In Appropriations Committee markups, Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, proposed an amendment to support law enforcement and their fight against illegal marijuana grows taking place in the Antelope Valley.

The amendment, which addresses law enforcement overtime caps, was greeted with bipartisan support and passed easily through the committee, marking a victory for law enforcement’s fight against illegal grows, according to Garcia’s office.

“This isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue, this is a public safety issue. This amendment is a massive bipartisan win in the fight against illegal grows,” Garcia said. “I have witnessed these illegal grows firsthand and I’ve had some of the toughest sheriffs in the department begging us to tap into the necessary federal funds on this issue.”

As it presently stands, law enforcement officials working to combat these grows are capped from earning more than $19,000 in overtime annually. Fighting illegal marijuana grows is a tall task, and many members of law enforcement spend hours past their shifts fighting against these grows, according to Garcia’s office.

In 2021, Garcia and his office joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a series of operations to curb illegal marijuana grows in the high desert communities of CA-25. One such grow bust in Lancaster has since been identified as the largest illegal marijuana bust in Los Angeles County history in an organized effort to put cartels out of business in the Antelope Valley.

“Some of these deputies have in the past taken necessary action without compensation because they don’t want to lose the ground they’ve gained against illegal grows, so removing this artificial and capricious cap is a big relief for law enforcement and their efforts to eradicate this black market altogether,” Garcia said.

The amendment proposed by Garcia that passed through the committee markup would end the $19,000 overtime cap for fiscal year 2023, according to Garcia’s office.

Garcia has worked alongside the Department of Justice and the local law enforcement in these efforts, which has been crippled by being unable to apply the proper manpower to fight illegal grows on a continual basis due to this cap, according to officials.

Click here to watch the full consideration of the amendment.

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