ALANIS PRAISES GOVERNOR’S PROMISE TO VETO YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL BAN

SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblymember Alanis praised Governor Newsom’s commitment to veto AB 734, a bill banning youth tackle football for players 12 years old and under. Following the Governor’s veto threat, the author of the bill has said he would be pulling the bill from consideration this year.

“From the start, I advocated for a balanced approach that prioritizes safety without compromising our kids’ access to competing in tackle football,” said Assemblyman Alanis. “A ban would have had wide-ranging, unintended consequences for youth across the state, particularly in our most underserved communities. All sports teach teamwork, leadership, and cognitive skills, and without them, many youth players might have missed out on future scholarship opportunities. Should this bill reach his desk, I applaud the Governor for his veto promise. I also applaud many of my Republican colleagues who lent a unified and strong voice of opposition on this matter.”

As the first member to speak out against AB 734 this year, Assemblyman Alanis submitted a letter on January 5^th, 2024 to the members of the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism. The bill was heard on January 10th in committee, where it passed on a party-line vote of 5-2. A press conference was held today on the west steps of the State Capitol by Republican Legislators, Youth Football Players, Coaches and Advocates were all spoke in unity of the importance to preserve Youth Tackle Football in California.

“I have stated verbally, and in letters, to my colleagues that I remain committed to working with them in good faith to ensure California leads the way in safety standards for all youth sports across our state,” added Alanis. “However, the decisions of whether or not kids should participate in them should remain with parents themselves and not the government. We should add opportunities for our kids, not take them away.”

Assemblyman Alanis pointed to a bill he authored last year – AB 1467, the Neveah Youth Sports Safety Act – as a sign of his commitment to making youth sports safer for all. AB 1467 was signed into law last year by the Governor and will require AEDs at all youth sports events and practices by 2027.

Assemblymember Juan Alanis represents the 22^nd 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.