Sacramento, Calif. – The Senate Republican Caucus today publicly released its analysis of Senate Bill 672, authored by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), exposing this dangerous bill and alerting the public to pending anti-public safety legislation. The analysis warns that the bill would betray victims and their families by granting potential early release to so-called “youthful” killers who committed truly heinous murders.
Specifically, SB 672 would expand the opportunity for parole to those convicted of committing murder with certain specified “special circumstances” if they committed their offense between the ages of 18 and 26. Even if they were sentenced to life without parole.
The anti-public safety bill would allow for early release of murderers convicted under a wide range of horrendous crimes, including murder based on religion or race. Other murderers potentially allowed parole: Those who have previous murder convictions, mass killers, bombers, drive-by shooters, gang-bangers, those who lie in wait, those who kill to evade arrest or escape from custody, and those who kill an on-duty firefighter, witness to a crime, prosecutor, judge, juror or an elected official.
“This bill isn’t about second chances for petty offenders. It grants early release to some of the most violent criminals,” said Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta), Senate Republican Caucus Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee. “These individuals were sentenced to life without parole for crimes so extreme that the justice system deemed them beyond rehabilitation. Instead of weakening our justice system, we should be focusing on strengthening public safety and protecting Californians. SB 672 betrays victims and undermines accountability, and it must be stopped.”
One recent example of someone who will become eligible for parole under SB 672: Sam Woodward, 20 years old when he brutally murdered Blaze Bernstein in Orange County in 2018. Woodward was a member of an extremist neo-Nazi terrorist group. He targeted a former schoolmate who was openly gay and Jewish, lured him to a local park, stabbed him 28 times then buried his body. In 2024, found guilty of first-degree murder in a hate crime, Woodward was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Senate Bill 672 is deceptively labeled as the ‘Youth Rehabilitation and Opportunity Act,’” stated Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego). “A more appropriate title would be ‘To Hell With Victims, the Democrat-controlled Legislature Only Cares About Criminals Act.’ What in the world are Senator Rubio and the other Democrat colleagues thinking in supporting such an extreme bill?
While Sen. Rubio doesn’t reference them in her SB 672 fact sheet, the introduction of her bill – on the very last day to introduce a bill this year – seems an opportunistic coattail-riding of the highly public efforts to free the Menendez brothers. Prior to their resentencing (May 13, 2025), they would have been covered by SB 672.
Crime Victims United opposes SB 672. In a letter to Sen. Rubio, they said, “SB 672 threatens public safety and ignores the rights of crime victims and their families, as well as the efforts of local law enforcement, district attorneys, jurors, and the legal processes and resources that resulted in their conviction and sentence.”
The Democrat Senators who supported this measure in the Senate Public Safety Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee think these vicious criminals committed merely a “youthful indiscretion” and deserve to be back in the community – where they can once again prowl the streets for new victims.
We disagree, vehemently.
Previous committee votes:
Senate Public Safety Committee:
- AYE – Senators Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley), Anna Caballero (D-Merced), Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), Sasha Renee Pérez (D-Pasadena), Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).
- NO – Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta).
Senate Appropriations Committee:
- AYE - Senators Anna Caballero (D-Merced); Christopher Cabaldon (D-Yolo); Timothy Grayson (D-Concord); Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro); and Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward).
- NO – Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta).
The bill’s coauthors seemingly agree that undermining justice and crime victims by releasing murderers deemed too dangerous to be let out on parole is OK. They are:
- Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park)
- María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles)
- Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley)
- Sasha Renee Pérez (D-Pasadena)
SB 672 will be up for a vote on the Senate Floor sometime within the next two weeks.