The California State Capitol Building. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org– Members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus joined a coalition of state lawmakers on the Capitol steps in Sacramento on Monday in support of legislation aimed at combating hate crimes and hate-motivated violence against minority groups.

The Jewish Caucus advocated for three bills and one policy proposal that address hate crimes in California, according to The Jewish News of Northern California.

Assembly Bill 57, unveiled in December by Jewish Caucus chair Jesse Gabriel, calls for increasing law-enforcement training and education regarding hate crimes; improving data collection and reporting related to hate crimes; and “enhancing statutory prohibitions against online hate and harassment, including against members of vulnerable communities.”

Gabriel told lawmakers that he is also pushing for California Gov. Gavin Newsom to include in the upcoming 2021-22 state budget proposal $50 million to be put towards the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps improve safety at non-profit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack.

AB 1440, first introduced earlier this month by Jewish Caucus member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, would give district attorneys permission to charge domestic-terrorist threats as either a misdemeanor or a felony, and push for higher bail and longer pretrial detention.

AB 1126, introduced this month by Jewish Caucus member Richard Bloom, would establish a state commission to monitor, report and make policy recommendations to lawmakers about hate crimes.