I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, and since I can remember, cruising has been in our culture’s DNA. It’s more than laying low and driving slow – it is self-expression, a way of living, and engrained in Latino culture.
In the 1980s, the California Legislature passed a discriminatory state law enabling cities to pass anti-cruising ordinances. As the Legislature has become more inclusive, we have been doing the work to repeal these discriminatory laws.
Last year, I authored ACR 176, encouraging local cities to repeal their anti-cruising ordinances and to work with their local car clubs and law enforcement to host safe cruising events. After bipartisan support and success, cities like Sacramento and San Jose lifted their cruising bans. Other auto clubs have also engaged in conversations with their local governments to remove the decades-old ordinances.
This year, I am a proud Joint Author of #AB436 to repeal this archaic state law.
The work for making cruising legal in California is not done yet, and I am excited to tackle this issue with Assemblymember Alvarez. #CruisingIsNotACrime
