SDJW staff report
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday in Sacramento signed into law Assembly Bill 1853, legislation that bans threatening, false, and misleading content from California’s voter guides. The bill passed the Senate 32-0, with 8 abstentions, and passed the Assembly 63-10, with 6 abstentions.
AB 1853 was introduced after a candidate statement containing antisemitic conspiracy theories and white nationalist rhetoric was printed and mailed, at taxpayer expense, to 23 million California households ahead of the June 2026 primary.
Authored by Assemblymembers Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) and Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) and sponsored by Jewish California (formerly JPAC), the bill limits candidate statements to a candidate’s education, professional experience, public service, community involvement, and qualifications for office, and gives the Secretary of State and county elections officials clear authority to reject statements that violate those standards.
Hate speech can no longer be included in a California voter guide,” said David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California. “AB 1853 boldly declares that our state’s official election documents can’t be used to spread conspiracy theories and bigotry. We’re grateful to Governor Newsom for signing the bill, to Assemblymembers Pellerin and Berman for their leadership, and to our 54 partner organizations in support of this important bill.”
The law goes into effect January 1, 2027.
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore will address the Jewish Federation of Annapolis and the Chesapeake on Oct. 7, immediately following the screening of the documentary Torn about the proxy poster war in New York City between supporters of Hamas and backers of Israel.
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Five men who were arrested near a British airbase after being spotted past midnight in three white vans were released on police bail with tight restrictions on whom they could see or talk to.
The airbase, RAF Fairford, has been used by the American military to conduct bombing runs over Iran, leading to speculation that the men may have Iranian connections. This was denied by Iran’s embassy in London.
Not identified by names, the suspects were described as coming from London and in their early 20s.
Residents in the town of Whelford, evacuated from their homes, were permitted to return to their 85 homes on Monday. Whelford is the closest town to RAF Fairford.
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Compiled by the staff of San Diego Jewish World.