A new attempt to decriminalize jaywalking is being considered by Gov. Newsom after approval by the Assembly last week.
The Freedom to Walk Act, authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting, would prevent police from stopping jaywalkers, except in certain circumstances.
Ting said in a statement that stops for jaywalking disproportionately target people of color and lower-income individuals, citing data from the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board. Ting also said the bill could prevent such stops from escalating into greater confrontation with law enforcement, citing multiple cases in recent years that have resulted in the death or injury of someone accused of jaywalking.
“Safely crossing the street should not be a criminal offense,” Ting said in a statement. “When expensive tickets and unnecessary confrontations with police impact only certain communities, it’s time to reconsider how we use our law enforcement resources and whether our jaywalking laws really do protect pedestrians.”
A similar bill authored by TIng last year was vetoed by Gov. Newsom, who cited pedestrian safety in his veto message.
“I am concerned that AB 1238 will unintentionally reduce pedestrian safety and potentially increase fatalities or serious injuries caused by pedestrians that enter our roadways at inappropriate locations,” Newsom wrote in Oct. 2021.
Rather than repeal the state’s jaywalking law, the new bill seeks to address the governor’s concerns by allowing stops “only when a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of a collision,” according to Ting’s office.
Gov. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill. If signed, The Freedom to Walk Act would take effect Jan. 1, 2023.
There are lots young, old and frail Jaywalkers along Clayton Road all day long. I’ve yet to see any of them get a ticket.
That’s because Newscum failed the American taxpayers with under staffed police departments and his failure on crime in California.
Newscum made California worse for sure….I’d bet my life on that!!!
Approval of this law would create far more problems than it would resolve.
Ting is not a very bright fellow, which is proved by his interpretation of reports from the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board. A board that seeks out information to fulfill it’s agenda.
How on earth can humans be so cruel to one another?
Let me guess. Minorities can’t afford crosswalks, or don’t have access to them for some other reason.
If a certain crime is committed more often by a certain demographic group, is the solution really to decriminalize it? I mean, it’s worked so well with shoplifting, right?
I completely agree with @chickenlittle. These white minorities need to check themselves and be held accountable.
Because it discriminates against minorities. That is his reason. This tells me many things most of which I won’t mention. What I will say is he doesn’t care if minorities get killed jay walking. What else can you think?
I don’t know if these people realize that the minute they run out some thing like;
“Ting said in a statement that stops for jaywalking disproportionately target people of color and lower-income individuals”
Many, many people will stop listening. They trot that sort of statement out FAR too often. It is inappropriate and extremely misleading. In this case those who jaywalk the most often will obviously be those that are targeted most often. It isn’t difficult to understand. Ridiculous. When they use that sort of rhetoric to support a bill it should be shot down immediately.
Let’s eliminate signals, stop signs, car insurance, driver’s licenses, tolls, and car registration. They’re all racist.
With or without tickets for jaywalking, people will still do it as they have been since roads were created.
If “certain communities” are known to be lawbreakers, and we all know what “communities” they are referring to, i.e. the “communities” that are responsible for most of the shoplifting, smash and grab, carjackings, shootings, and murder. Then, why should they get a break? Especially when these certain individuals are more likely to be confrontational with the police, which can escalate into violence. Since it’s known to the Dems that these individuals are prone to violence, what will happen when one of them is struck by a vehicle while jaywalking? A mob will gather, and in all likelihood the poor guy that hit the jaywalker will be stomped to near death, or stomped to death.
I hope Newsom does the right thing, and vetoes this dangerous bill.
Jaywalking is often safer than crossing with a signal or in a crosswalk. Many drivers do not stop for pedestrians when they are legally crossing. Come to downtown Martinez. It happens all the time.
Wrong! Far TOO many pedestrians dart out into the crosswalk while being hidden by parked Cars!
Both parties share a responsibility to look.
Not just Martinez, everywhere. Even when I have the right of way when I’m walking, I look very careful before I cross any street when walking, I don’t trust drivers to stop.
Sadly often true, I must agree.
The amount of times I’ve seen drivers take a right directly through the crosswalk when I have the light is innumerable.
I blame police for not writing citations frequently enough for dangerous violations like this. If they’d crack the whip this would stop.
I think most people jaywalk for only one reason. They are too lazy to go to the nearest crosswalk. Of course they’re taking their own life into their hands when they do it.
The real goal is an unrealistic idea to get us to stop using cars. Why would you want to drive anywhere if people are going to constantly run out in front of you? The world is going to hell with California leading the way.
PS: how does this override any local laws on jaywalking?
Profiling ? Too damn funny. If you don’t jaywalk, you don’t get “targeted” for jaywalking. It is a choice. It appears there are many individuals who make poor choices. Stop twisting behavioral issues that have nothing to do with race or economics. Place the blame on personal responsibility, something we sorely lack.
I hope some of these Chinese politicians get voted out come November!!
“People of Color” are the main issue with any incidents in this State! The unfortunate fact is that if you happen to be other than a “Person of Color” and you nail one of these violators you most likely be charged a “hate” crime!! Try and disprove that charge in this liberal idiot State!! You will be homeless and sued out of your eyeballs before it is over.
Ting, Bonta(Asian), Chiu, etc.
Shouldn’t be about skin color anyway. It’s more about cultural differences which are easier to resolve. But then these are just grabs for power which rational people should push back on.
Can’t believe we pay cops to deal with tickets for jaywalking…
LOL – that’s some funny stuff.
1950s Los Angeles while in HS a friend and I got a jay walking ticket. We had to bring a parent to a court before a judge in downtown LA. I think we just got a lecture. Long time ago. My friend sneaked by with going with me and my Dad.
I think this has been put forward for the residents of Monument Blvd. who don’t know what a crosswalk is. If you don’t believe me just sit in any fast food establishment and watch it all day long. The truth hurts!
I think, if truth be told, you are correct in your assessment–many years ago my brother married a Mexican girl from a small town and I had to show her how to safely cross the street where there were streetlights…there are no crosswalks over there.
If jaywalkers are stupid enough to do it unsafely why should the cops interfere?
You wanna jaywalk that’s your choice, can’t do it safely that’s your stupidity.
Maybe Autozone can start selling cow catchers for cars: https://tinyurl.com/3becaj52
That would work fine until you hit a speed bump.
If you ever been to New York City you will see that jay walking is very common, or at least it was when I lived there, many years ago. I think doing away with the law is fine, since it is rarely enforced. And of course when someone is jaywalking they are taking a chance with their life, so I don’t see a law doing any good.
Risiculous! no way! …and stop bringing it up! Pedestrians already are the “entitled” ones in Cali!
It’s Randy!
So you’re the one….
I knew somebody was saying “Cali” it’s Randy!
I agree with Randy. There will always be the entitled but if a cop sees them he should have the option of writing a ticket.
I had a man just get out of his car on Upper Terrrace in SF. He pau8sed when he saw me heading towards him, then changed his mind and stepped in front of my car. I had to do a hard stop. He said, “I have the right of way.”
Technically he does but I darn near hit him.
Let’s just throw out any laws that affect minorities and the poor. They should get special treatment if they can’t even follow such a basic process as simple as crossing the street at a crosswalk. This is getting ridiculous. Laws apply to all, and should be applied evenly. If it’s only minorities and the poor breaking this law then it is there choice to do so and should be responsible for there own actions.
+1
To review. You can’t legislate common sense.
+1
Jaywalkers never win the law of physics. Let’s see Ting decriminalize that.
We need some real change. Sign AB2183 !
“Ting said in a statement that stops for jaywalking disproportionately target people of color and lower-income individuals,”
What does race have to do with it ? Seems like always the care card comes out & we are tired of it.
The cops that write tickets for it are trying to safe these fools from themselves.
What does income have to do with it, either?
I don’t speed because I can’t afford speeding tickets. If people can’t afford jaywalking tickets, they shouldn’t jaywalk.
“citing multiple cases in recent years that have resulted in the death or injury of someone accused of jaywalking” Curious as to this number….how many jaywalkers were killed while accused of jaywalking compared to number killed by self driving EVs? Maybe next they will outlaw EVs, for 2037, making all cars ICE or EV, illegal. these legislators love to legislate, don’t they?
Obviously jaywalking is driven by systemic racism and climate change. Everyone knows that, silly.
So how about this: If you run over a jaywalking person of color, a “no fault” clause kicks in only if they are a felon in possession of a gun wearing stolen Nikes who just shot someone. Otherwise you are liable only if a registered Republican or Christian. Now that’s California justice.
Maybe we can make jaywalking legal only when running from the police. The police would, of course, still be required to cross in a crosswalk and wait for the “walk” signal.
If Trump was stopped for jaywalking, frisked because the cop thought he was acting suspicious, and they found some of those documents, most of you would be griping about “how we need smaller government,” and “didn’t the cop have something more important to attend to, why are you wasti.g their time with this,” and the all time favorite, “jaywalking is a liberal hoax.”
Spelling and grammar could also be mentioned. Geez, where did you go to school, Comma High School?
I was never much for any man who tells another when, where, or how to walk upon this planet URTH.
#newscum
Jaywalking is about safety. Why would you change this. These people and their stupid is too much to process sometimes. Next maybe he should ban seatbelts because blacks don’t use them??? It makes no sense…none of it. Jaywalking laws are there to protect the drivers as much as the jaywalkers. Why is gavin the cokehead in charge of everything? Don’t we have a legislator or did we go full dictator of the “nation state” of California? Should have recalled this fool
Retired paramedic here. Auto vs pedestrian. Auto wins, every time. Usually with catastrophic results.
Decriminalize running jaywalkers over and you have a deal. It would make for some interesting “Survivor” episodes.
My exact thoughts!
I’ve been jaywalking damned near sixty-five years!
It’s one small way of opposing government ‘authority’ and I enjoy doing it.
hahahaha – catch me if you can.
Soon they will say it’s ok to not wear your seat belt because too many blacks get cited for it.
And then they will make crack legal too,you know,so it doesnt seem so racial….