• U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) reintroduced legislation on May 7 to strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence. A release from her office said the legislation will close loopholes that allow abusers and stalkers access to guns. “Existing federal laws designed to protect victims of domestic violence are important, but gaps remain,” Capps said in the release. “This common-sense legislation would close these loopholes to better protect victims and survivors of domestic violence and help save lives.” The press release said more than three times as many women are murdered with guns used by their intimate partners than are murdered by strangers using a gun, knife, or any other weapon. Between 1976 and 2005, dating partners were responsible for 35 percent of the intimate partner homicides committed. The Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act would expand the definition of “intimate partner” to include current and former dating partners. The term is used to prohibit individuals convicted of domestic violence from purchasing a firearm. The act would also make it so temporary restraining orders act the same as permanent restraining orders, by temporarily preventing an individual subject to it from purchasing or possessing a firearm for the duration of the order. Lastly, the act would affect stalking, bringing it in line with other domestic violence crimes when it comes to prohibiting individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors—they are prohibited from gun ownership under federal law.
• During a May 7 press conference, state Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) urged support for SB 611, a bill he authored with the intent to reduce the number of people suffering from mental illness who are jailed. “Both our mental health system and our jails are in crisis. In Los Angeles alone, 3,500 inmantes need medication to address mental illness. We need treatment and training for people with mental illness to keep them out of our jails. Jails are for criminals, not for sick Californians,” Hertzberg said. According to California Healthline, the bill would add $13 million in funding for programs to divert inmates with mental health issues from county jails.
This article appears in May 14-21, 2015.