AB 1779

In January, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, who represents Bel Air and the Pacific Palisades on the Westside, introduced AB 1779, a bill that would provide the authority to charge organized retail theft and other related incidents in one county superior court, even if some of the offenses occurred in multiple county jurisdictions. The bill has been endorsed by the California Problem Solvers Caucus. She introduced the legislation in response to the increase in shoplifting in recent years.

Back in 2022, Assemblymember Irwin introduced AB 1613, a bill that sought to restore a provision of California Penal Code 786.5 which allowed for a district attorney’s office from one county to charge for crimes committed in multiple counties.

“This had previously been the law between 2018 and 2021 but was allowed to sunset. During the legislative process, AB 1613 was narrowed to allow only the Attorney General the authority to charge multi-jurisdictional cases,” said Irwin.

Irwin says AB 1779 will restore a common sense provision of the law that gives district attorneys the tools they need to put criminal organizations behind bars.

Shoplifting in Los Angeles alone surged by 81 percent in 2023 according to crime statistics posted by the L.A. Police Department. It also shows retailers reported 11,945 shoplifting cases in 2023, which is more than five thousand cases higher than in 2022 and compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Overall, retail crime, which includes shoplifting and felony smash-and-grab robberies climbed 15 percent in 2023.

“With organized retail theft continuing to proliferate throughout the state, it’s time to restore this authority to local district attorneys,” said Irwin.

This bill would no longer limit those rules for the above crimes to criminal actions brought by the attorney general. If a case is brought by someone other than the attorney general, the bill would require the prosecution to present written evidence in the jurisdiction of the proposed trial that all district attorneys in counties with jurisdiction over the offenses agree to the venue. The bill would require charged offenses from jurisdictions where there is not a written agreement from the district attorney to be returned to that jurisdiction.

Wildlife Connectivity and Climate Adaptation Act of 2024

AB 2030 would require the California Natural Resources Agency to identify key wildlife corridors and goals for protecting them as part of the state’s efforts to conserve 30 percent of its lands and coastal waters by 2030. The bill would also push the state to acquire and restore large plots of land needed for wildlife corridors. This is the second wildlife connectivity bill introduced this year.

In a 2023 report by the Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis, researchers compiled reports from 2009 through 2022. The report presents an overview of collisions with large and small animals, from bighorn sheep, deer, bears, squirrels, birds, and lizards. More than 173,000 species were killed on roads across California.

The report also found mountain lions and black bears are vulnerable to traffic collisions because they cross highways due to shrinking habitats. Between 2016 and 2020, more than 300 mountain lions and 557 black bears were reported killed on roads.

Irwin says due to California being the most biodiverse state in the nation, this bill ensures that wildlife corridors will preserve habitats by increasing connectivity and prioritizing habitat continuity to protect our state’s unique wildlife.

“This bill was inspired by the passing of BB-12, a beloved black bear that was struck by a vehicle while crossing Highway 101 in my district. He was the first bear known to live in the Santa Monica Mountains in nearly a decade and was hit just 16 miles away from the ongoing construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. I am grateful to the bill’s co-sponsors, Friends of the Santa Clara River and Coastal Ranches Conservancy for their attention to this issue,” said Irwin.

In the past five years, collisions between wildlife and vehicles cost California at least $1 billion and potentially up to $2 billion, according to the report.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law the Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act, which directs Caltrans to prioritize wildlife protections when it plans new road projects.

Photo courtesy of the Office of Assemblymember Irwin.