Today, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) will host its 8th annual Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC) in Sacramento, with over 500 participants expected to attend.
WHEN: Monday, April 22, 10:00AM-3:00PM; Press Conference at 11:00AM
WHAT: Muslim Day at the Capitol
WHO: Over 500 Muslims from across California
WHERE: California State Capitol Building; Press Conference at the West Steps
CONTACT: CAIR-San Francisco Bay Area Executive Director Zahra Billoo, 626.252.0885, zbilloo@cair.com; CAIR-Sacramento Valley Communications Manager Kalin Kipling-Mojaddedi, 916.441.6269, kkipling@cair.com
At MDAC, American Muslims from across California will have an opportunity to meet state legislators and their staff to discuss issues of concern and advocate for positive social change. This year, MDAC attendees will be advocating on various civil rights issues that include setting standards for the use of force by police officers, extending voting rights to parolees, and adding ethnic studies to the high school graduation requirements.
The event’s legislative agenda focuses on three key bills:
California Act to Save Lives
AB 392 Peace Officers: Deadly Force
This bill would make clear that police officers should only use deadly force when they do not have other options. It would redefine the circumstances under which homicide by a police officer is deemed justifiable to include when it is in self-defense or the defense of another, or when it is necessary to prevent the escape of a fleeing felon whose immediate apprehension is necessary to prevent death or serious injury. It would additionally bar the use of this defense if the peace officer acted in a criminally negligent manner that caused the death, including if the officer’s criminally negligent actions created the necessity for the use of deadly force.
Free the Vote Act
ACA 6 Elections: Disqualification of Electors
This amendment to the California Constitution would restore voting rights to people on parole in California. Felony disenfranchisement in the California Constitution can be traced directly to a history of racially discriminatory laws. With mass incarceration at an all-time high, the voter suppression impact of felony disenfranchisement has intensified. Right now, around 50,000 Californians are not able to participate in local, state, and federal elections because they are on parole. This bill will restore those rights by placing an initiative on the ballot to amend the California Constitution and updating related provision in the state Elections Code.
AB 331 Pupil Instruction: High School Graduation Requirements
This bill would add the completion of a one-semester course in ethnic studies, in either the subject of social studies or English to the high school graduation requirements. The Instructional Quality Commission would develop the course curriculum with input from ethnic studies professors at universities and colleges, along with representation from local education agencies and educators with experience in studying and teaching ethnic studies.