Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen announces committee assignments
As she enters the second year of her first term as Elk Grove’s representative in the California Assembly, Stephanie Nguyen announced her committee assignments for 2024, of which one is highly influential.
Nguyen has been appointed to the following committees:
- Business and professions
- Communications and conveyance
- Jobes, economic development and economy
- Public employment and retirement
- Public safety
Among the noteworthy assignments is on the public safety committee. The new committee chair for the session is Nguyen’s ally, Sacramento Democratic representative Kevin McCarty, who is also running for Sacramento mayor.
Among legislation going through the committee are matters including criminal law and rules governing police officers. Several bills supported by law enforcement groups have died in public safety under the former committee chair, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer.
As reported by CalMatters, Jones-Sawyer’s tenure as chair of the committee has been controversial. The Los Angeles Democrat blocked bills such as those dealing with the fentanyl crisis and child sex trafficking.
Notably, former Assemblymember and current Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper advanced many criminal bills, such as DNA collection of arrest suspects while in the Assembly, only to have them die in committee. Nguyen, whose husband is an officer with the Elk Grove Police, has been a longtime ally of Cooper and is considered a moderate.
Given McCarty is a lame duck in the Assembly and is a leading candidate for Sacramento mayor, he may be more amenable to advancing legislation that Sawyer-Jones killed. Politically, it will help McCarty if he makes it out of the March primary and moves to the November election.
