Senate Backs Rosenthal Bill on Lawmakers’ Security

Citing dangers to personal safety encountered by politicians, the state Senate on Wednesday made it easier for lawmakers to arm themselves with an added degree of protection.

By a 32-3 margin, the Senate approved a bill by Sen. Herschel Rosenthal, a San Fernando Valley Democrat, that would provide an exception to the state Political Reform Act, which currently prohibits personal use of campaign funds and bars lawmakers from dipping into their campaign coffers to buy security systems for their homes or offices.

Under Rosenthal’s measure, which now will go to the state Assembly, elected officials and candidates would be allowed to install an alarm or other security device if they were threatened and reported the threat to law-enforcement agencies. He argued that such threats are related to a legislator’s activities as a political figure.

At some point after lawmakers leave office and are out of the political limelight, Rosenthal said, they would be required to reimburse their campaign accounts for the cost of the system.

Rosenthal said he was prompted to introduce the measure not because of personal experience, but by reading news accounts about threats made to other politicians.

In an opinion recently solicited by Rosenthal, the staff of the state Fair Political Practices Commission said a security system would protect a politician and also “serve a substantial function in protecting the official’s personal possessions” and enhance the value of the lawmaker’s home.

In an interview, Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara), one of the three lawmakers who voted against the Rosenthal legislation, described the bill as “a loophole” in the Political Reform Act.

“We live in a dangerous world,” Hart said. “We could use campaign funds for all these purposes. This is stretching it.”

The action on the Rosenthal bill is not the first time this year that security issues have surfaced in the Senate.

In April, state Sen. Teresa Hughes (D-Inglewood) cited the need for extra protection when she is at home in her district and was authorized to use taxpayer funds to hire an off-duty Los Angeles police sergeant to accompany her on legislative business at night and on weekends.