State Senate Governance and Finance Committee Chair Lois Wolk.

After the home addresses of more than a dozen LAPD members were posted anonymously on the Internet, Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) introduced in the California Legislature a bill actively supported by the League. AB 2299 lets counties establish programs to redact the names of police officers, judges and other public safety officials from real estate records to protect their residences from those who may wish to do them harm.

The bill sailed through the Assembly on a 68-0 vote and seemed on its way to certain passage. But when it arrived at the State Senate Governance and Finance Committee on June 13, committee chair and State Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) unwisely chose to actively oppose the bill. She personally lobbied committee members to defeat a motion for the bill’s advancement to the Senate floor. Wolk invited Feuer to hold the bill for "more study.” This was, as Feuer put it, "a gentle way to kill the bill." He called for a vote, but Wolk used the power of her committee chair to announce that the bill would be held in committee. Given how late it is in the current legislative session, it’s doubtful anything can be done to keep the bill moving at this time.

Regardless of what happens in the remainder of this session, we recognize and thank Mr. Feuer for his commitment to doing everything possible to protect peace officers’ privacy, and we congratulate him on a fine piece of legislation on which to build during the next session.

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