Young Kim in CA legislative records


On Civil Rights: Ban "Redskins" for school or athletic team name or mascot

Legislative Summary: AB-30: California Racial Mascots Act: This bill would prohibit public schools from using the term Redskins as a school or athletic team name, mascot, or nickname beginning January 1, 2017.

Analysis by EdSource.org: Home to the largest number of American Indians in the country, California is now the first state in the nation to ban the use of "Redskins" as a school team name or mascot. Earlier efforts in 2002 and 2003 were unsuccessful. Many Native Americans and school climate advocates consider "Redskins" a racial slur. In 2013-14, there were 38,616 students identified as American Indian enrolled in California's public schools. Just four California schools continue to use "Redskins" as a team name and mascot.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 25-10-5 on Sep/8/2015; Passed Assembly 60-10-10 on Sep/10/2015; State Rep. Young Kim voted YES; Signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Oct/15/2015

Source: EdSource.org on California legislative voting record AB-30 Sep 10, 2015

On Crime: Improve criminal justice reporting; increase accountability

[Attorney General Kamala Harris' press release on OpenJustice Data Act]: The OpenJustice Data Act, said Harris, "will bring criminal justice data reporting into the 21st Century."

Assembly Bill 2524 will convert Crime in California and other annual reports published by the California Department of Justice into digital data sets that will be published on the Attorney General's OpenJustice Web portal. These reports provide statistical summaries including numbers of arrests, complaints against peace officers, hate crime offenses, and law enforcement officers killed or assaulted. The OpenJustice Web portal will transform the way this information is presented to the public with interactive, accessible visualization tools, while making raw data available for public interest researchers.

Legislative outcome: Aug/24/16 passed Senate 39-0-0; Aug/30/16 passed Assembly 80-0-0; Sep/21/16 signed by Governor Jerry Brown

Source: California legislative voting records: AB-2524 Aug 30, 2016

On Environment: Keep pre-1977 exemption on sale of rhino horn & ivory

Legislative Summary: AB 96 Animal parts and products: importation or sale of ivory & rhinoceros horn. Existing law makes it a crime to import into the state or to sell within the state, the dead body, or any part or product of an elephant. Existing law exempts the possession with intent to sell if the item was imported before 1977. This bill would delete this exemption.

Pro-ban argument by the Humane Society: The Los Angeles Superior Court has upheld California's ban on trade in ivory and rhino horn, rejecting claims that the ban was unconstitutional. Elly Pepper, deputy director of wildlife trade for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "California's ivory ban ensures that illegal elephant ivory is not sold under the guise of legal ivory."

Legislative Outcome: Passed Assembly 54-21-5 on Sept/04/15; State Rep. Young Kim voted NO; Passed Senate 26-13-1 on Sept/02/15; Signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Oct/4/15.

Source: Humane Society on California voting record AB 96 Sep 4, 2015

On Families & Children: Opposed assisted suicide law

Legislative Summary: AB-15 End of Life Option Act: This bill authorizes an adult who has been determined by his or her attending physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, to make a request for a drug prescribed for the purpose of ending his or her life.

Analysis by DeathWithDignity.org: California's physician-assisted dying law took effect on June 9, 2016. Patients may request and physicians may prescribe life-ending medications under the law. The End of Life Option Act closely follows the model of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act with some modifications, most of which are required to comply with the California statute.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Assembly 44-35-1 on Sep/05/2015; State Rep. Young Kim voted NO; Passed Senate 23-15-2 on Sep/11/2015; Signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Oct/15/2015

Source: DeathWithDignity: California legislative voting record AB-15 Sep 5, 2015

On Families & Children: Against requiring car seats for children under 2

Legislative Summary: AB 53 Vehicles: This bill would require a parent, legal guardian, or the driver of a motor vehicle to properly secure a child who is under 2 years of age in an appropriate rear-facing child passenger restraint system, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches in height. A violation of these requirements would be a crime.

Pro-car seat argument by CSFTL (Car Seats For The Littles): Rear facing is 5 times safer for children who are between 1 and 2 years old. When children ride rear facing, instead of their head flying forward in a crash, the child's head, neck, and back will be supported by the car seat, reducing the amount of pressure put on the child's undeveloped spine.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Assembly 65-13-2 on May/11/15; State Rep. Young Kim voted NO; Passed Senate 32-7-1 on Aug/24/15; Signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Sept/21/15

Source: CSFTL.org on California voting record AB 53 May 11, 2015

On Families & Children: Don't teach about relationship violence in sex ed class

Legislative Summary: AB 329, the California Healthy Youth Act, would require school districts to ensure that all pupils in grades 7 to 12 receive comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education.

Pro-teaching argument by the CPEDV (California Partnership to End Domestic Violence): By addressing dating and sexual violence through a school-wide, coordinated policy response, we can create a safe space for students. AB 329 ensures that pupils gain the "knowledge and skills they need to form healthy relationships that are based on mutual respect and affection, and are free from violence, coercion, and intimidation." Dating abuse and sexual violence prevention can be addressed throughout sex education instruction.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 26-14-0 on Sept/10/15; Passed Assembly 51-26-3 on Sept/11/15; State Rep. Young Kim voted NO; Signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Oct/1/15.

Source: CPEDV.org on California voting record AB 329 Sep 11, 2015

On Government Reform: District-based elections OK even if protected class impaired

ACLU argument in favor of AB 182: The 2002 CA Voting Rights Act empowers challenges to race-based vote dilution in local at-large elections. AB 182 extends these protections to single-member district systems and designs remedies to avoid diluting the voices and votes of protected communities.

SFGate.com veto analysis: Gov. Brown said in his veto message that existing laws "already ensure that the voting strength of minority communities is not diluted." The law signed by Gov. Gray Davis in 2002 allows minority groups to challenge at-large (city-wide) elections, increasing the likelihood of control by a white majority. [Since 2002] over 100 local governments switched to district elections. The [new] law could challenge district lines if intended to dilute minority votes.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 26-14-0 on 9/3/15; Passed Assembly 53-24-3 on 9/8/15; State Rep. Young Kim voted NO; Vetoed by Gov. Brown on 10/10/15.

Source: ACLU on California voting record AB 182 Sep 8, 2015

On Homeland Security: Ban drone use for photography on private property

NCSL summary: California AB 856 prohibits entering the airspace of an individual in order to capture an image or recording of that individual engaging in a private, personal, or familial activity without permission. This legislation is a response to the use of UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) by the paparazzi.

Bill excerpt:A person is liable for physical invasion of privacy when the person knowingly enters onto the land or into the airspace above the land of another person without permission or otherwise commits a trespass in order to capture any type of visual image, sound recording, or other physical impression of the plaintiff engaging in a private, personal, or familial activity and the invasion occurs in a manner that is offensive to a reasonable person.

Legislative record:Passed Senate 40-0-0; passed House 78-0-2 Aug. 27; signed by Governor Oct. 6 (Rep. Young Kim voted AYE).

Source: NCSL UAS Report: 2015 California voting records: AB 856 Aug 27, 2015

The above quotations are from Legislative voting records for California House and Senate.
Click here for other excerpts from Legislative voting records for California House and Senate.
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Page last updated: Feb 13, 2023