Assembly passes bill banning news cameras outside of certain nonprofits; bill now goes to Senate

Assembly Bill 2624 passed the California Assembly and now moves to the Senate. Critics say the measure would prevent journalists from reporting alleged government fraud. The bill, authored by Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, is intended to protect employees of nonprofits that provide services to illegal immigrants. It bans photography of employees of protected organizations if the cameras make the employee feel threatened. Posting photos or personal information online can trigger fines starting at $4,000 per violation. The bill also allows immigrant service providers to sue people or businesses that publish images or information. Opponents argue it is meant to intimidate those exposing wrongdoing.

"The bill bans the photography of employees of protected organizations if the cameras make the employee feel threatened. Anyone who posts photos or the personal information of those employees on the internet could be fined a minimum $4,000 per violation. Nick Shirley and other journalists will sometimes visit the places where they suspect fraud is occurring and try to interview those in charge. This bill stops such visits."

"In fact, the bill would allow the immigrant service provider to sue a person or business for posting the images or information. Shirley is best known for showing up to a daycare center that had a sign saying "Quality Learing (sic) Center." The operators of the Quality Learing Center have since been federally charged for misappropriating taxpayer dollars, and the center was permanently shut down."

"The bill's author, Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, who is married to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, wrote the bill to protect employees of nonprofits who provide services to illegal immigrants. "Under AB 2624, government-funded entities like the Somali 'Learing' Daycare centers would be protected from being exposed if they operated inside California," Shirley wrote on X."

""This is not about protecting people from violence," said Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego. "This is about threatening and intimidating people who are trying to shine a light on bad behavior." "If you have nothing to hide, why fear"

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