By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

After a hearing on May 6, the Assembly Appropriations Committee ordered Assembly Bill (AB) 1578 to the Suspense File, delaying action on legislation that would require California public officials to complete anti-hate speech training.

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), would add one hour of anti-hate speech instruction to the sexual harassment prevention training already required for state and local officials. The proposal applies to legislators, constitutional officers, city council members, county supervisors and school board trustees statewide and would take effect in 2028 if approved.

“It’s time for us to continue to work on and finally go on the offense when it comes to hate racism and xenophobia to make sure that all people are able to live in the state of California with the dignity and honor that they deserve,” said Jackson, who also chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Racism, Hate and Xenophobia.

On April 16, the Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization voted 16-5 to advance the measure to Appropriations. Jackson has said the bill is part of a broader legislative package informed by findings from the Commission on the State of Hate and aimed at addressing hate in public spaces, workplaces and institutions.

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In the California Legislature, a bill is placed on the “Suspense File” when it has a significant fiscal impact on the state budget — generally costing the state $150,000 or more from the General Fund or $50,000 or more from a special fund. Bills sent to suspense are held by the Assembly or Senate Appropriations Committee and reviewed later in a single batch hearing, where lawmakers decide which measures move forward, are amended, or quietly die without a vote.

Jackson said the training would focus on the real-world consequences of inflammatory rhetoric.

Supporters, including the Alameda County Office of Education, say the training would help elected officials better understand how language can perpetuate bias.

“In the current political climate, where discourse can often become polarized and inflammatory, it is more important than ever for elected officials to receive specialized anti-hate speech training,” wrote Lucy Carter, director of policy and governance for the Alameda County Office of Education, in a letter supporting the bill.

Opponents, including the California Family Council, argue the term “hate speech” is too subjective and could suppress political disagreement.

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By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

In July 2024, Adrienne Boulware, a 47-year-old mother and grandmother, died from complications related to extreme heat exhaustion while incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, according to her family.

Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) hopes his legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 2499 — also known as the “Adrienne Act” — will help prevent tragedies like Boulware’s death in California prisons.

“It is no secret that our state prisons have aging infrastructures that have inadequate ventilation systems,” Gipson said. “It should come as no shock that indoor temperatures in these facilities exceed 90 degrees, which means it gets really hot.”

On May 4, Gipson spoke at the Survivors Speak California Rally at the State Capitol to advocate for AB 2499, which focuses on heat and health protections in state prisons. The three-day event was organized by Californians for Safety and Justice, a project of the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice network.

Boulware’s family attended the rally in support of the measure, which would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to establish a pilot program to address extreme heat by July 1, 2027, in at least three prisons across different climate zones.

Boulware’s daughter, Michela Nelson, said her mother frequently complained about heatwaves during the summer months. CDCR stated that Boulware’s death — she was also known as “Twin” — appeared to be related to pre-existing medical conditions rather than extreme heat.

“My mother was not just a mother of four and grandmother of 12. She was a mother to many inside and outside of the prison,” said Nelson, the eldest of Boulware’s children. “My mother didn’t die because she was sentenced to death. She died because she was left in conditions no human being should ever endure.”

AB 2499 would formally create the Climate Justice in Prisons Emergency Response Act. The legislation would require CDCR to develop a long-term plan to install heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and shade structures in existing facilities.

The Survivors Speak California Rally coincided with other advocacy events at the Capitol supporting survivors of violent crime.

On May 5, Jazz LedBetter and other advocates rallied nearby to urge lawmakers to include $100 million in the state budget for domestic violence and sexual assault services.

Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) served as keynote speakers. Both lawmakers have publicly shared their own experiences as survivors of assault.

LedBetter, a survivor of human trafficking, is also an author, activist, and artist who uses her experiences to advocate for human trafficking prevention. She shares her story of survival, addiction, and recovery in her self-published book, “Harlot Heart: Tributes To Triumph.”

“Take a moment and think about someone finally reaching out for help, and there’s no one here to answer,” LedBetter said during her presentation on the east lawn of the Capitol.

Advocates said the funding is needed to help close a gap caused by a sharp decline in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding.

“I am here because I am proof of what happens when someone gets support. Don’t let this funding (shortfall) be the reason someone doesn’t make it out,” LedBetter said. “The difference between survival and unfortunately common sad stories is whether or not someone is there (to help) when it matters the most.”

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By Tanya Dennis

The National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRC) has learned that aside from rampant theft of properties occurring through probate court, deed theft extends even further with the support of banks, police, judges, attorneys and “the system” to steal Black and Brown properties.

Deed and title fraud are rising, with FBI data showing over 9,300 complaints and $173.6 million in losses in 2024 alone.

To that end, NPRC invited Evangeline Byars of The People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft as their keynote speaker on May 7.

Deed theft victims reach out to Byars because she has a reputation of getting things done.  Introduced to community organizing at Medgar Evers College in 2011, Byars was mentored by Harry Belafonte and gained further movement training in 2012-13 through his “Gathering for Justice.” Byars also trained with the Youth Brigade 32BJ, Union in 2012 where she learned to map, target, and execute actions.

With that knowledge as an advocacy worker, Byars ran for president of TWU Local 100 for transit workers.  During challenges of the union and political changes in New York when unions no longer had friends in government, they organized.

In 2025, deed theft victims approached Byars and told their stories.  Byars investigated, and discovered rampant, unrelenting theft of properties, primarily from Black and brown families, got involved and helped them with their fight, teaching them how to sustain their fight at the grassroots level while remaining politically independent.  This independence gave them the ability to move without co promise.

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Deed theft is the taking of someone’s deed through fraudulent mortgages or a stranger that accesses property records, prepares paperwork and files for an owner’s property. New York is a’ first notice’ state, which means whoever appears first on record is the designated deed holder.

Deed theft escalated between 2013-23, the outcome of the subprime market, when people faced mass foreclosure and short sales. By 2014 people, primary Black and Brown, were fighting for their property.

In California, title theft (deed fraud) is a fast-growing threat often targeting high-equity homes, vacant land, and rentals. As of 2024, California leads the nation in real estate fraud with over 1,583 cases costing roughly $24.8 million in losses in a single year, reflecting the state’s prime position for scammers due to high property values, the FBI reports.

Byars says, “Deed theft affects Black and Brown people: it is by design, leading to the erasure of people of color homeownership that is happening nationwide. In every big city across the United States, towns and municipalities, we are witnessing a mass exodus of Black and brown people.  This theft cannot occur without judges, notaries and law enforcement, it is a syndicate of players working together for the removal of people by illegal ejectment or eviction.

The People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft does court watch and constantly highlight the inequities in the court system.

Byars says, “This is a human rights crisis.  Because of Wall Street and what New York signifies to the nation, know that no state is safe.  Any person can come and create paper terrorism, slap forgery notes on homes; engage in illegal guardian procedures; initiate foreclosures; apply for fraudulent loan modifications; then there’s outright theft and forgery, just taking people’s homes.  Believe me, it’s happening nationally and on the daily, These predators also target seniors over the age of 60 and women.”

The People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft take direct actions against perpetrators and are working with the New York District Attorney to create an office dedicated to gighting deed theft.

“Two ways to protect your deed is to keep a note, never satisfy your mortgage, because the bank is the biggest gangster, but if you’re making a payment, it keeps them in check.  Or put your home in a living trust, once you have a trust, it hides the owner’s name and protects the person from predators.”

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