Utility Worker Protection Bill Advances State Legislature After Fatal Attack

Sacramento, CA – In a bipartisan vote, the State Legislature yesterday advanced SB 1330 by State Senator Jesse Arreguín (D-Oakland), which places utility workers in the same class as other protected public service professionals and officials.

“I’m proud to have led the charge to enhance protections for our essential utility workers,” said Senator Jesse Arreguín, Chair of the Public Safety Committee. “SB 1330 comes at a critical time where our frontline workers are being attacked while being on the frontlines of supporting our communities’ health and safety.”” 

Its passage in the Legislature comes just two weeks after an attack on Southern California Edison employees in Mentone, San Bernadino County that left the suspect dead. A similar incident happened in Camino, El Dorado County in March where four people were injured after a suspect shot at Pacific Gas & Electric workers. These incidents are just some of over 450 incidents of violence or threats against utility workers of California’s major utility companies since 2024.

The bill is supported by a large coalition of utility employees and groups, including the California State Association of Electrical Workers (Co-Sponsor), Coalition of California Utility Employees (Co-Sponsor), California Federation of Labor Unions, California Civil Liberties Association, San Diego Gas and Electric, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), East Bay Municipal Utility District, Engineers and Scientists of California, and International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers  (IFPTE) Local 20. 

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