-There are few places more stressful to work in California than a busy hospital emergency room.

Lately, though, health care workers say ERs have become increasingly violent places.

-44% of staff in an ER are subject to some sort of physical violence and 68% are subject to some form of verbal abuse.

-This is why lawmakers in Sacramento are considering a bill that would increase penalties for those convicted of assaulting ER workers.

The bill's author is Democratic assemblymember, Freddie Rodriguez of Chino Before becoming a lawmaker, he was an EMT in the San Gabriel Valley.

He knows his way around an ER and has seen his share of combative patients.

-I was bringing a patient into a hospital down in Southern California.

A nurse friend of mine was being assaulted by a patient's family member, and they threw her against the wall.

-That was decades ago, but an attack happened recently to one of Rodriguez's daughters.

She's a respiratory technician in the ER.

-She said she was in there, patient got very violent and started hitting her, and she got hit in the head.

-Not everyone supports Rodriguez's bill that's pending in the State Senate.

Some progressive lawmakers oppose it.

They side with public defenders and social justice groups who say the threat of putting more people in crowded jails won't stop assaults.

-There are many options to reduce ER violence issues that do not involve putting people in cages.

-Law enforcement groups and the state's hospital lobby have thrown their collective weight behind Rodriguez's bill.

-Our number one job is to be here for you and your family members and your friends to take great care of you.

Can you imagine doing that while somebody's threatening you or kicking at you or throwing things at you?

It's just not acceptable.

We need to raise the consequence.

-Reporting for CalMatters, I'm Ryan Sabalow.