When it comes to state-level politics, one would be hard-pressed to find an American state with more progressively liberal leadership than California. For better or worse, the Golden State remains at the forefront of the national political discussion, and often makes media headlines for its extreme leftward bend in all aspects of governance, whether it be at the judicial, fiscal, or cultural level. While legal issues like liberal bail reform and the decriminalization of numerous drugs and drug-like substances have long been at the center of politics in California, a recent proposal by state level lawmakers is downright puzzling. Democrat lawmakers in Sacramento have proposed a bill that would eliminate the requirement for healthcare workers to contact law enforcement officials if a patient is suspected to be a victim of physical abuse.
A bill in the state general assembly titled no. 1028, written by representatives Tina McKinnor and Buffy Wicks would end the policy for nurses, doctors, and other health officials to notify law enforcement if a patient is believed to have been abused. Supporters of the legislation advocate that the alterations would enable social workers to step in if the victim so chooses and that it would be a benefit to remove police officers from initial investigations. Republican representatives in the state have widely condemned the bill, claiming that it increases the risk of domestic abuse and may invigorate human traffickers to commit increased violence. Statistically speaking, in 2021 there were a total of 18,185 incidents of domestic violence incidents in the San Diego region alone.
A legislative proposal as mind boggling as this one is ultimately unsurprising. Since the implementation of “zero bail” laws in the state, violent crime has tripled and felony offense fell just short of doubling when accounting for those released on low or no bail. While radicals control the statehouse in Sacramento, things should continue to spiral out of control in the western state.
