Press Releases

SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, the Assembly Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to approve Assembly Bill (AB) 1132, authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D – San Fernando Valley), which would prohibit telemarketers and scammers from impersonating the caller ID information of state or local government entities. The practice of misrepresenting caller ID information—known as “spoofing”—has become commonplace and poses significant risks to unsuspecting consumers. In recent weeks, scammers have used spoofing technology to impersonate local law enforcement and demand payment for the expungement of fake warrants.

After the Committee vote, Assemblymember Gabriel made the following remarks:  

“As millions of Californians know far too well, spam calls and caller ID fraud are out of control.  These practices are more than just annoying—they are the favored tools of those seeking to defraud California consumers. AB 1132 will crack down on these abusive practices and help protect California consumers.”

“Caller ID spoofing has become ubiquitous, with some consumers receiving dozens of calls each day,” said Ignacio Hernandez on behalf of the Consumer Federation of California. “Consumers should not have to endure a distracting sales pitch, or worse fraud and identity theft, as a result of answering their phone,” he added. “AB 1132 will discourage these activities and help restore trust in government.”

AB 1132 is supported by law enforcement and consumer groups and will be heard next in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Los Angeles – In response to recent hate incidents targeting Armenian and Jewish institutions in the San Fernando Valley, Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel brought together religious and lay leaders from the Armenian and Jewish communities for an inter-community dinner and dialogue. The discussion focused on efforts to work together to combat hate and discrimination of all forms.

On January 29, 2019, hate incidents occurred at two Armenian schools in the San Fernando Valley, with Turkish flags being hung at Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian School and AGBU Manoogian School. The following day, Mishkan Torah Synagogue in Tarzana was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti.

SACRAMENTO – In a ceremony today at the State Capitol in Sacramento, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel honored Michelle Fuentes-Miranda as Woman of the Year for her service to the West San Fernando Valley.  Today’s events included a lunch with members of the Legislature, presentation of a legislative proclamation, and a special ceremony on the floor of the State Assembly.

Fuentes-Miranda is the Founder and President of the Alliance for Community Empowerment (ACE), a community-based nonprofit in Canoga Park that seeks to empower underserved communities by providing young people facing challenges with education, vocational programming, mentorship, and leadership training.  She is also President of the Canoga Park Neighborhood Council and the founder of the Council’s Homelessness Solutions Committee.

SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-San Fernando Valley) introduced legislation to protect patients by requiring physicians to include the purpose of any prescription medication on the medication’s label, unless the patient opts out. Labeling medications will help to avoid confusion and reduce the risk of adverse drug events—including medication errors, adverse or allergic reactions, and overdoses—for patients taking multiple medications.