Council Hosts Briefing with Attorney General Rob Bonta

On Tuesday evening (May 3), California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined members of the Bay Area Council Executive Committee and Board of Directors for dinner at Executive Committee Member Clint Reilly’s restaurant, Credo, in San Francisco to discuss his priorities as the state’s top law enforcement officer. Bonta has been a champion for social justice his whole career and he was adamant that California would remain a state where the rights and liberties of all are protected. On the pressing issue of housing, Attorney General Bonta reiterated his stance that California cities must be held accountable when they break or ignore California’s housing laws, and he committed that his Housing Strike Force was ready and able to take scofflaw communities to court, if necessary. 

Bonta said he is focused on addressing growing concerns about property crime and shared good news about recent organized retail theft prosecutions. He spoke at length about the state’s homelessness epidemic and voiced support for Governor Newsom’s “CARE Courts,” a Bay Area Council-supported proposal that would allow the state, in limited circumstances, to compel the mentally ill or addicted into court-ordered treatment programs. The Attorney General made it clear that people who cannot make rational decisions for their own wellbeing should not be allowed to live on our streets, especially when there are alternatives available. We look forward to working with our AG to help solve these most pressing of challenges. To engage in the Council’s government relations work, please contact Senior Vice President Matt Regan.