California lawmakers OK bill to hide public worker addresses

By Adam Beam

Excerpted from the Associated Press

"California lawmakers on Wednesday voted to let government workers hide their home addresses from public records if they fear for their safety, a response to the country’s continuously polarizing politics and pandemic policies that have fueled an increase in violent threats against some public employees.

California and 41 other states already have laws that shield the home addresses of victims of domestic violence and other crimes, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime, a nonprofit that advocates for victims’ rights. California’s program goes a bit further by also including abortion workers and public health employees.

“It’s probably another manifestation of polarization,” said state Sen. Josh Newman, a Democrat from Fullerton and the bill’s author. “Nobody really envisioned a time where you would have to protect so many public workers.”

The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who must decide by the end of September whether to sign the bill into law. It would not apply to state lawmakers or other elected officials, according to Newman’s office.

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