Politico California Playbook
By Blake Jones And Dustin Gardiner
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: LOOTERS BEWARE — Democratic Reps. George Whitesides and Ro Khanna plan to introduce legislation that would make it a federal crime to loot in fire-torn areas or commit arson that starts or spreads a wildfire.
It’s a response to alleged criminal activity around the Los Angeles fires but also a sign of how Democratic officials are shifting right on law and order issues in California.
“Californians want public safety. They want to make sure that we are standing with our law enforcement,” Khanna told Playbook, “that there’s no smash-and-grabs, that there are no auto jackings, that there’s no looting, that we’re prioritizing safety.”
Arson and looting are, of course, against state law, but adding them to federal criminal code could bring in federal law enforcement support and lead to longer sentences for violators, Khanna said.
It may be a challenge to move a Democrat-carried bill through the Republican trifecta, but the representatives are banking on bipartisan animus toward looting in Los Angeles and elsewhere to push the legislation through the House.