SB300 Update 7/2021

Dear Families, Friends, and Supporters of SB 300:

We are writing to share that SB 300 was amended on Wednesday, July 6th and that we continue to work hard to move it forward this year. In a better world, a crucial piece of legislation such as SB 300 would sail through the Legislature unscathed. Unfortunately, when it comes to sentencing reform, this is a world of gaining ground piece by piece.

Senator Cortese amended the bill with the consent of the co-sponsor team. In doing so, SB 300 no longer includes the re-sentencing provisions to mandate the courts to provide relief for incarcerated people. This was an extremely difficult decision for us to make, but a necessary one in order to keep future generations from facing the extreme injustice of this sentencing law. We will move the current bill forward to stop this from happening to any more families as we continue the struggle to end felony murder.

Senator Cortese and the incredible co-authors of SB 300, Senators Bradford, Kamlager, Skinner, and Wiener, along with our steadfast co-sponsor team and allies of this bill, are committed to ensuring the passage of SB 300. That commitment will remain until we bring the entirety of the original provisions of SB 300 to pass. We will not stop until every individual who has been sentenced under these draconian laws has a chance at freedom. We will continue to organize and fight to make sure that no one is left behind. That is our commitment.