Race-related legislation, reallocating police resources and mindful leadership are what will hit systemic racism head on, Black South Bay leaders say.

Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, who is Asian American, held a virtual roundtable with Black community leaders in his district Wednesday, July 15, to discuss personal experiences with systemic racism and what can be done to end it once and for all, starting with the South Bay.

“We need a seat at this table we’re having these conversations at,” said Howard Scott Jr., founder and president of the City Lights Gateway Foundation in Harbor City.

Torrance Democrat Al Muratsuchi grabbed a 40-point lead in early returns in his effort to retain his 66th Assembly District seat during early returns of Tuesday’s primary.

Muratsuchi went up against opponent Arthur Schaper, a far-right Republican, who was not endorsed by his party. Schaper is a devoted supporter of President Donald Trump, an activist and a blogger.

It is not known what percentage of the vote has been counted yet; the Los Angeles County Registrar’s office has not posted those numbers.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2762, the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act which, starting in 2025, will prohibit the manufacture or sale of any cosmetic product in the State of California containing any of 24 specified toxic chemicals, consistent with a similar prohibition previously enacted by the European Union and other countries.

“This landmark bill will ban cosmetics in California that contain 24 toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, reproductive harm and hormone disruption,” stated Assemblymember Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), lead author of AB 2762. “The science is clear on the harmful nature of these chemicals. This bill will provide Californians with the same consumer protections already provided in the European Union, which has also banned these products.

“I would like to thank Gov. Newsom for his support, along with Assemblymembers Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who jointly authored this important measure. Kudos to bill co-sponsors Environmental Working Group, Black Women for Wellness, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) for their leadership and hard work to get this bill signed into law.”

Besides a two year period from 2014 to 2016, Al Muratsuchi has represented the South Bay’s Assembly District 66 since 2012.

We don’t agree with Muratsuchi on everything, but we appreciate his relatively moderate approach to the office and the problems facing the state.

Muratsuchi is a critic of the high-speed rail project, an opponent of massive tax increases during the pandemic and a supporter of making it easier to build housing.