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Controversial bill that would have freed convicted felons serving life sentences stalls in legislature
A controversial California bill that would have freed some convicted felons serving life sentences has stalled in the legislature and will not be moving forward.
SB 94, authored by California Sen. Dave Cortese, would have given certain people serving life without parole the chance to petition to have their sentences reviewed if their crimes were committed before June 5, 1990.
Advocates for the measure said it was much needed to clear the state’s overcrowded prisons.
The Los Angeles Times editorial board, for instance, wrote in SB 94’s favor, arguing that “most eligible offenders are now in their 60s and 70s, well beyond the prime age for violent crime.”
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A view of the California state capitol building on National Urban League California Legislative Advocacy Day on March 13, 2024, in Sacramento, California. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)
The board also argued that SB 94 did not aim to release prisoners unconditionally, but created “a multistep process that would let them make their cases for resentencing.” It also noted that “serial killers, cop killers and sex offenders would not be eligible.”
Anne Irvine, Founder and Executive Director of Smart Justice California, called SB 94 “sound policy that advances our shared goals of public safety and rehabilitation.”
Cortese introduced SB 94 last legislative session, but the measure stalled to allow time for more negotiations and amendments, such as narrowing the scope of eligible individuals and changing the number of petition attempts allowed from three to one per individual.
Cortese, who did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by deadline, said in a statement that amendments were drafted that “included language requested by several law enforcement agencies, excluded torture as a ‘special circumstance,’ codified full protection of victims’ rights.”
FILE- A California prison. A controversial California bill that would have freed some convicted felons serving life sentences has stalled. (BOP)
SB 94 missed a deadline this week to include the new amendments, and Cortese admitted Thursday that the measure does not have the votes to pass.
“The California model of rehabilitation often works, but we must do better. We must continue the conversation and revisit racist, inconsistent and harmful sentencing that has disproportionately impacted Californians for over twenty years, and will continue to wreak havoc until fixed,” Cortese said.
Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, hailed SB 94’s failure to pass this legislative session as a victory.
Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-San Diego, called SB 94 “radical” and a “direct assault on the rights of California families who have suffered the unimaginable loss of a loved one at the hands of violent criminals.”
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“Together, we’ve ensured that when violent murderers brutally take a life, they lose their right to freedom—forever,” Jones said in a statement. “Their punishment is in the name: life without parole. While I’m relieved that this dangerous legislation is finally dead for the year, we’re ready to continue the fight if it comes back. Californians will not stand for letting heinous murderers roam our streets.”
Sen. Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta, said the outcome of SB 94 “would’ve been disastrous for public safety and victim’s rights.”
Sacramento, CA – March 20: California Assemblymember Bill Essayli along with fellow lawmakers honor women in California making an impact during Womens History Month on Monday, March 20, 2023, in Sacramento, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“We know that when voters come together and demand to be heard, even the supermajority has to take it seriously and listen to the will of the people,” Seyarto said. “That is what we saw happen today, a victory of the people over dangerous proposed policies.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli of Corona assailed SB 94 as a slap in the face to the victims’ families who must relive the horror of the crimes during parole hearings.
“It’s so mean spirited and it’s just so cruel to these families to open up these wounds. They need some peace and some finality. And that’s what’s so destructive about this,” Essayli said.
Essayli argued that SB 94 was “just the beginning” of Democratic lawmakers’ wider ambitions for prison reform.
“If they get this bill through next year, they’re going to say, ‘okay, well, the new point in time is now 1995, then 2000.’ It’s this incrementalism that they love to do here in the legislature,” Essayli said, adding: “It took them a few years to get where they wanted to go. But we all know what the destination is.”
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Las Vegas first responders conduct seven-hour rescue of injured climber stranded 600 feet up rock face
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First responders in Nevada carried out a dramatic seven-hour rescue after a climber was seriously injured while stranded roughly 600 feet up a steep rock face near Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) said search and rescue teams were notified around noon Saturday about an injured climber on the “Dream Safari” route along Dark Shadows Wall in Pine Creek.
Authorities said the climber had fallen an estimated 40 to 50 feet, suffering severe head and back injuries.
The victim’s climbing partner and a guide from another climbing party reached the injured climber and controlled the bleeding while awaiting rescue crews.
Rescuers secured the climber in a titanium litter and lowered the patient in stages down the rock face. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Four search and rescue officers and a lead climb volunteer were inserted by the department’s AIR3 helicopter several hundred feet above the victim at the top of the route.
Rescuers then rappelled down the rock face, provided medical treatment while suspended mid-face, and secured the patient in a titanium litter.
Crews constructed a lowering system and brought the climber several hundred feet down to the ground through three separate lowering stations, with a rescuer attending to the patient during the descent.
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Las Vegas police search and rescue teams spent seven hours lowering an injured climber 600 feet to safety. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Once at the base, additional volunteers carried the litter to an extraction point where the helicopter returned to airlift the victim to a Bureau of Land Management helipad.
The climber was then transferred to a ground ambulance and taken to a local hospital.
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The climber’s helmet was destroyed in the fall but likely saved the person’s life, officials said. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
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LVMPD wrote on Facebook that the entire operation lasted about seven hours from initial insertion to final extraction.
“Although the victim’s helmet was destroyed during the fall, it likely saved their life,” police said.
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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — ABC7 Eyewitness News got a sneak peak as crews put the finishing touches on the floats you’ll see at Saturday’s San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade.
Since it’s the year of the fire horse, you’ll see a lot of horses and fire symbolism on the floats, housed at Pier 19.
“So Year of the Horse, it’s energy, it’s passion, it’s momentum so a lot of things that we’re really hoping to embody in the new year,” said Stephanie Mufson, owner of San Francisco-based The Parade Guys, which designs and constructs the floats.
She said they’ve been building them for about three months, with the designs starting in November.
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“We’re in the home stretch,” she said. “We’ve got a couple of days left and we’ve got a nice little team that’s cranking out all the finishing work that needs to go into it.”
Derrick Shavers was sanding some wood that will be painted and become cherry blossom trees on a float.
“It’s exciting,” Shavers said. “I look forward to coming every year and just creating and making things shine and sparkle.”
Bon was painting mountains for a float, making sure everything is perfect in time for the parade.
MORE: Meet the 2026 San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade mascot, Maverick
“It’s one of the few parades that actually happens at night still,” Bon said. “So we got to make sure all the lighting is in check, and people are safe on the float. It’s all in the details, just for it to walk by you for 10 seconds.”
Ten seconds that bring so much joy to those watching the parade.
Here’s how you can watch the parade on ABC7 Eyewitness News on Saturday, March 7.
Coverage starts at 5 p.m. wherever you stream ABC7.
SF Chinese New Year Parade 2026: How to watch ABC7 Eyewitness News live coverage
If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Class 5A Sweet 16 has arrived, and both Grand Junction and Palisade are still standing with trips to the Great Eight in Denver on the line.
At The Jungle, the No. 2 seed Grand Junction Tigers set the tone early against No. 18 Golden. Defense carried the Tigers from the opening tip as they held the Demons to nine first quarter points while scoring 16 of their own.
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Grand Junction added eight points in the second quarter while Golden managed six, sending the Tigers into halftime with a nine point lead.
Golden responded in the third quarter, outscoring Grand Junction 16 to 11 to cut the deficit to five entering the fourth. The Tigers answered in the final period, attacking the rim and converting key shots to win the quarter 19 to 10. Grand Junction secured a 54 to 41 victory to protect its home court and advance to the Great Eight in Denver.
Top seeded Palisade also defended its home floor with a trip to Denver at stake. The Bulldogs opened with nine straight points to energize a packed gym, but Frederick settled in and closed the first quarter on a run to tie the game at nine.
Frederick continued to respond in the second quarter and took an eight point lead into halftime.
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Palisade shifted momentum after the break. The Bulldogs tightened defensively, holding Frederick to 21 points in the second half while scoring 39 of their own. Palisade completed the comeback to advance to the Great Eight.
Colorado Mesa University Women Deliver Historic RMAC Tournament Win
In collegiate action, the top seeded Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team defeated Colorado School of Mines 96 to 51 in the RMAC Tournament, marking the largest margin of victory in the tournament this century.
Olivia Reed-Thyne led the Mavericks with 34 points on 11 of 15 shooting, her third 30 point performance this season. Mason Rowland added 22 points and Hallie Clark contributed 10 as Colorado Mesa matched a program record with its 31st win. The Mavericks will host the semifinals Friday with a berth in the championship game at stake.
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Colorado Mesa University Men Survive Overtime Thriller
The Colorado Mesa University men’s basketball team faced New Mexico Highlands University for the third time this season. The Mavericks scored 36 first half points and led by four at the break.
New Mexico Highlands shot 50 percent in the second half, received 21 bench points and outscored Colorado Mesa 43 to 39 to force a late push. With the season in the balance, Ty Allred hit a game tying 3 pointer to make it 75 and send the game to overtime. Allred scored seven points in the extra period as Colorado Mesa earned a 91 to 90 victory to advance to the next round.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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