California state lawmakers are grappling with how to address fentanyl deaths, gun violence and retail crime. Earlier this year, one legislative committee in particular received blowback for stalling bills to raise penalties for fentanyl dealers and child sex traffickers.
Just before Thanksgiving Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas named new leaders for the chamber’s Democratic caucus and committees. As part of the move, the Assembly Public Safety Committee's previous chair, Los Angeles Democrat Reggie Jones Sawyer, was replaced by Democratic Assembly member Kevin McCarty of Sacramento.
McCarty is leaving his spot in the Assembly to run for Sacramento Mayor next year, but during his 10 years in the Legislature he has authored bills on police oversight, gun safety and parole reform.
He says he wants to bring “balance” and “common sense” to the committee, which was criticized by parents for not doing more to penalize fentanyl dealers.
CapRadio’s politics reporter Nicole Nixon spoke with McCarty on his plans for the new role.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview Highlights
On how his experience in the Legislature has shaped his views on Public Safety in California
I think we're all on the same space, as we want to make sure when people leave our criminal justice system, they don't become a statistic and [come] back. On that end we've had a lot of redemption policies over the years. But I think something that's lacking, that we're all hearing through our districts throughout California, is just more accountability on the front end.
I think we see people who unfortunately sometimes commit the same offenses and crimes day after day and week after week. I think that we need to address that without going back to 1995, three strikes and mass incarceration, the war on drugs. But I think we need some subtle reforms and the time is now to bring those to fruition.
On how to create a balance in public safety policies while avoiding mass incarceration, especially for people of color
I think the people of California want us to address public safety issues. There's an increase in people concerned about public safety, but they want us to be smart about doing so. That's why I think things like drug treatment, working on underlying, untreated mental health issues are so key when we talk about accountability and the sentencing structure for people who do break laws in California.
On what balanced policies looks like to him
Well, to give an example, I authored a bill last year with our local [district attorneys] here, Thien Ho and Jeff Reisig in Sacramento and Yolo County respectively, which brings back the drug courts model.
When people are sentenced to say a two, three years sentence [in] county jail or state prison for some type of felony crime and it's really related to their drug addiction, have them go get treatment as opposed to just serving their time and going back and just revolving over and over. So smart solutions on drug treatment, mental health courts and looking at the underlying issues focusing on public safety.
On if he supports raising criminal penalties for fentanyl dealers
Well, we're gonna take a hard look at a lot of issues related to drug use, whether they're illegal drug sales or open air drug use in our communities, everything's on the table. I think what we realize is the status quo is not working. Flipside: Mass incarceration, the war on drugs really didn't work two decades ago. So we need to push things like drug treatment and other alternatives to focus on individual accountability. But I do think that we will see movement this year in this topic dealing with illegal drug use, specifically related to the fentanyl epidemic.
On running for Sacramento mayor, and what he hopes to accomplish in the Legislature before he leaves
Well, I have a job to do right now to serve the people of Sacramento. I am Sacramento's Assembly member and next year I'll be running for mayor of Sacramento. But we can walk and chew gum at the same time, and I think that people voting for either thing want the same thing: safer communities, clean streets, working on addressing homelessness issues. And these things are sometimes interrelated.
We do have these underlying issues, we have an uptick in crime in the last few years. And so bringing about some smart, common sense solutions to these issues without overreaching. I think you can have balance in this approach and that's exactly what I will be doing in ‘24 charing this committee.
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