Newsom Signs Laws Shielding Worshippers From Protesters and Funding Event Security
Published
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills on Friday at Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, which protesters vandalized in 2025 before entering to shout antisemitic insults. AB 2664, by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, bars anyone within 100 feet of a place of worship's entrance or exit from approaching, without consent, within 8 feet of a person entering or leaving to protest, leaflet, harass or obstruct. A first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail. AB 1836, by Jewish Caucus chair Jesse Gabriel, extends the state's Nonprofit Security Grant Program to off-site events, capped at $25,000 of an award.