California Democrats and activists are working to outlaw multiple uses of police K-9s in the state, citing claims of present and historical racism.

Assembly Bill 742, introduced on February 13 by Democratic Assemblymembers Corey Jackson (Perris) and Ash Kalra (San Jose), would end the use of K-9 units for arrest, apprehension, and crowd control. Police dogs would still be permitted in other situations, such as explosives detection and search and rescue missions.

“From the brutal attempts to quell the Civil Rights movement, Black Lives Matter protests, and their day-to-day use in law enforcement, police K-9s remain a gross misuse of force and victimize black and brown people, disproportionately,” Jackson said during a press conference announcing the bill last week. “The need for AB 742 is apparent, not only through a historic perspective but also through the clear racial disparities we see every year.”

In a press release, the assemblyman cited research that said that black and Latino individuals are more likely to be involved in K-9 apprehensions. According to Jackson, 65% of those seriously injured by police dogs in 2021 were “people of color.”

Jackson said using police dogs for matters such as apprehensions of suspects has racist roots back to the days of slavery, noting that AB 742’s role is largely meant to remedy past racial wrongs.

“I’m always looking for ways to atone for the past,” the Democrat said. “How do we get out systemic racism? How do we get out racism in our narratives? And how do we make sure that we erase practices that are currently being done today that were originated and perfected on our ancestors?”

Jackson went as far as to quote black nationalist Malcolm X, saying that “the white man has traded in white sheets for police badges and K9s.”

Unsurprisingly, there’s been much pushback against the bill, particularly from law enforcement. Officials have underscored the critical role K-9s play in keeping law enforcement safe and protecting suspects from potential deadly force; they see the bill as counterproductive to its aim. 

Sheriff Mark Lamb, of Pinal County in Arizona, told OAN last week that he’s “absolutely seen cases where lethal force would have been justified, and was likely going to be used next had the [police] dog not been effective.”

“The dogs are extremely valuable,” Sheriff Lamb continued. “And the fact that they want to take this away seems to be contradicting what they want across this country, which is more and more reform. So, I can’t understand what they’re trying to do.”  

Tonight on Real America!
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb weighs in on the proposed California bill that would ban K9 units from making arrests with police dogs.@DanNewsManBall #RealAmerica #Conservative #TalkShow #OAN pic.twitter.com/B693dwZCmR

— One America News (@OANN) February 16, 2023

Factions of both the ACLU and the NAACP support AB 742. The measure could be heard in committee as early as next month.

Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) announced on Tuesday he will resign from Congress after 12 years of service in which he emerged as one of the Democratic Party’s leading political foes against former President Donald Trump.

In a statement, Cicilline said he would stay in office until June 1, 2023, when he will begin his tenure as president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, an influential charity nexus in the state.

His departure from the House paves the way for a special election in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, a heavily Democratic area in the eastern part of the state. After he leaves, Cicilline’s staff will continue serving constituents until a replacement is picked, his office said.

“Serving the people of Rhode Island’s First Congressional District has been the honor of my lifetime,” Cicilline said. “As President and CEO of one of the largest and oldest community foundations in the nation, I look forward to expanding on the work I have led for nearly thirty years in helping to improve the lives of all Rhode Islanders.”

While it was not immediately clear how much money Cicilline will make in his new role, the longtime CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation he is poised to replace, Neil Steinberg, was making more than $1 million a year as of 2019, according to IRS filings reported by WPRI.

“I am thrilled with the choice of Representative Cicilline as the next president and CEO of the Foundation, having seen first-hand — over many years — his commitment to a better Rhode Island,” Steinberg said in a statement. “He has the experience, the skills, the passion, and the network to ably lead the Foundation.”

Cicilline, an openly gay man, served as mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, from 2003 to 2011, before joining Congress. In the House, Cicilline became chairman of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. He holds a seat on the powerful Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees.

After the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) named Cicilline an impeachment manager. As recently as December, his anti-Trump efforts extended to introducing legislation aimed at barring the former president from holding federal office again.

Cicilline easily won re-election to a two-year term in the 2022 midterm elections. Late last year, he challenged Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) for the House Democrats’ assistant leader position but dropped out at the last minute. Outside of Congress, Cicilline opened a cocktail and tapas bar in downtown Providence last fall.

Members of the Rhode Island delegation cheered Cicilline after he announced his plans on Tuesday.

Cicilline “has been an able, hard-fighting colleague, and I’ll miss his spirit in our delegation, but he’ll be a fabulous leader for [the Rhode Island Foundation] so bravos everywhere,” tweeted Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).