SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblyman Juan Alanis announced that Speaker Robert Rivas has appointed him to the Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft. The speaker created the select committee following the growing concern of increased reports of retail theft up and down the state.
“I am honored to have been chosen by Speaker Rivas to lend my voice and experience on this important issue,” said Assemblymember Alanis. “Retail thefts continue to be a growing and serious problem plaguing our communities, negatively impacting public safety and our economy. I look forward to working with my colleagues and bringing my constituents’ concerns to the committee. We cannot just kick the problem to the next legislature. We must take real action on retail thefts. We cannot just talk about it endlessly.”
As a former Stanislaus County Sheriff Deputy, Assemblymember Alanis brings nearly three decades of law enforcement experience to the committee. He spent his first year elected to the State Assembly building relationships with his colleagues and establishing himself as a respected and open-minded legislator seeking opportunities to collaborate on solving problems. His ability to work with others was most apparent on the Assembly Public Safety Committee, where the Assemblyman serves as Vice Chair.
“I have worked closely and have a trust-built relationship with the Select Committee’s Chair, Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur,” added Alanis. “He is someone I collaborated with to reach a compromise with many competing advocates and agencies on AB 355, my rifle training bill for law enforcement academies across our state that was into law this year. I look forward to continue working with him on this important issue of rampant retail thefts across our state.”
Assemblyman Alanis has been a leading voice on retail theft for over a year. He was the lead co-signer on a letter asking the Little Hoover Commission to analyze and report on the impacts of Proposition 47 in California. The Commission has agreed to take up the issue after Alanis, in coordination with Public Safety Committee Chairman Assemblyman Jones-Sawyer, gathered a majority of members in both houses of the State Legislature to sign the letter. The study is the first step taken to address retail theft issues since Proposition 47 was passed by California voters in 2014.
Assemblymember Juan Alanis represents the 22nd Assembly District, which includes the communities of Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Denair, Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Hilmar, Ballico, Snelling, Keyes, Grayson, Crows Landing, Diablo Grande, Stevinson, & Empire.