Bill Doubling Penalties for Protesters Blocking Highways Moves Forward

On Monday, a bill that would double penalties for anyone intentionally blocking the flow of traffic on highways passed through committee.

AB 2742, a bill that would double penalties for protestors purposefully blocking the flow of traffic on highways and preventing emergency vehicles from responding to urgent situations passed in a 8-5 vote.

Voting against the bill include:

• Lori Wilson (D-Fairfield) (Chair)
• Cecilia M. Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters)
• Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley)
• Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro)
• Phil Ting (D-San Francisco)

Assemblymembers Avelino Valencia and Buffy Wicks did not cast a vote.

Under the Bill:

This bill would prohibit a person driving a vehicle upon a highway or a pedestrian from willfully obstructing a highway, including in the course of a protest, in any manner that interferes with the ability of an authorized emergency vehicle to pass and would make a violation of this provision punishable by specified fines. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

• For a first conviction, by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250).
• For a second conviction within one year, by a fine of not less than one hundred fifty dollars ($150) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).
• For a third or any subsequent conviction within three years, by a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).

The Bill was introduced by Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez in February who stated:

“Like every other hardworking Californian, I’m sick and tired of seeing illegal protests shut down highways.” said Sanchez. “When they block traffic they’re preventing fire trucks from responding to emergencies, people getting to work, and parents picking up their kids at school. That’s why I’m proud to introduce AB 2742 to make sure that these entitled extremists know that their actions have consequences.”

Over the past few years, California has experienced an uptick in the number of illegal protests blocking highways. Just this year alone, there have been multiple high-profile highway blockings in Los Angeles and San Francisco which stalled traffic for hours, inconveniencing commuters and delaying emergency vehicle response times.

Currently, California law is extremely lenient upon individuals who purposefully obstruct the flow of traffic on highways. In many cases, violators are issued just a small fine, often less than the average speeding ticket. This leniency does little to dissuade future occurrences from happening.

“When these protestors block traffic, they are victimizing innocent individuals just to further a political agenda. We need to ensure that the consequences for this behavior increase so that future instances are less likely to occur.

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