Meanwhile, South Bay Rep. Sam Liccardo is also introducing federal legislation on Wednesday with parallel goals. His Save Willy Act would establish a “whale desk” at San Francisco’s Coast Guard station, creating a centralized place for whale sightings to be reported and mariners to be alerted, helping large ships avoid collisions.
Ship strikes are a leading cause of death for whales. Last year was especially deadly for whales in and around the San Francisco Bay, with more ship-killed whales than usual being found. Also, last year, U.S. government scientists reported gray whale numbers were not bouncing back from recent die-offs, and fewer calves were born than typical.
Data Collection of Arrests in CA Courthouses
California’s Judicial Council, which makes policies for the state’s court system, will decide this Friday if courts in the state will be required to collect data on civil arrests inside the state’s courthouses. This comes amidst a rise in arrests by federal immigration officials in or around courthouses throughout the country.
Prior to the second Trump Administration, federal policy barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement from arresting people at sensitive locations such as hospitals, schools, and courthouses. The reasoning behind this policy was to avoid discouraging people from going to these places.
The state’s Judicial Council cites Washington and New York as other states that both prohibit civil arrests in state court facilities and collects data of civil arrests. The goal of this data is to increase transparency, and to provide more information to the state’s judiciary so that they can assess the impacts these arrests are having on people’s ability to access courts and justice.