Democrats Pass Controversial ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’

On Tuesday, the California State Assembly passed a controversial piece of legislation dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” by Republican lawmakers.

The bill, authored by Democrat Mia Bonta — the wife of California Attorney General Rob Bonta — passed the State Assembly in a 57-19 vote. All who voted in favor of the bill were Democrats. 

The bill was proposed as journalists around the country have pushed to uncover government fraud, including independent journalist Nick Shirley. Shirley recently investigated misappropriation in California and Minnesota, and investigations by Daily Wire reporter Luke Rosiak have focused on apparent Medicaid fraud in Ohio.

The bill, AB 2624, has been met with stark condemnation on the Right, since its restrictions on sharing addresses of immigration providers could allegedly criminalize reporters. Engineer and writer Michael Rothman explained how the bill could pose trouble to journalists.

“[Nick] Shirley showed up with a camera crew to a state-funded Somali learning center in Los Angeles,” Rothman stated. “He found 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐬. 𝐍𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐍𝐨 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬. 𝐍𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬. He posted the evidence on the internet. Under AB 2624, the fraudster operator can simply hand Shirley a business card on the way out. If he then posts the footage, 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭.”

Rothbaum also explained how AB 2624 contains a “reasonable fear” loophole that allows immigration services providers to sue based on their subjective notions of harm.

Bonta’s office condemned the “malicious and intentional misrepresentation” of AB 2624 by Republican detractors, asserting that the bill is intended to protect unjust harm to immigration workers. 

“People working in immigrant services are being followed home, receiving death threats, and having their personal information weaponized against them,” Bonta said. “AB 2624 provides protection through the same tried and tested process California already offers to domestic violence survivors and select healthcare workers.”

Due to this debate, the wording of the bill was amended to be more accommodating to benign journalistic reporting. The bill now reads that reporting will be criminalized if the reporters are “specifically intending to incite a third person to cause imminent great bodily harm.” 

It is unclear whether the amendment to this bill will allow journalists to report freely on corruption.

The bill now faces the California Senate and is currently waiting for the Senate Committee to place it on the docket for consideration.