Category: Government & Politics
Torres Invites Ontario International Airport Employee Affected by the Government Shutdown to the State of the Union
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) announced that Joe Rodgers, a Federal Aviation Administration Engineer Technician at Ontario International Airport who was one of the 800,000 federal workers furloughed during the 35-day long government shutdown, has been invited as her guest to the State of the Union address. “For more than…
Comprehensive Use-of-Force Legislation
Re: Comprehensive Use-of-Force Legislation Today we join the California Police Chiefs Association in announcing the introduction of Senate Bill XXX, authored by Senator Anna Caballero, which presents a comprehensive package of changes to California’s use-of-force statutes, law enforcement agency policies, and training. In 2017, it was reported that there were 172 law enforcement related deaths…
League Of Women Voters® Of San Bernardino Area
P.O. Box 3394, San Bernardino, CA 92413 January 23, 2019 Since 1975, the League of Women Voters of the San Bernardino Area has honored more than 750 individuals and more recently, groups of citizens, who have enhanced the quality of life in their communities. Once again, the League is reaching out to the community seeking…
Over $700,000 Awarded to the Cities of Colton and Fontana from the 2018-2019 Proposition 56 Tobacco Grant Program
Sacramento – Last month, Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the recipients of Prop 56 grants to reduce illegal sales of tobacco which included $798,795 for the Cities of Colton and Fontana in the 47th Assembly District. The Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant funds will support programs to reduce illegal tobacco sales, particularly to minors. This…
National Civil Rights Group Responds to Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Vote Fraud Allegations
Washington, DC – Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement in response to an announcement made by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton regarding alleged non-U.S. citizens on the state’s registration rolls: “Advancing exaggerated claims of vote fraud has become the latest go-to tactic…
Senator Portantino Continues Leadership On Gun Safety
Authors SB 172 Promoting Safe Home Storage of Firearms Sacramento, California – Early in the 2019 legislative session Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D–La Cañada Flintridge) is continuing his leadership for sensible gun control. This week, he introduced SB 172, which would require stronger storage safety of all firearms within the home. Specifically, the bill would…
Gov. Newsom Makes Good on Promise to California’s Students, Parents & Educators in 2019 Budget Proposal
SACRAMENTO – California Teachers Association President Eric C. Heins issued the following statement Thursday commending Governor Gavin Newsom for his first state budget proposal and a record $80.7 billion for education as well as record funding for other key programs: “Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget released today reflects his commitment to the children and students of…
Opening Statements Begin Today in Federal Trial Challenging Trump Administration’s 2020 Census Citizenship Question
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Public Counsel, and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips Claim Sec Ross Violated Administrative Procedure Act SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Public Counsel, along with law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips will make opening statements today in a federal trial regarding a…
AFT President Randi Weingarten Urges Swift Passage of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019
WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten released the following statement on the introduction of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019: “Last year, we mourned students who never returned home from school, congregants who never returned home from church or synagogue, families who never returned home from a concert, and shoppers who never return home…
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Reacts to Appellate Court’s Decision to Uphold the Conviction and 20-Year sentence of Michael Slager
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement following an appellate court’s decision to uphold the conviction and 20-year sentence of a white former South Carolina policeman for the shooting death of Walter Scott. “The 4th Circuit’s unanimous decision upholding the…
Feasibility Study Finds Public Cannabis Bank Too Risky for California
Treasurer Chiang Vows to Find Alternate Way to Support California Businesses SACRAMENTO, CA – At a public hearing at the California State Capitol this afternoon, the Cannabis Banking Working Group (CBWG), chaired by California State Treasurer John Chiang, was presented with the results of an independent study that found that establishment of a public cannabis…
Congresswoman Lee Statement on Trump Administration’s Proposed Rule to End SNAP Benefits for 750,000+ Americans
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Lee released the following statement regarding the Trump administration’s proposed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rule that would end food assistance for more than 750,000 Americans: “Let’s be clear: this Trump administration rule is a mean-spirited attempt to prevent hundreds of thousands of struggling Americans from accessing food assistance. This rule…
Waters Chosen by House Democrats to Be First Woman and African American to Chair Financial Services Committee
WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) released the following statement after being approved by the Democratic Caucus to serve as the first woman and the first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee: “I am honored to have been selected by my colleagues to be the first Chairwoman of the House Financial…
Assemblyman Obernolte Responds to DMV’s Lack of Transparency in Using Flawed REAL ID Process
SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) issued the following statement in response to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) waiting one month to notify Californians that the federal government has rejected the state’s REAL ID residency verification process and has still continued to issue cards that are not compliant: “To date, 2.3 million Californians…
Editorial Boards Blame Trump for Possible Shutdown
With a possible government shutdown looming, editorial boards across the country have placed the blame firmly where it belongs – on Donald Trump. San Francisco Chronicle: “Moreover, Republicans’ total control of government, and the president’s explicit acceptance of responsibility for any impasse, all but eliminate the chief political drawback of a shutdown for Democrats: the…
DNC on Senate Intelligence Committee Report
DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement after the release of a new report prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee detailing Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, including its targeting of African-American voters and its attempts to suppress turnout among Democrats: “This is even more proof that the Russian government and the Republican Party…
Aguilar’s Bill to Honor Jack H. Brown Becomes Law
Washington, D.C.— Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-San Bernardino) announced that his bill to honor former Stater Bros. Executive Chairman and Inland Empire philanthropist Jack H. Brown was signed into law by the president on December 6, 2018. The new law renames the post office at 390 West 5th Street in San Bernardino the “Jack H. Brown…
AFT President Randi Weingarten on Human Rights Day
WASHINGTON(12/10/18)—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on Human Rights Day: “As we mark the 70th anniversary of Human Rights Day, we note the escalating crises both here in the United States and abroad that threaten the rights of human beings to live safely and peacefully. One only need to look at the…
Pelosi hopes to pass legislation to help DREAMers with a Democratic House Majority
Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi vowed to pass legislation that would put DREAMers on a pathway to citizenship when her party retakes control “Our House Democratic Majority will once again pass the Dream Act to end the uncertainty and fear inflicted on patriotic young men and women across the country.” Pelosi said in a…
State Superintendent Torlakson Announces Study Showing Success of CDE Tobacco-Use Prevention Programs
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that schools funded by the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Office have lower rates of tobacco use than other schools, according to a comprehensive study by the University of California, San Diego. The findings were based on two statewide surveys, the 2016…
California State Parks Reopens Several Parks Closed by the Hill and Woolsey Fires
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— California State Parks has reopened several parks in Southern California that were closed due to the devastating Hill and Woolsey fires. Some parts of Point Mugu and Leo Carrillo state parks reopened, while other areas of the parks remain closed due to the damage caused by the Woolsey Fire. Meanwhile Malibu Lagoon and…
NAACP Strongly urges Senate Rejection of Farr Nomination
BALTIMORE — The NAACP strongly condemns Thomas Farr’s nomination and the Senate’s scheduling of his vote. The nation just experienced national elections which are not yet over, and which were tainted by egregious voting rights violations. That Majority Leader McConnell chooses this moment in time to vote on a judicial nominee known as the vote-suppressor-in-chief…
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Welcomes Endorsement from Congressman John Lewis
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee welcomed the endorsement from Congressman John Lewis in her race for Democratic Caucus Chair. “Congressman John Lewis is the conscious of the Congress and a living civil rights legend. I am incredibly grateful for his leadership and his endorsement for Chair of the Democratic Caucus,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee….
Court blocks Trump’s effective ban on green-card holders in the military
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal court issued a ruling on Friday that halts a Trump administration policy that blocked hundreds of lawful permanent residents from serving in the U.S. military. Judge Jon S. Tigar granted a preliminary injunction, holding that the Department of Defense likely violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act after it implemented a…
California’s Legislators Lack Private Sector Experience
Back in the days of adding machines and manual ledgers, final election results in California were usually done by midnight on election day. Sometimes there would be a few precincts counting ballots into the wee hours of the morning, and you wouldn’t know a result till the next day. Fast forward to 2018, and the…
