled. “I said that was absurd because I just started walking. I was on the street so short of a time I didn’t have a chance to come around cars.”

The officer, Ellis remembered, acted like everything about him was suspicious. Not having his ID with him didn’t help. Two additional police cars arrived, and the deputy who detained Ellis said they would release him if they could verify that no crimes had occurred.

Ultimately, Ellis was released. After a tense exchange with the deputy, he walked home and told his wife what occurred.

Ellis’ dad filed a complaint at a sheriff’s station.

The actions and presumed biases of the person who called 911 and the Latino deputy who detained Ellis were rooted in hate, Ellis believed.

“I can’t think of any other reason someone would call the police on me and say some heinous, straight-up lies unless it was race based,” he said. “As far as the actions of the police, they were just responding to a call. How I was treated though — they didn’t give me a certain benefit of the doubt they would have given other people.”

UCLA’s Initiative to Study Hate aims to understand and mitigate the kind of hate Ellis experienced at the hands of law enforcement and other forms this societal issue takes. For example, how hate shows up in groups, institutions and even organizations that form to fight against it.

The three-year social impact project, launched in October 2022 with the support of a $3 million unanimous donation, brings together scholars from various specialties to explore topics such as the impact of social media hate speech on youths, racial bias in health care settings, the neurobiology underlying hate, and the unexpected areas where hate appears in daily life.

The initiative’s director, David Myers, the UCLA Sady and Ludwig Kahn Professor of Jewish History, recently said in a press release that hate is pervasive and vexing.

“But in just one year, we have gained important new insights into how it functions and how we might better address it,” he said.

During the study’s first year, researchers investigated topics including the treatment of Black youth experiencing suicidal thoughts, the roles of Black and Latinx youth in gun prevention programs, the hyper-sexualization of Asian women and the crimes in the U.S. motivated by race and gender, and how partisan media has spurred right-wing extremism.

Researchers discovered that hate speech on social media affected 80% of fifth to 12th graders with 47% cyberbullied. Additionally, 75% of unhoused peoples experienced discrimination within a month, with over half stating they had been harassed or threatened.

The project will launch a podcast series within the next year and work in partnership with the California Commission on the State of Hate to develop resources and guidance for governments and communities to reduce and respond to hate activity. Another partnership with UCLA’s Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies will put a spotlight on antisemitism in the U.S. and across the globe.

The research is set to continue. A team will explore historical approaches to combat hate and how its definition can hinder its mitigation. Another group will broaden its study of hate and cyberbullying on social media to include college students. Other researchers will analyze hate’s impact on youth and the media and information landscape, racism in childbirth, and anti-Black hate.

In an email to California Black Media (CBM), Meyers said future initiatives to study hate will examine Islamophobia and Antisemitism in response to the headline-grabbing news pouring out of the conflicts in Israel and Palestinian lands.

Initiative fellow and social scientist Kevin Gatter said the project brings scholars together to push through challenges.

“This initiative is a testament to the importance of drawing from other fields in order to produce research that will have a greater impact,” he said.

Hate crimes and incidents are on the rise in California – and they continue to impact Blacks more than any other race. According to the California Department of Justice, in 2022 hate crimes involving racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia increased by more than 20%.

Ellis said, overall, most of his experiences with people in his area are friendly. Now, he is concerned about the source of the hate he experienced.

“The ones who lurk in the shadows are who I worry about,” Ellis said. “The person who called the police on me, I still don’t know who that is. That is why I don’t go down that street.”

Myers said the UCLA initiative is more than a school project.

“We don’t want to simply to know how hate works,” he said. “We want to eradicate it.”

This California Black Media report was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Last week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office released data that established which demonstrated a connection between domestic violence and gun violence, and highlighted the risks women face in abusive relationships.

The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV), reports that women being abused by male partners who own guns are five times more likely to be murdered by their abusive partners. From 2013 to 2022, women accounted for 83% of victims killed in domestic violence-related gun homicides by a current or former intimate partner.

“The data is clear. People who commit domestic violence and abuse, they simply should not have firearms,” Bonta said during a news conference on Nov. 6, at the office of WEAVE in Sacramento’s Midtown. WEAVE is the primary provider of crisis intervention services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Sacramento County.

The California Department of Justice “Domestic Violence Involving Firearms in California” report explores the effect of firearm-related domestic violence incidents involving firearms throughout California. It covers the state’s long-term progress in reducing domestic violence involving firearms, the significant increases since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the large differences among counties across the state, and the impacts on different populations based on victims’ reported sex, age, and race or ethnicity.

The report broadly defines “domestic violence” to include both family-related and intimate partner-related violence, which may occur in “public as well as private spaces.” The data indicates that the state’s efforts have helped significantly reduce the incidence of domestic violence, especially incidents involving firearms.

California’s population grew from 31,274,928 in 1993 to 39,437,610 in 2019, a 26% increase. Correspondingly, on a per capita basis, from 1993 to 2019, California law enforcement agencies reported a 53% reduction in domestic violence-related homicides and a 61% reduction in domestic violence-related gun homicides.

Researchers estimate that about 4.5 million women alive today have been threatened by an inmate partner with a gun and that nearly one million have been shot, shot at, or had a gun used against them by an inmate partner.

The report highlights that there are significant differences across California communities in rates of reported domestic violence involving firearms. Los Angeles County, for example, recorded 184,956 domestic violence calls between 2018 and 2022, with 2,908 calls involving firearms.

In addition, the counties of Alameda reported 27,482 calls (265 involving firearms), San Francisco had 16,509 (105), Sacramento reported 24,752 (247), Riverside 34,464 (212), and San Diego listed 88,497 calls (523 involving firearms) during the four-year span.

“Violence is not an accident. It is also not inevitable, and it can be prevented. Removing dangerous weapons from people who pose a danger to others is key to that goal,” Bonta stated. “This report gives an in-depth look at the ties between domestic violence and firearms, shining a light on the problem at hand, and illuminating the path to safety before us.”

Recognizing the dangerous connection between domestic violence and gun violence, California has adopted and invested in policies that enhance safety for survivors and the community, the report states.

Bonta launched the Department of Justice’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) in 2022 with the mission of supporting data-driven and impact-driven efforts to prevent gun violence and related traumas.

From 2013 to 2022, California law enforcement agencies reported 1,254-gun homicides where the suspected offenders were identified as a current or former intimate partner or family member of the victim, based on the OGVP’s analysis of victims’ race and ethnicity.

A majority (38%) of these domestic violence gun homicide victims in California were identified as non-Hispanic White, followed closely by Hispanic victims (33%). However, Black victims (13%) were disproportionately represented among adult female, male, and minor victims of domestic violence gun homicides. The Black population of California accounts for about 5.7% of the state’s population of nearly 40 million people.

“Survivors deserve to begin their pathway to healing with laws that promote their safety. We refuse to leave domestic violence survivors and communities behind — especially Black and Native women who disproportionately feel the impacts of gun violence,” stated Rocci Jackson, Gun Violence Restraining Order Community Analyst at the CPEDV.

Bonta held the news conference one day before the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments in the U.S. v. Rahimi, a case involving a Second Amendment challenge to a federal law disarming individuals subject to certain Domestic Violence Restraining Orders (DVROs).

The report highlights California’s efforts to empower and protect survivors by providing a range of support services, offering crisis intervention and safety planning options, providing DVROs, and enforcing laws to protect against gun violence.

Bonta urges the SCOTUS to reverse a decision that would endanger domestic violence victims and allow firearms to remain in the hands of their abusers. The Fifth Circuit vacated the criminal conviction of a defendant who had possessed a firearm while subject to a DVRO, which a state court in Texas issued against him after finding he had assaulted his ex-girlfriend.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s decision in U.S. v. Rahimi would, Bonta expressed, invalidate a federal law that prohibits adjudicated domestic abusers subject to DVROs from possessing firearms.

On August 22, 2023, Bonta joined a coalition of 25 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the case, urging the Supreme Court to strike down the Fifth Court’s decision and reaffirming California’s commitment to preventing gun violence through protective orders such as DVROs.

“No one should ever fear becoming a victim of gun violence, let alone at the hands of an abusive partner or loved one.,” Bonta stated. “Violent perpetrators like Zackey Rahimi have demonstrated their risk to public safety and have no business possessing a firearm. Removing dangerous weapons from people who pose a danger to others is key to protecting both survivors and the broader community.”