Our Safety Matters: Letter to Senator Portantino

Below is a letter from CACEO President Darrell Revier to the CA Senate Appropriations Committee Chair advocating for CACEO's two officer safety bills, SB 101 and SB 296. For more information, click here. 

Senator Anthony Portantino

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair

State Capitol Room 3086

Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: Senate Bills 101 and 296

Senator Portantino,

Thank you for meeting with our legislation team to discuss our officer safety bills, SB101 & SB296, that currently reside in the suspense file.  I am writing to you and the other members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on behalf of all California Code Enforcement Officers to urge you to remove both of these crucial safety bills from the suspense file so they may continue through the process towards becoming law. 

Neither of these bills will significantly burden the state’s budget nor the staff at the Department of Motor Vehicles as noted during previous committee hearings. What they will do is help protect the lives of dedicated public health and safety guardians all over our state.  Our organization understands the importance of fiscal prudence when it comes to passing new legislation.  However, how can one compare the minimal, if any, costs that our bills present to the value of a human life?

I would like to reiterate some key points that when added to the individual merits of the bills themselves, carry considerable weight in favor of removal from the suspense file:

1. The Department of Finance did not present files on either of these bills during the hearing when the bills were placed into the suspense file.
2. No specific cost amounts were reported, only vague and unsubstantiated estimates, during the hearing when the bills were placed into the suspense file.
3. The Public Safety Committee had no objection to the bills and passed them both on consent.
4. The California League of Cities and The California Association of County Executives do not oppose our bills and there has been no other opposition presented.
5. Our bills are supported by the Congress on Racial Equality and the International Faith Based Coalition.

Sincerely, 

Darrell Revier CCEO

President

California Association of Code Enforcement Officers