California Contract Cities Association (CCCA) makes their annual visit to Sacramento March 2-4 to advance their agenda with legislators. Public safety tops the list of priorities for CCCA. Street racing and the rise in catalytic converter theft are some examples of the issues they will address.
Mark Waronek, Mayor of Lomita and President of CCCA stated “After the tragic death caused by street racing, our community members formed a non-profit called Street Racing Kills. They teach programs to respect the road and drive safely and have provided tremendous benefits to keep Lomita safe. This is a great step in addressing the issue and I think our state can help us do more.”
In 2020, the City of Paramount adopted an ordinance to combat street racing and takeovers of intersections. “We took a proactive approach to discourage dangerous driving in our streets with stricter enforcement of penalties and fines for offenders,” stated Mayor Brenda Olmos. “While this has helped, we are just one city facing the problem. As a board member of Contract Cities, I want to ensure the safety for all our communities. We look to our state legislators to help.”
“California Contract Cities Association represents 75 cities across 2 counties that want to partner with legislators and law enforcement to keep our communities safe,” said Marcel Rodarte, Executive Director of CCCA. Rodarte is joined by executive board members Mark Waronek, Brenda Olmos, Jennifer Perez and Stacey Armato to meet with legislators and discuss 2022 legislative priorities. While street racing remains a priority, so does the increasing thefts of catalytic converters.
“For whatever reason, car part thieves are perceived as empty-headed. The reality, however, is that catalytic converter theft can be quite lucrative. This bill is an important step forward in protecting California consumers, aiding our law enforcement agencies with enforcement, and continuing to crack down on illegal and environmentally degrading car-part and vehicle disposal. We owe it to our communities to be more responsible, as a state, in regulating these illegal activities,” stated Senator Umberg.
According to Senator Portantino, “SB 986 offers a simple common sense solution to eliminating the legal challenges of prosecuting the theft of catalytic converters. The bill will also result in a reduction of thefts of used converters, which is good news for both victims and law enforcement.”
“The introduction of SB986 provides an important step for discouraging catalytic converter theft” stated Rodarte. “We at CCCA closely monitor legislation and support opportunities to work with state legislators to meet the needs of their members. We are eager to be part of the conversation and keep our streets safe.”
CCCA represents 75 cities throughout Southern California. For more than 64 years, CCCA’s mission has been to advance the benefits of the contracting model and strengthen local control. With collaborative governance as a focal point, CCCA has advanced its mission through education, advocacy, networking, and access to protect and enhance the quality of life for more than 7.5 million residents. As a matter of policy, our organization supports and defends the rights of cities on policy issues pertinent to them, which include, but are not limited to energy, housing, and public safety.