From

local jails and prisons to work.”

“I feel like this is something that not only needs to get done but must get done,” Parthas said during the Abolition Today podcast. “How can you talk about freedom, reparations, economic equity, equality in law and education while state slavery is still legal?”

Brown wrote the language in ACA 3 while he was in prison. He was released in 2021 after serving a 24-year sentence. The language of the bill was brought to the attention of Kamlager by Sacramento activist Jamilia Land.

New Assembly Bill Would Ban Use of Police Canines for Arrests, Crowd Control...continued

President of the CA/HI NAACP. “With this bill, we can begin to shift and sever ties with the terrorizing past.” gonna land. Once you use your gun, it's gone,” he said. “Once you use a taser, it's on its way. You're not stopping it. The only thing you can stop is a K-9."

AB 742 does not call for banning the use of police canines for search and rescue, explosives detection, and narcotics detection – all activities that do not involve biting.

Samual Nathaniel Brown said he is not surprised that Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) picked up the baton to carry on the fight to eradicate the phrase “involuntary servitude except as a punishment to crime” from California’s Constitution.

Brown, who contributed to writing Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 3, the California Abolition Act, while he was incarcerated in prison, stood on the west steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento with Wilson when she reintroduced a new iteration of the legislation that failed to pass in the State Senate last year.

This time around, Brown, Wilson and other supporters of the End Slavery in California Act say they are determined to retire the constitutional clause that allows labor imposed on felons as criminal punishment in California prisons.

“To be honest, we didn’t have to lure her in at all. She was a more-than-willing participant to pick up the baton,” Brown said on the Feb.19 edition of Abolition Today. “Championing the causes of Black people is something she has been doing for a long time and has done in almost every position she has held. It’s a no-brainer for her to continue this fight.”

Abolition Today is a weekly online radio program with specific focus on “modern-day slavery” as it is practiced through the 13th Amendment of the US constitution. It is hosted by Max Parthas and Yusuf Hassan.

California is among 16 states with an “exception clause” for involuntary servitude in its state constitution, Wilson said. Should the state legislature pass the End Slavery in California Act, voters will decide during the 2024 General Elections if it will become state law.

Three states — Colorado, Utah, and Nebraska – have voted to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude. Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont have approved similar ballot measures.

“I am introducing this legislation because in every position of leadership (I’ve held) from (parks) commission to councilmember, from vice mayor to mayor, and now a state legislator; one of my responsibilities was, and is, to end systematic racism and root out discrimination,” Wilson said on Feb. 15 at the State Capitol.

Wilson added, “We only make up 6% of the overall (California) Black population but we make up 28% of our incarceration population. The allowance of slavery in our prisons disproportionately impacts Black people.”

Article 1, Section 6 of the California Constitution currently allows involuntary servitude as a means of punishing crime.

U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager (D-CA-37) authored ACA 3 in 2020 as a California State Assemblymember.

Kamlager said involuntary servitude is “forced labor.”

“By removing this language from our Constitution, we are moving our state into the 21st century and taking steps to ensure that no Californian is ever put in a position of involuntary servitude again,” Kamlager said last year.

On June 23, the California Senate rejected ACA 3 with a 21-6 vote. It fell short of the twothirds vote requirement, 27 or more, needed to move the bill to the ballot as a proposition for Californians to decide its fate.

June 30, 2022 was the last day ACA 3 could have gained the votes it needed to have been placed on the 2022 November General Election ballot. It was not heard on the Senate floor that day. Five Republicans and one Democrat, Steve Glazer (D-Orinda), voted against the amendment.

“Slavery was an evil that will forever be a stain on the history of our great country.

We eliminated it through the Civil War and the adoption of the 13th Amendment,” Glazer said in a statement. “Involuntary servitude – though lesser known – also had a shameful past. ACA 3 is not even about involuntary servitude – at least of the kind that was practiced 150 years ago. The question this measure raises is whether or not California should require felons in state or

Land is a member of the Anti-Violence Safety, and Accountability Project (ASAP), an organization that advocates for prisoners’ rights. Wilson said she was “proud to carry on the work” of Brown and Kamlager and ensured that she is committed to striking the word slavery out of the United States constitution.

“This constitutional amendment is now a national movement,” Wilson said.

The chairperson of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), Wilson was the first Black female Mayor to serve in Solano County. First elected to the Suisun City Council in 2012, she served as Vice-Mayor for six years before winning the mayoral race in 2018.

Wilson was sworn into office to represent the 11th Assembly District after a special election last April following the resignation of former Assemblymember Jim Frazier. She serves as the assistant Majority Whip and is chair of the Select Committee on Transportation and Emergency Preparedness.

Wilson’s has the support of several statewide organizations in favor of removing the involuntary servitude clause: the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Legal Services With Prisoners With Children, All Of Us Or None Of Us and the Anti-Violence, Safety, and Accountability Project. Sisters Warriors Freedom Coalition, and Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice are sponsors.

“California was founded as a free state,” Wilson said. “There is no room for slavery in our constitution. It is not consistent with our values.”

New Assembly Bill Would Ban Use of Police Canines for Arrests, Crowd Control

Edward Henderson | California Black Media

California Action. “It's time for California to take a stand and end this inhumane practice.”

“The use of a canine is sending a dog out that will inflict injury on a person before that person has been accused of a crime or formally convicted of one,” said Kat Carell, a member of the Sacramento Chapter of the ACLU. “So, you end up with lifelong disfigurement, or mental problems, or you could be killed before you have ever been in a court of law and proven guilty of anything.”

Reaction to the introduction of the bill by police dog handlers and some law enforcement organizations -- including the Western States Canine Association -- was swift, charactering the bill as misguided and going too far.

Ron Cloward, President for the Western States Police Canine Association and a veteran of the Modesto Police Department, said Jackson’s bill does not “make sense.” He argued that if AB 742 passes, it would take away one more non-lethal weapon law enforcement relies on to fight crime.

Cloward, who owns a canine training business, told ABC news affiliate in Bakersfield that while dog bites can be harmful and “disfiguring,” they do not cause death.

"Once you've deployed pepper spray, it's been deployed. It's

Jackson was elected in November of 2022 to represent the 60th Assembly District. Before that, he served on the Riverside County Board of Education in 2020 and represented portions of the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris, and the unincorporated community of Mead Valley.

Supporters say Jackson’s background in social work gives him a keen awareness and understanding of the microaggressions Black and Brown communities face. AB 742 is one of many pieces of legislation Jackson has introduced (or plans to) that holds individuals and institutions accountable, creating room for even larger victories towards dismantling systematic racism. He calls the effort the ‘Antiracism Bill Package.’

Another bill in the package is AB 11. That bill would authorize the creation of a commission to identify sustainable solutions to reduce the cost of living in California. The commission would consist of 11 members, including nine members appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the President pro Tempore of the Senate. Also, one member each from the Assembly and the Senate would serve as ex officio non-voting members. The bill would require the commission to complete reports describing the commission's findings and recommendations.

CFPB seeks rule on junk fees to put $9 billion back in consumers’ pockets

By Charlene Crowell

Assemblymember Cory Jackson (D-Riverside) speaks at press conference at the State Capitol announce the End K9 Force. Photo By Felicia Rule/CBM

Last week, Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson (D-Riverside) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 742, legislation that would prohibit the use of police canines for arrests, apprehensions and crowd control.

The use of police canines, supporters of the legislation say, is a throwback to the darkest days of legal slavery, Jim Crow segregation – and a reminder of America's history of racial bias, aggression and violence against Blacks and people of color. Jackson says he wants to end the “deeply racialized, traumatic and harmful practice.”

“Since their inception, police canines have been used to inflict brutal violence and lifelong trauma on Black Americans and communities of color,” said Jackson at a press conference held to announce the bill. “It's time to end this cruel and inhumane practice and instead work towards building trust between the police and the communities they serve.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) California Action, a co-sponsor of AB 742, echoed Jackson's concerns.

“The use of police canines has severe and potentially deadly consequences for bite victims, especially communities of color,” said Carlos Marquez III, Executive Director of ACLU

Jackson says his stance on the use of canines in law enforcement is backed up by data. For him, it’s a “moral issue” as well. “I let the data take me to where I need to go. And the data is clear that in some of the most consequential issues of our time right now – especially when it comes to the relationship between law enforcement and the African American community,” Jackson told California Black Media (CBM). “This was a no brainer for me. This is not a gotcha bill. Our own data in California shows that we have it wrong, and we have to fix it.”

“The fact that canines are harming people more than batons and tasers is astonishing to me. I would never have guessed that” added Jackson who says he has already read three reports on the topic.

The California/Hawaii (CA/HI) Conference of the NAACP, another co-sponsor, acknowledges the bill’s historical importance. “Police canines have

Amid still-rising interest rates, most families remain financially challenged to make household needs fit into their budgets. For Black Americans whose wealth amounts to 25 cents for every $1 of white family wealth, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, the challenge is especially daunting.

So, it is particularly encouraging to Blacks, and others of modest means for a sitting president to speak to the average person’s concerns in the annual State of the Union Address.

“Junk fees may not matter to the very wealthy, but they matter to most folks in homes like the one I grew up in,” said President Joe Biden on February 7. “They add up to hundreds of dollars a month…I know how unfair it feels when a company overcharges you and gets away with it.”

“Not anymore.” a section of its website dedicated to explaining the varying types of junk fees and their respective charges. To learn more about this growing consumer issue, visit https://www.consumerfinance. gov/rules-policy/junk-fees/.

Junk fees are hidden and unexpected charges that are often not included in the initial or listed price of a transaction but are added on at the time of the payment.

Many consumers are unaware of how junk fees bloat the costs of a variety of goods and services. As a result, the actual costs consumers pay are much larger than expected or advertised.

Further, as the consumer’s financial cop-on-the beat, the CFPB has begun the rulemaking process to rein in the financial harms caused by a myriad of fees affecting at least 85 percent of consumers, according to a 2019 survey by Consumer Reports.

The proposed CFPB rule change would make exorbitant late fees illegal. Based on the agency’s estimates, the proposal could reduce credit card late fees by as much as $9 billion per year -- even though no additional collection costs are incurred.

“In markets across the economy, junk fees have unfortunately become the norm,” noted Rohit Chopra, CFPB Director in announcing the proposed rule. “These junk fees aren’t subject to the normal forces of competition. They’re often charged for so-called services that a consumer never wanted and are set at levels far beyond the true cost. Junk fees inflate prices and chip away at monthly budgets by obscuring part of the price from comparison shopping, making it difficult for Americans to shop around.” historical roots in slavery and have continued to be used as tools of oppression for Black, Brown, and other communities of color,” said Rick L. Callender,

Prepaid card fees, convenience fees, overdraft fees, and late fees are among the myriad of add-on charges that consumers often learn about after or during transactions.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has

“When we asked people to submit their comments on and experiences with junk fees, we were inundated with stories from thousands of individuals about being charged fees for things that

No Tolerance for Intolerance: Law Enforcement Vets Explore Strategies to Combat Hate Crimes

By Mark Hedin

The ACT Against Hate Alliance brought together some heavy hitters from law enforcement to discuss strategies for combatting the recent rise in hate crimes.

specifics about individual crimes.

“We have a relatively small number of people in our society who would engage in this type of behavior,” he said. “So, it’s important that those in law enforcement be aware of who those individuals are, what groups they’re affiliated with, and how they operate.”

Commentary: Media Attacks on Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s Committee Chair Appointment Is Not Responsible Journalism...continued

As the United States experiences an escalating wave of hate crimes, particularly victimizing Asian Americans, ACT Against Hate Alliance brought together some heavy hitters from law enforcement to discuss strategies for combatting this alarming trend.

“The core mission of the ACT Against Hate Alliance is to identify the root causes behind hate crimes, and propose solutions to stop them,” co-host Bob Huff, former California state senate minority leader, said in introducing the Feb. 8 panel, the sixth in a monthly series the organization is hosting while also opening chapters on campuses throughout the state.

“We’re all stakeholders,” said Domingo Herraiz, of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. “When an incident or hate crime occurs, it truly rocks the community and the credibility of government and policing agencies. The sense of safety for all in the community is badly damaged.

“If the investigation falls apart, if there’s no prosecution, no charges, we have longterm, long-lasting effects and devastation to the community.

“We need to speak up, because we are the majority and we cannot tolerate this. We weren’t raised this way. Very, very few people were.”

Inflammatory political, online rhetoric

Jim McDonnell, whose decades in law enforcement included stints as Long Beach police chief after almost 30 years with LAPD, and as LA County sheriff from 2014-18, overseeing 18,000 employees and a $3.3 billion budget, attributed some of the near-doubling of hate crime reports in the past decade to inflammatory leaders and unchecked social media that “encourages people who can hide in the dark” to anonymously spew hate encouraging and rewarding like-minded others for “something very hurtful to our community.”

“That lack of accountability, I think, separates where we are today from where we were 20 years ago, as it relates to hate crimes in particular, but other crimes and aberrant behavior as well,” he said.

He cited improvements in data collection thanks to a new “NIBR” (National Incident Based Reporting) system that will improve coordination between various law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions. Besides leading to a more complete picture of what is widely believed to be an underreported crime phenomenon, he said, NIBR is expected to make it easier to identify trends and capture

“We dedicate a ton of resources to hate crimes,” said FBI Special Agent Brian Gilhooly, who oversees criminal investigations across seven southern California counties, dealing with gangs, narcotics, violent crime, hate crime, public corruption, crimes against children and fraud.

“It’s not only an attack on a victim. It has a huge impact on the entire community, which is why it’s a priority for the FBI.”

Reporting hate crimes

“It’ll take a team to really make an impact on this threat,” the former Navy SEAL officer in the Middle East and Pacific regions said, “and here in Los Angeles, we are one of the only field offices that has an entire squad dedicated to investigating hate crimes.”

There is “is a button for tips and leads” on the FBI website, Gilhooly said. “We can use that information to better prepare our law enforcement or intelligence analysts, our victim specialists or our language specialists to address these important issues.”

“Most people set the bar relatively high for reaching out to law enforcement,” Gilhooly added, “thinking that they might need to actually have some physical violence.” But, to enable better understanding of community dynamics and to target investigations on the worst offenders, he said, “Harassment and other forms should also be reported to law enforcement.”

And perhaps “not commonly known,” he said, are other resources available, primarily to victims, that include community outreach specialists “who speak all manners of foreign languages.

For cultural understanding, he said, “being able to communicate in someone’s first language makes it a little bit easier to talk about some difficult problems.”

More accountability for perpetrators of hate crimes

Walt Allen, Covina mayor pro-tem and a 46-year law enforcement veteran, who helps oversee police training for police recruits throughout southern California, also described a need to do more to hold people accountable for their actions, something he felt has diminished in recent years.

“If people are not held accountable, you’re going to have continuous behavior. We need to set an example for those people who do wrong and hold them to the letter of the law.”

He described a new emphasis in police training on investigating hate crimes and dealing empathetically with its victims, and said he has high hopes for the recently enacted CARE act, state Senate Bill 1338, that begins to address the needs of people diagnosed as severely mentally ill.

“Severe mental health issues are a driving force behind violent crime in California,” he stated.

“If you tolerate it, you encourage it,” said Denton Carlson, police chief in the northern California city of San Ramon, whose department was able to rapidly respond to and defuse some incidents over the holidays late last year.

“If you don’t take actions to stop it, it’s just going to keep occurring and flourish.”

“You often hear people say that ‘hey, somebody should do something about that,” Herraiz said. “Well, we’re all somebody who can step up and play a role in our own way in affecting what happens in the future.”

Commentary: Media Attacks on Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s Committee Chair Appointment Is Not Responsible Journalism

Paul Cobb | Special to California Black Media Partners have every right to investigate and expose those actions.

However, it is equally important to exercise caution and avoid making unfounded accusations that could damage the reputation of public officials.

Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland)

As the publisher of the Oakland Post, I am disappointed with recent mainstream media coverage and editorials trying to make tabloid news out of the appointment of Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) to be chair of the California Assembly Budget Subcommittee #5 on Public Safety. Bonta a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus, was recently appointed chair by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and some reporters and newspaper editors around California have baselessly made the case that the assignment is a conflict of interest because she is married to Attorney General Rob Bonta and her committee oversees funding for the state Department of Justice.

As journalists, we have a responsibility to report on conflicts of interest and hold public officials accountable for any improprieties. If, along the way, Bonta engages in activities that betray the voters' trust, reporters covering her office

Speaker Rendon has stated that the Legislature’s budget process is designed with checks and balances to ensure that the best possible budget is passed.

According to him, no elected official can ever personally or financially benefit from the budget process. The legislature does not set salaries or benefits for state constitutional officers such as Rob Bonta.

Bonta’s appointment to chair is recognition that she has the skills and experience necessary to fulfill her role effectively and impartially.

Rendon has expressed confidence that she will be independent in her legislative judgment.

The work of Budget Subcommittee #5 consists of hearing, reviewing, and making recommendations to the full Budget Committee concerning the Governor’s budget proposals for the courts, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Justice, the Military Department, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and other public safety departments.

Instead of fabricating baseless claims of conflicts of interest where there are none, responsible news reporters should be covering real news events occurring around the state. There are countless issues that require our investigation, from the ongoing homelessness crisis to the urgent need for criminal justice reform.

The press should be covering the important work that Bonta is doing to promote public safety and reduce recidivism in her district, where sadly gun violence currently disproportionately ravages communities of color.

These are her constituents' legislative priorities, and Bonta has a strong track record of fighting for their needs.

There is real news occurring around the priorities Attorney General Bonta set for his office that merits press coverage.

Among his priorities are combating hate crimes and protecting civil rights, advancing criminal justice reform, protecting consumers, defending California’s environment, and enhancing public safety. These are important issues that deserve our attention, and it is disappointing to see them being overshadowed by baseless allegations of conflict of interest.

Mia Bonta has made it clear that the suggestion of a conflict of interest shows a lack of understanding about the legislative budgeting process.

The Assembly budget process starts with the Governor’s proposed budget bill, introduced by the full Budget Committee chair as required by the Constitution. There are five Assembly budget subcommittees that recommend amendments to pertaining to the Department of Justice including budget change proposals, proposed trailer bills, and legislative proposals that pertain to the DOJ to ensure that the body may focus on the important work before us.”

Rob Bonta, who held the same Assembly seat before being appointed Attorney General by Gov. Newsom and winning election to the office last November, also serves his office with integrity.

The media focus should be on covering both of their efforts to promote public safety and make California a better place for all citizens.

I urge all reporters and editors to uphold the principles of responsible journalism and prioritize the truth and accuracy of their reporting over sensationalism and clickbait. The public deserves better than to be misled by unfounded innuendo. The Black press has a responsibility to step up and do its part to foster a more informed and engaged public and not allow mainstream media and newspapers to marginalize Black leaders without pushing back especially when their reporting shows ignorance and fails to uphold the principles of responsible journalism.

About Paul Cobb

Paul Cobb is the Publisher of the Oakland Post Newspaper in Alameda County, which is part of the Post News Group. He is known as a West Oakland community organizer who once led the Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal and served as a mayoral appointee on the Oakland Board of Education.

Making Public Transit Safer — A ‘Massive Intersection of Crises’...continued from page 2 the budget bill as the principal focus of their agendas.

Min named the bill ʻPublic Transit for All: Improving Safety & Increasing Ridership’ and introduced it February 13. A former law professor who specialized in banking and housing policy, Min has testified six times before Congress on these issues.

Safe Walks NYC founder Peter Kerre says that by simply accompanying a person who would otherwise be alone, Safe Walks has already made a big difference in keeping New York City transit riders safe.

“There’s a saying in academia that the plural of anecdote is data, and so we need hard data at this point if we want to develop solutions. What this would do is to give a voice to the millions of transit riders throughout the State of California,” he said.

Once we have that data, then we can start to develop solutions, Min says.

Janice Li is Board President of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART). Her day job is with Chinese for Affirmative Action, a San Francisco-based organization that has led Asian American civil rights advocacy for more than 50 years.

The Governor’s chief fiscal advisor, the Department of Finance leads budget matters for the executive branch. Finance and departmental officials, as well as staff of the Legislative Analyst’s Office advocates and members of the public, appear at public hearings to answer questions.

Budget subcommittees focus on specific issues in their agendas, such as how much more or less funding a division of a department needs to perform a specific function.

The state’s budget is finalized by negotiations on thousands of budget items led by the Governor, the Senate Pro Tem, and the Assembly Speaker (a.k.a. the “Big Three”), on behalf of their branches of government. The staff of the Governor, the Senate, and the Assembly carry out these negotiations at the three leaders’ direction.

The Department of Justice - as a separate constitutional officeis not directly involved in those concluding negotiations. The executive branch in those talks is represented by the Governor.

Mia Bonta is an outstanding Assemblymember and public servant who has proven that she is committed to representing her constituents with integrity.

Proving her integrity, Bonta has announced, “I will recuse myself from Budget Subcommittee 5 matters directly

Li says BART’s pre-COVID riders made 430,000 trips on an average weekday and made up 70% of Bart’s operating costs, about $1 billion/yr. But during the lockdowns ridership dropped to four percent and has since rebounded to just 40% of what it was.

“We will not continue to exist if we cannot find new revenue streams,” Li says.

BART’s average rider has changed. Two-thirds are nonwhite, one third are in households with incomes under $50,000, and

44% don’t own cars. For the working poor of the Bay Area, BART is an essential mode of transportation.

“BART knows that in order to bring back riders, we must continue to prioritize safety.

I am proud of the many new initiatives that we launched over the past three years, including our BART ambassador program, bathroom attendants, elevator attendants, and crisis intervention specialists,” Li said.

Making people feel safe means putting more BART personnel in our stations, at our platforms, and riding trains throughout our 50-station system spanning five Bay Area counties, she says.

BART has two new initiatives — Not One More Girl, which is a youth-led campaign to address gender-based harassment and violence on BART, and Let’s Talk About Us, an art campaign to bring visibility to domestic violence in AAPI communities.

“These campaigns are creative and engaging ways for our riders to learn what they can do if they witness these situations happening and resources if they are victims or survivors themselves,” Li said.

Crime on BART trains is down to 7.45 crimes per 1 million trips. There were two homicides at the 24th St. Mission station last year. “Both times they were conflicts that happened in the neighborhood at the street level, where the victims ended up escaping into our underground system,” Li said.

She says what’s needed is more community-based resources to address homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health crises.

Mission Statement

Clifton Harris /Editor in Chief Investigative Reporter sbamericannews@gmail.com

Mary Martin-Harris / Editor Legal /Display Advertising (909) 889-7677

Clifton B. Harris / Audio Engineering Editor Digital Online Banner Advertising (909) 889-7677

The San Bernardino American News was established May 6, 1969.

A legally adjudicated newspaper of general circulation on September 30, 1971, case number 15313 by the Superior Court of San Bernardino County.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News subscription rate is $59.00 per year.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News is committed to serving its readers by presenting news unbiased and objective, trusting in the mature judgment of the readers and, in so doing, strive to achieve a united community.

News releases appearing in the San Bernardino AMERICAN News do not necessarily express the policy nor the opinion of the publishers.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News reserves the right to edit or rewrite all news releases.