Category: Government & Politics

Grant is part of $4.25 million to universities on heels of memo from Administrator Wheeler to prioritize Agency efforts to reduce animal testing Riverside, Calif. – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $849,811 to University of California Riverside as part of a total of $4.25 million in funding to five universities to research the…

SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) author of Assembly Bill (AB) 1442, held her bill in the fiscal Senate Appropriations Committee to continue to work with stakeholders. AB 1442 establishes the Share Our Values Film Tax Credit which allocates $50 million per year for five years, for the relocation of film production to California…

DreamWorks Animation LLC Awarded $258,000 to Train 870 employees SACRAMENTO – The State of California’s Employment Training Panel announced it approved 23 contracts worth nearly $11 million to train nearly 7,700 workers. Included is a $258,000 contract to DreamWorks Animation LLC to train 870 employees in entertainment multimedia. “The entertainment industry has a high demand…

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 27, 2019 — California Fire Safe Council is pleased to announce the award of $500,000 from Edison International, parent company of Southern California Edison (SCE). The grant is in addition to an earlier 2018 Edison International $250,000 grant that provided small grants for community fire prevention and preparedness projects to 12 fire safe…

SACRAMENTO – California State Treasurer Fiona Ma today announced that $73.7 million in tax-exempt green bond financing has been issued for CalPlant I, LLC, a company that will turn rice straw into medium density fiberboard at its Willows plant in the Sacramento Valley. The fiberboard can be used in manufacturing flooring, furniture, doors, shelves and…

BioMarin Pharmaceutical to receive $750,000 to train 815 employees SACRAMENTO – The State of California’s Employment Training Panel announced that it approved 23 contracts worth more than $8 million in job training funds for 7,000 workers. The panel awarded a $750,000 contract to BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. to train 815 employees. “The Employment Training Panel is…

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2019 – Acting Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Joel Baxley today encouraged farmers, rural small businesses and agricultural producers to apply for financing in a key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program that provides loan guarantees to help rural small businesses lower their energy costs.    “Under the leadership of…

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today announced that 44 organizations — including nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and entrepreneurship-focused organizations — from 28 states and two territories will receive grants totaling $23 million to create and expand high-growth entrepreneurship and increase access to capital for communities across America. The grants are made…

Washington, D.C.—Today, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law issued the following statement in response to the FBI’s abandonment of its “Black Identity Extremism” designation.  In testimony from FBI Director Christopher Wray during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Director Wray indicated that the “BIE” designation had been eliminated. Wray also indicated that the Bureau…

Washington, D.C. –  In response to the Justice Department’s decision to not pursue federal charges against a New York City Police Officer in the death of Eric Garner, Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement:  “The tragic killing of Eric Garner was recorded…

https://www.ewg.org/release/lead-detected-drinking-water-almost-1-5-california-schools SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Almost 20 percent of California’s K-12 school campuses serve drinking water with detectable levels of lead. The State Water Resources Control Board confirmed in an email to EWG that 1,166 out of 6,595 schools that submitted test results found at least one fountain that served water with more than 5 parts…

Sacramento – Last Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the 2019-2020 California state budget that makes historic investments in California’s future including funding for early childhood education, homelessness prevention, higher education access, largest investment in K-14 education in California’s history, expansion of Cal-EITC Working Families Tax Credit and $19.2 billion in reserves, the largest of any…

SACRAMENTO – The California Employment Training Panel executive director Stewart Knox today issued the following statement in honor of chairperson Barry Broad’s tenure with the panel. Broad has served on the Employment Training Panel since 2002 and was appointed chairperson by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in 2011. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Broad to the…

According  to  a 2018 California State University-San Bernardino report, commuting costs for San Bernardino and Los Angeles County residents averaged $11,138 per year WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced House passage of more than $305 million in federal funding she requested for transportation and infrastructure improvements in the Fiscal Year…

Sacramento – The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) reminds Californians that new sales and use tax rates will take effect July 1, 2019. The new rates are the result of voter-approved initiatives. The tax rate changes listed below apply only within the indicated city or county limits.      To find the…

Eligible citizens can apply at ShapeCaliforniasFuture.auditor.ca.gov today Sacramento, Calif. (June 10, 2019) – The California State Auditor, Elaine M. Howle, announced online applications are now open for qualified Californians to apply for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. Alongside several partners – including those representing business, good government advocates, party representatives, and ethnic organizations – the…

SB 22 Continues Senator Leyva’s Commitment to Ensuring Justice for Survivors SACRAMENTO – Earlier today, the Assembly Public Safety Committee passed critical legislation authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) requiring that law enforcement agencies and forensic laboratories promptly analyze and test all newly collected rape kit evidence in California. Passing from committee today with…

SB 291 will improve college access and student graduation rates SACRAMENTO – In order to address the quickly escalating total costs of attending community college, the California State Senate approved legislation earlier today that establishes the California Community College Student Financial Aid Program that would base financial aid on not only the cost of tuition,…

California, Hawaii and Pacific Island Territories Expected to Receive Total of $1.6 Million SAN FRANCISCO – As the nation heads into the summer beach season, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun awarding up to $9.24 million across 39 states, territories and tribes to develop and implement beach monitoring and notification programs. Upon meeting…

SB 24 Would Remove Barriers to Abortion Care for UC and CSU Students SACRAMENTO – As other states continue to ban or severely restrict abortion, the California State Senate today approved the “College Student Right to Access Act” by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) that will ensure access to medication abortion on California public university…