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California Senate Panel Advances Bill Letting Californians Sue Federal Officers

The push follows the Minnesota ICE shooting, signaling a test of state authority against federal immunities.

Overview

  • Lawmakers voted 11–2 in the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance SB 747, the No Kings Act, creating a state pathway to sue federal agents for alleged constitutional violations.
  • The proposal would extend to federal officers the same civil remedies already available against California state and local police, with applicability retroactive to March 2025 if enacted.
  • Backers point to the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis as evidence of an accountability gap, while Homeland Security leaders characterize the shooting as self-defense.
  • Police groups asked for narrowing or safeguards to avoid unintended effects on California employees, but the bill’s author resisted limiting the measure’s scope.
  • A separate mask-ban law authored by Sen. Scott Wiener faces a Justice Department challenge, with a court hearing set for Wednesday in Los Angeles, foreshadowing legal battles if SB 747 passes.