California new retail theft committee announces first Assembly hearing. Here’s when
California lawmakers next week will begin studying retail theft and potential solutions — part of Democrats’ effort to tackle the issue before the Legislature convenes in January.
The first hearing of the Assembly’s new select committee on retail theft will debut Tuesday in Sacramento, the panel’s chair announced. The 11-seat committee — eight Democrats and two Republicans — was selected by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, for the upcoming legislative session that starts Jan. 3.
Chaired by Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Hollywood, the select committee will hear from representatives of large retailers, small businesses, criminal justice reform advocates, law enforcement personnel and “representatives of workers and the public,” throughout 2024, according to a news release from Chavez Zbur’s office.
“Retail crime is not just an inconvenience and bad for business — it also can be a terrifying and traumatic experience for store employees and customers,” Chavez Zbur said in a statement.
The hearing will take in the Capitol Annex Swing Space from 1 to 5 p.m.
The Assembly members also on the committee are:
▪ Juan Alanis, R-Modesto
▪ David Alvarez, D-San Diego
▪ Mia Bonta, D-Oakland
▪ Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield
▪ Matt Haney, D-San Francisco
▪ Liz Ortega, D-Alameda
▪ Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey
▪ Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine
▪ Pilar Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita
An uproar over retail theft across the state has grown in recent months as videos of “smash-and-grab robberies” have gone viral on social media. Law enforcement, including Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, have repeatedly pointed to Proposition 47 as a reason behind an increase in property crime.
Approved by a majority of voters in 2014, Proposition 47 made shoplifting a misdemeanor crime and defined it as commercial theft of items worth $950 or less.
Criminologists studying the ballot initiative have said there’s no correlation between the initiative and such crimes, according to The Sacramento Bee’s previous reporting. The Public Policy Institute of California reported the state saw an uptick in commercial burglary and robbery rates when comparing 2019 and 2022 data. However, PPIC noted 2022 shoplifting rates were actually lower than those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People must feel safe enough to work and shop in their own communities,” Chavez Zbur said. “When they don’t, businesses close, workers lose valuable job opportunities, and customers turn to online retailers.”
The Bee Capitol Bureau’s Lindsey Holden contributed to this story.
