Ramos acknowledges work to be done on Tribal Peace Officer Status Bill

For immediate release:

Saturday, September 28, 2024

SACRAMENTO -Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) announced today AB 2138, a bill creating a three-year pilot program in the state Department of Justice granting three California tribes and their tribal police California peace officer status was vetoed by Governor Newsom. Ramos introduced AB 2138 earlier this year as an additional means to battle the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis in California.

Ramos said, "I want to thank Governor Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom for engaging with me on this issue and their ongoing support. Public Law 280, a federal law, is a complex law and I look forward to working out the difficulties it has created for California public safety once the legislature re-convenes."

In 1953, Congress approved Public Law 280 (PL 280) that transferred responsibility for law enforcement and criminal justice on tribal lands to six states, including California. The law resulted in fewer resources for public safety and created jurisdictional confusion among federal, state and local law enforcement and less safety overall on reservations.

Ramos further added, "I also want to thank the all of our stakeholders, our sponsors the Yurok Tribe and California Indian Legal Services, as well as our supporters for their hard work on this issue. California ranks fifth in the nation for uninvestigated, unresolved MMIP cases. We must all come together and explore all avenues to stem the tide of this epidemic which affects all of us in California."

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Assemblymember James C. Ramos proudly represents the 45th Assembly district that includes the Cities of Fontana, Highland, Mentone, Redlands, Rialto and San Bernardino. He is the first and only California Native American serving in the state's legislature. Ramos chairs the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #6 on Public Safety.