Commentary: In the Battle of YIMBY versus NIMBY, Score One for the YIMBYs, but Will It Make a Difference?
By David M. Greenwald Executive Editor Sacramento, CA – In our cynical times, it is easy to…
Legislature Approves Bill Ending Mandatory Jail Time for Nonviolent Drug Offenses
SB 73 would help end mass incarceration and California’s War on Drugs By Vanguard Staff Sacramento –…
Addressing California’s Meth Epidemic: Senator Wiener Seeks to Implement Incentivized Recovery Programs through SB 110
By Eric Grammatico SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Scott Wiener’s Senate Bill 110 successfully passed through the State…
Commentary: Battle Lines Being Drawn over Single-Family Zoning
By David M. Greenwald Two of the more contentious bills this term in the State legislature are…
SF DA Criticizes Delay of Measure to Authorize Pilot Overdose Program for SF, Oakland, LA
By Paige Laver SAN FRANCISCO, CA – It will be January before a pilot overdose program—authored by…
McCarty’s Drug Treatment Bill Clears Another Key Hurdle, Senate Public Safety Committee
By David M. Greenwald Sacramento, CA – Four weeks after the bill sailed through the Assembly on…
CA Legislation to End Mandatory Jail Time for Nonviolent Drug Crimes Passes Assembly Public Safety Committee
By Sydney Kaplan and Mia Machado SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Assembly Public Safety Committee voted 6-1…
CA Senate Passes Bill Legalizing Safe, Supervised Injection Sites and Overdose Prevention; Gov. Newsom Urged to Sign Bill into Law
By Natasha Feuerstein LOS ANGELES, CA – A leading grassroots organization, Dignity and Power NOW (DPN), is…
CA Public Safety Panel OKs Alternative Mental Health Treatments (Psychedelics)
By Mia Machado & Lizet Gonzalez SACRAMENTO, CA – In a historic first for California, legislation to…
Potential Change for Sheriff Elections? State Measure Would Remove Restrictive Candidacy Requirement
By Michael Wheeler SACRAMENTO, CA – Change could soon be coming for who can run for sheriff…
Key CA Committee OK’s Measure to End ‘War on Drugs’ Era Law Now Requiring Mandatory Prison, Jail for Nonviolent Drug Offenses
SACRAMENTO, CA – Mandatory prison and jail sentences for nonviolent drug offenses would end under legislation that…
ACLU California Action Releases Scorecard, Crowns 28 Lawmakers as ‘Champions’ or ‘Advocates’
By Aishwarya Rajan CALIFORNIA – ACLU California Action this week released its annual scorecard for 2019-2020 state…
‘War on Drugs Failed’ Tweets Lawmaker; Introduces State Legislation to Untie Hands of Judges in Drug Sentencing
By Dalia Bautista Rodriguez SACRAMENTO – Incarceration for simple drug possession could soon end – or at…
Guest Commentary: Governor Newsom Signs Groundbreaking Criminal Justice Reform BIlls
By Mano Raju “In the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a shortened legislative session, and a…
CA Governor Signs Bill Ending Discrimination against Young LGBTQ on Sex Offender Registry
By Linh Nguyen SACRAMENTO – Despite public opposition and misinformation, Governor Newsom has signed into law Senate…
QAnon Conspiracy – Lawmaker Reveals Death Threats for Legislation Ending Discrimination against LGBT People
By Sahar Swaleh SACRAMENTO – Senator Scott Wiener introduced SB 145 in January 2020, proposing that all…
CA Fair Juries Act Introduced in Legislature to Expand Jury Pools
By Ayanna Gandhi SACRAMENTO – CA State Senator Scott Wiener (D-SF) re-introduced legislation yesterday that would expand…
Legislators, Advocates and Criminal Justice Leaders Attempt to Pressure Governor to Respond to San Quentin COVID Crisis
With COVID cases at San Quentin soaring from none to over 1400 in just under a month,…
San Quentin Cases Soaring at 344 Cases, Triggering Concern and Attention from Reformers
For much of the past week, the Vanguard through its Dashboard on CDCR COVID-19 cases has been…
Audit Finds that Law Enforcement Violates State Law against License Plate Surveillance Technology
By Linh Nguyen Sacramento – An audit requested by Senator Scott Wiener finds that law enforcement agencies…
