January 10, 2019
LAWT News Service
The members of SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Local 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care union representing over 385,000 home care and nursing home workers throughout California, are celebrating the new year with the start of April Verrett as their President.
Verrett succeeds Laphonza Butler as President of SEIU Local 2015 after having served as an Executive Vice President of the Local over the last two years. Prior to joining SEIU Local 2015, Verrett was Executive Vice President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Indiana (HCII). Verrett has been key in the successful unification of healthcare unions in both Illinois and California to build greater worker power for its members. Such success was evident with the creation of SEIU HCII in Illinois and SEIU Local 2015 in California.
“Being a fighter and advocate for working people is my passion,” said April Verrett. “And there is no greater group of workers to fight for than caregivers. As those living in our country and our state are growing older and living longer, we must continue to support and strengthen the infrastructure that allows our loved ones to age with dignity and receive the care they deserve. In California alone, the population of older adults is expected to double between 2015 and 2030 and about half of older adults are in need of assistance for their daily activities. We must be ready to meet the growing demand of caregiving by investing in the workforce and programs that allow our loved ones and their care providers to be treated with respect.
“Over the last several months we have fought against multiple attacks on the care, livelihood, and dignity of seniors, people with disabilities, and their caregivers and now more than ever we must continue to stand together to protect what we fought hard to create, such as the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medi-Cal.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us and I am very much looking forward to starting my new position as President alongside our new Governor, Gavin Newsom.”
January 10, 2019
By Antonio R. Harvey
California Black Media
Aligned with the new governor of the state of California’s vision, two African Americans who were recently sworn-in to their elected seats both said they are also committed to making bold and progressive changes.
Tony Thurmond, who took the oath as superintendent of Public of Instruction, and Malia Cohen, affirmed as one of four members of the State Board of Equalization, have expressed excitement about carrying out the duties of their positions.
“My preface here, I hope, sends a message to the students of color that their needs will be met,” said Thurmond, the first Afro-Latino and second Black American to be elected to the position. “I’m on the job.”
Right after Newsom was sworn in as California’s 40th governor at the State Capitol in Sacramento, he laid out a long list of priorities aimed at benefitting all Californians. Especially, people who struggle the most in the state.
During Newsom’s inaugural speech, under a well-constructed tent in front of the facility where state laws are made, the Democrat from San Francisco outlined policies that would deal with affordable housing, homelessness, closing the achievement gap in education, affordable healthcare, hunger and equity in pay.
Gov. Newsom addressed many of the same issues that are prevalent in the Black community. But the former lieutenant governor and mayor of San Francisco sent a clear message that his priorities will strengthen the state and it will be done with complete financial responsibility.
“We will prepare for uncertain times ahead,” Newsom said. “We will be prudent stewards of taxpayer dollars, pay down on debts, and meet our future obligations. Let me be clear, we will be bold, we will aim high, and we will work like hell to get there.”
Well into his address, Newsom also went as far as taking shots at the Trump administration and its policies, signaling his political direction to go far left during his tenure as governor. Newsom said Donald Trump’s current time in the White House is not on a stable foundation.
“Here in California, we will prove that people of good faith can still come together to achieve big things,” said Newsom during his 25-minute speech. “We will offer an alternative to the corruption and incompetence in the White House. Our government will be progressive, principled and always on the side of the people.”
Thurmond, 50, also made a bold statement at his swearing-in ceremony at C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento. A Democrat, Thurmond became the 28th state superintendent of Public Instruction and the second African American to hold the office.
Thurmond chose McClatchy High School, “strategically and intentionally,” he said. The school has been embroiled in racial incidents in the last couple of years, including a racist video that was posted on Instagram by two of its students.
A female and male appeared to be in blackface while the latter made racial epithets towards African Americans. The incidents concerned Thurmond, now a former state assemblyman.
McClatchy was also the focus of a student science project conducted by non-black students that questioned their peers of color’s intelligence.
“I would say it’s strategic, not ironic,” Thurmond said of his decision to hold the swearing-in ceremony at McClatchy High School, which has a cross-cultural affluent, middle-class, and low-income student body. “While I don’t have (charge) over this school, I’ve already begun to look into their concerns. I intend to talk to the students, teachers and principal to listen to their concerns.”
Thurmond’s policies are not solely centered around students of color, but each and every student in the state no matter race, color or creed. McClatchy High’s role is to serve as a model for the entire 6.2 million student population and more than 10,000 schools.
Thurmond’s plans include keeping schools safe, providing school-based mental and physical health services, reducing the achievement gap, expanding access to early childhood education, creating pathways to careers and college, addressing teacher shortages, enhancing highly-trained and certified educators.
Dr. Margaret Fortune, who comes from a long line of family educators and runs successful charter schools in the northern and parts of California, attended both Newsom and Thurmond’s swearing-in events. She is eager to see the positive energy Thurmond can bring to his office.
“I’m looking forward to working with him. He has had a chance to visit us at Fortune Schools,” said Fortune. “We look forward to working with him, in particular, on closing the African American achievement gap. That’s a passion we both share.”
Cohen will start off the next part of her political career at the state level after serving on the San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. Just like Newsom and Thurmond, she emerges with a great sense of exuberance.
Cohen was sworn into office as a member of the State Board of Equalization, BOE, along with Ted Gaines (First District), Tony Vazquez (Third District), and Mike Schaefer (Fourth District) at the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building near the State Capitol.
Former Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation stripping the board of some of its power in June of 2017 after an audit by the Department of Finance found improprieties. The BOE will continue in its role to review property tax and insurer assessments, alcohol and pipeline taxes.
The board members, including Cohen, all vowed that the state’s tax commission will regain the trust of the community. Cohen, Vazquez, Gaines and Schafer were elected to four-year terms. Cohen represents 23 counties and 9.5 million constituents in the Second District.
Betty Yee, who was re-elected as the State Controller and who was critical of the past behavior of former members of BOE, is the fifth member of the state’s tax management. Yee has new associates to work with now, despite the fact that BOE has no control of the Department of Tax Fee Administration or Office of Tax Appeals.
These newly-created tax departments run independently of BOE.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues on the state Board of Equalization to restore the faith of taxpayers have put into this body and as well as the legislature,” Cohen told CBM. “It’s been one year and a half (since the BOE’s overhaul). But I’m still
excited because there is work needs to be done.”
Cohen, 41, has a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Fisk University in Tennessee and a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University. She was elected to serve as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2010.
She held the position from Jan. 8, 2011, to Jan. 7 of this year. Cohen, born in the Richmond District of San Francisco, was the president of the Board of Supervisors for the last six months, replacing London Breed who was elected as the city’s mayor.
Mark Ridley-Thomas, a former state senator and assemblyman who is now a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, attended Cohen’s swearing-in ceremony that took place in the historic courtroom of the Stanley Mosk Library.
“Malia Cohen on the State Board of Equalization, although she represents Northern California, symbolically, she represents more than that,” said Ridley-Thomas. “To the extent of that, we look forward to her leadership and we expect to support her initiatives.”
January 03, 2019
LAWT News Service
After a busy year of legislative work, Sen. Holly J. Mitchell will see several of her new laws take effect Jan. 1, 2019, including reforms in criminal justice that will protect youth and help shore up families and communities.
Much of Mitchell's agenda in 2018 grew out of a two-year effort with Sen. Ricardo Lara to pass an #EquityAndJustice package. These bills focused on improving the way California treats youth and young adults caught up in the criminal justice system.
Mitchell also won the endorsement of Gov. Brown for new laws that will expand worker training to prevent sexual harassment and provide women potentially life-saving information about their health.
Below are the new laws that emerged from Mitchell's legislative efforts in 2018. Please note that while SB 1343, a plan to expand sexual harassment training for workers, goes into law soon it will take effect Jan. 1, 2020 to allow time to write and establish online-training procedures.
• Senate Bill 439 – Minimum Age Incarceration
Excludes children ages 11 and younger from juvenile court jurisdiction and promotes the rights, health and well-being of the child by curbing premature exposure to incarceration.
• SB 1034 – Dense Breast Tissue
Extends to Jan. 1, 2025 the sunset on the current dense breast tissue notification, which was to expire at the end of this year.
• SB 1050 – Services and Support for Exonorees
Provides services and support for exonerated people after prison, including healthcare, work training and updating records to reflect their wrongful convictions.
• SB 1083 – Resource Family Approval
Reduces barriers in the Resource Family Approval process to make it more child centered and family friendly.
• SB 1343 – Sexual Harassment Training
Expands mandatory sexual-harassment training to all employers with five or more employees.
• SB 1391 – Juvenile Justice for Children Under 16
Ensures that youth ages 14 and 15 who commit crimes get the services and help they need by prohibiting them from being tried as adults and keeping them in the juvenile justice system.
• SB 1393 – Five-Year Judicial Discretion
Allows for more judicial discretion on sentencing related to five-year enhancements for serious felony convictions.
Mitchell also had far-reaching impacts as chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. SB 951, the California Film and television Production Jobs Act, was incorporated into the 2018-19 state budget. Also included in the budget was SB 982, which provided for the largest grant increase for CalWORKS recipients in 30 years.
NOTE: SBs 439, 1050, 1391 and 1393 are part of the #EquityAndJustice2018 package carried jointly by Sens. Mitchell and Ricardo Lara as follow-up measures to six bills signed as part of their initial #EquityAndJustice bills last year.
January 03, 2019
City News Service
Tribune Broadcasting television stations — including KTLA5 in Los Angeles — went dark on Charter Communications/Spectrum cable services today amid a contract dispute over the cost for the cable company to carry the channels.
In Los Angeles, KTLA went black on Spectrum cable shortly after 2 p.m., which was the expiration time of the previous contract for Spectrum to carry Tribune stations.
“We’re extremely disappointed that we do not have an agreement on the renewal of our contract with Spectrum,” Gary Weitman, Tribune Media’s senior vice president for corporate relations, said in a statement. “The NFL playoffs are in jeopardy — beginning this weekend with critical games in some key markets like Indianapolis and Seattle. We don’t want Spectrum subscribers to miss these games.
“We’ve offered Spectrum fair market rates for our top-rated local news, live sports and high-quality entertainment programming, and similarly fair rates for our cable network, WGN America,” he said. “Spectrum has refused our offer and failed to negotiate in a meaningful fashion.”
Charter Communications, however, has foisted blame for the dispute on Tribune Broadcasting, saying the media company is demanding the cable system pay triple the amount for the same programming it already carries.
“We offered a fair price and they insist we pay them materially more than we pay any other of the 1,700 broadcast stations we carry,” according to a message from Charter broadcast to viewers on the blacked out channels. “We don’t think it’s fair that they are demanding huge fee increases, especially since their programming is provided free with a TV antenna, and much of it is available for free on the internet.
“... This is how Tribune Broadcasting operates. Driven by greed, they’ve pulled their channels from other distributors over recent years as a negotiating tactic,” according to the Charter message.
According to Tribune Broadcasting, the blackout affects roughly 6 million cable customers who had access to local Tribune stations, while 14 million customers lost access to WGN America, the company’s basic cable network.