The California Senate Public Safety Committee passed Senate Bill 937, which aims to restrict law enforcement’s use of "less-lethal" weapons like flash bangs and explosive breaching devices for crowd control.

Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) first introduced SB 937 at a press conference in February. Now that SB 937 has passed its first committee review, it heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“Crowd control equipment has become increasingly militarized in recent years, threatening the safety of citizens exercising their constitutional right to protest,” Gonzalez said during a late March committee hearing. She added, “and unfortunately, the excessive use of force is a problem at all levels of law enforcement.”

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The L.A. Press Club filed a lawsuit against Noem and DHS for its use of excessive force during the June L.A. protests that resulted in injuries to multiple journalists. The suit claims federal officers specifically targeted members of the press.

“In the last year, specifically, federal authorities have relied on egregious tactics for immigration enforcement, stoking fear and distrust in the communities that I represent,” Gonzalez said during the hearing.

The senator, also the chair of the Legislative Latino Caucus, spoke about an incident in Huntington Park last summer. Border patrol agents used an explosive device to blow the door and windows off a home — a mother and her two young children were inside and posed no threat to the officers.

Read the full article on CALO News, here.