Major news: California Right To Rest Act SB 608

Hey Everyone!

There is a mayor update about the Right2Rest. As you all know, WRAP California members made considerable amendments and changes to SB 608 in anticipation for this session. After much consideration, Senator Liu has decided to pull SB 608 from the January 5th hearing schedule and instead will be introducing it as a new bill in the regular session. Here is the reasoning behind this strategic decision:

“Our office has been working closely with the Senate Transportation & Housing and Judiciary committees to prepare SB 608 for hearing. As you may know, two-year bills have a truncated timeline in the second year of a Session, which can make navigating a double-referral (two committees with back to back hearings) difficult. After a review of this last set of amendments by the consultants, they felt that more work was needed to fine tune the bill before the hearing and strongly advised us to reintroduce the amended language as a new bill, so as to give us the best chance of soliciting support from members in both committees.”

Senator Liu WILL be submitting our Right To Rest Act legislation in the upcoming session before the Feb. 19th 2016 deadline and she has firmly committed that the intent and outcomes of SB 608 will be intact. As is clearly stated in writing from her staff: “Senator Liu remains committed to the objectives of the Right to Rest Act.”

To be clear: it is very much not the end of our bill to stop the criminalization of our communities but rather an indication that our bill is critical and making the necessary waves in the California legislature.
We will be heard in Sacramento during the 2016 legislative session and we will all be there stronger and prouder then ever!!!!

We will let you all know when we have a new bill number, hearing, and subsequent action plans.

SB 608 is dead – Long live SB 608. Onward comrades!

Peace
WRAP
Any questions comments or concerns contact Paul Boden at:
wrap@wraphome.org
(415) 621-2533