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Committee rejects expansion of arson sentencing tied to forest‑land acreage; reconsideration granted
Summary
AB 297 would have added a sentencing enhancement for defendants who burn 500+ acres of forest land; the committee debated environmental and equity impacts and ultimately the measure failed, but the author secured reconsideration to continue negotiations.
Assemblymember Hadwick presented AB 297, a proposal to add a sentencing enhancement for arson that burns 500 or more acres of forest land. The author said the measure would give judges another option to hold arsonists accountable for large-scale environmental damage and relieve fire-threatened communities.
Pat Espinosa, representing the California District Attorneys Association, supported the bill as a narrowly…
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