Today, California Democrats convened a special session to “Trump-Proof” the state — urging the body to pass a bill that could potentially use your taxpayer dollars to shield convicted felons that are in our country illegally from federal law enforcement.
But, thanks to the boldness of my office and Assemblyman DeMaio, we forced them to delay and deliberate. Before we introduced critical amendments to SBX1-2, Democrats recessed after session started for an extended period of time, scrambling to decide how it would look if they voted down common-sense protections.
My amendments to the funding measure were simple and clear: California should NOT be using state funds to obstruct the prosecution of criminals — especially those convicted of child trafficking, child pornography, violent crimes, drug trafficking, and other heinous acts. Yet, without these amendments, taxpayer money could still flow to groups that help convicted criminals evade justice.
“Protecting our communities should not be a partisan issue — it should be common sense,” stated Assemblywoman Castillo. “The overwhelming passage of Proposition 36 shows that Californians are fed up with soft-on-crime policies. These amendments simply uphold the will of the people.”
We may not be able stop every bad policy, but today, we slowed them down — forcing Democrats to a conversation they didn’t want to have. And we will keep fighting for accountability, public safety, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
Thank you for standing with us in this fight.
Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo proudly serves California’s 58th Assembly District, encompassing the communities of Jurupa Valley, Grand Terrace, Eastvale, Riverside, Home Gardens, and Highgrove.
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