Local lawmakers announce new legislation to curb ‘hate littering’ in California

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) has authored a bill to curb hate littering in California.

“These are not just pieces of paper with words — these are flyers that are intended to harass and intimidate members of our community and dehumanize them based on their religion, gender or sexual orientation, race or other characteristic,” Ward said.

At a news conference in San Carlos, Ward announced his legislation, AB 3024: The Stop Hate Littering Act, which aims to provide additional protection for those targeted by such flyers, posters and similar material.

Last summer, in historically Jewish communities, thousands of anti-Semitic flyers were placed on windshields and doorsteps in San Carlos, Del Cerro, Allied Gardens and other areas.

Rabbi Devorah Marcus from Temple Emanu-El in Del Cerro says she supports the proposed legislation, after seeing the effects of hate littering in her community.

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“It was very disheartening. I think especially for our elderly neighbors who feel like they’re watching terrible things from history come back around and repeat themselves,” Rabbi Marcus said.

After the hate littering in his district, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo pushed for tougher penalties.

“By doing this bill at the state level, we give ourselves wide-ranging legally strong legislation and we protect as many people as we can,” Campillo said.

Ward says his legislation would update the definition of “intimidation by threat of violence” to include hate littering, making it easier for law enforcement to prosecute those responsible — including fines up to $25,000.

“We hope that by updating, it would deter these acts from happening in the first place — that offenders can be held accountable for their actions,” Ward said.

AB 3024 next goes to the Assembly Judiciary Committee in April.

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