Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed
Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
Gov. Newsom Appoints Kim Johnson to Replace Mark Ghaly at CalHHS
Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), announced Sept. 7 that he is resigning from the post- he has held since March 2019 when he was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Dr. Ghaly’s heroic service to the people of our state and his profound contribution to reshaping California’s health and social services cannot be overstated,” Newsom stated. “For more than five years at the helm of CalHHS, his visionary and compassionate leadership and unwavering focus on protecting the most vulnerable among us has seen our state through unprecedented challenges and historic victories that improve the lives of Californians.”
On June 8, Newsom appointed Director Kim Johnson as the next CalHHS Secretary effective Oct 1.
Ghaly will stay on at CalHHS through the end of September to facilitate the leadership transition. During Dr. Ghaly’s tenure, which spanned California’s nation-leading response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CalHHS moved forward with many initiatives that focused on providing more stability and opportunity to Californians. These initiatives covered a range of the agency’s functions, including addressing affordability and access to health care and deepening the connection between housing, homelessness and health, including behavioral health.
“I am grateful to Secretary Ghaly for his steadfast leadership and partnership during one of the greatest public health crises of our lifetime. However, it was his unceasing dedication to caring for the needs of all Californians, especially our most vulnerable, that will be his enduring legacy. It is my great privilege to call him a colleague and friend. I wish him the very best as he embarks on his next chapter,” stated Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, who served as California’s first Surgeon General.
Johnson, CalHHS’ incoming Secretary, has served as Director of the California Department of Social Services since 2019 and she has worn a number of hats 2015 to 2019, including Deputy Director of the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division at the agency and Branch Chief of CalWORKs.
Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill That Would Have Allowed Undocumented People to Qualify for Homebuying Assistance
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would allow undocumented individuals unlawfully living in the state to participate in a lottery system that provides up to 20% in down payment assistance or closing costs up to $150,000.
Authored by Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno), Assembly Bill (AB) 1840 was sent to the governor’s desk for signature after receiving a 53-18 vote in the Assembly on Aug. 28. The home-loan assistance would’ve allowed individuals to purchase homes through the financing of the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan program.
“I am returning AB 1840 without my signature,” Newsom stated. “This bill seeks to prohibit disqualification of applicants from one of California Housing Finance Agency’s (CalHFA) home purchase programs solely on their immigration status.”
Black Caucus Members Join Rally to End Involuntary Servitude in California’s Prisons
On Sept. 3, community leaders and civil rights advocates joined lawmakers at the State Capitol to raise awareness about Proposition (Prop) 6, a ballot initiative that aims to ban forced labor in California’s prisons.
California voters will decide the ballot initiative in this year’s November election. The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) introduced Prop 6 as part of the 14-bill reparations package. The State Legislature passed the measure in June with a bipartisan vote, placing it on the November ballot. The Black Caucus proposed Prop 6 as the “Remove Involuntary Servitude as Punishment for Crime Amendment,” under the Assembly Constitutional Amendment 8 (ACA8) to promote justice and equality in California.
Community groups organized a press conference including members of the Black Caucus, The Anti-Recidivism Coalition, The Abolish Slavery National Network, Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, the ABC Coalition, and the American Civil Liberties Union
Assemblymember and Legislative Black Caucus Chair Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) is the author of the ballot measure and has been supportive of community groups in their efforts to abolish slave labor.
Carmen-Nicole Cox of the ACLU led the rally and condemned forced labor stating that it prevents people from building the necessary skills after they leave prison.
“Slavery never has and never will promote rehabilitation,” said Cox.
Supporters of the reparations bills challenged Republican and Democratic legislators to back the ballot measures and help voters understand the harmful impact of forced labor statewide.
Gov. Newsom and Speaker Rivas Announce Legislation That Will Prevent Gas Hikes
California lawmakers have introduced legislation to prevent gasoline price spikes, stated Gov. Gavin Newsom and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) last week during a special legislative session on gas prices.
The State Assembly set a legislative plan of action to address the surge in gas prices, proposing a bill to increase crude oil and fuel capacity to lower high prices for residents pumping gas at refill stations. The legislation, introduced and co-authored by Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), aims to make oil refiners manage the state’s gasoline supply responsibly and protect consumers from unexpected financial burdens.
Newsom praised the bill and commended lawmakers for proposing legislation that could help residents save money.
“Gas price spikes are profit spikes for Big Oil, and California won’t stand by as families get gouged,” said Newsom.
Rivas stated that a special session was held to thoroughly vet the proposals.
“We must stop oil companies from raking in record profits at the expense of Californians,” said Rivas.
“We’ll hear from experts and ensure that the public has a voice in the process. I’m committed to delivering solutions that can rein in soaring gas costs and provide real savings at the pump,” he said.
In 2022, Gov. Newsom partnered with the Legislature to sign into law a package of reforms that hold oil companies accountable for the spike in gas prices. The reforms helped create the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight, an independent agency that monitored oil companies. The agency uncovered that high gas prices were caused by suspicious market transactions. Lawmakers outlined specific proposals to reform the state’s gas spot market to prevent spikes due to a lack of stable gas supply.
This year, lawmakers worked with the independent agency to monitor gas prices and discovered that refineries went offline without planning to backfill supplies. As a result, refining margins spiked causing spot and retail prices for gas to increase.
Under this new bill, Newsom plans to authorize the California Energy Commission (CEC) to maintain a minimum inventory of refined fuel in the distribution chain to avoid supply shortages.
Bonta Defends Labor Protections for Pregnant Women at Work
Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general as part of a nationwide effort to protect the equal rights of pregnant women in the workplace.
Bonta co-signed an amicus brief with his peers defending the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s rule to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) enacted in 2022. The brief was filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to support the rule requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant and postpartum employees including abortion care. The rule is being challenged by a coalition of 17 other state attorneys general spearheaded by Tennessee.
“PWFA empowers individuals to continue contributing to our economy while providing much-needed protections without compromising their health or their family’s well-being,” said Bonta. “At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to fight baseless attacks to this rule, which creates a fair and inclusive work environment for all.”
The PWFA law was enacted in 2022, it was the first federal law that required employers to offer accommodation workers for pregnancy-related medical conditions during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. In 2023, the agency responsible for enforcing the law proposed a rule that required employers to provide accommodations for workers terminated by abortion in the form of time off to attend a medical appointment or recovery.
The coalition argued that the pregnancy law provides critical and overdue protections for employees. The brief stated that the law extends to low-wage employees and workers of color who are more likely to suffer detrimental health outcomes during pregnancy due to their jobs.
DOJ Investigates Sexual Abuse Allegations at California Women’s Prisons
The United States Department of Justice announced last week that it has opened an investigation into allegations that correctional officers sexually abused incarcerated women at two state-run prisons in California.
Authorities uncovered “significant justification” to open an investigation looking in the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino, the DOJ clarified in a statement. Both facilities are run by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The state’s corrections department stated that it welcomed the investigation and does not tolerate sexual abuse in its prisons.
The formal inquiry was initiated by multiple private lawsuits over the past two years alleging that incarcerated women at the Chowchilla prison were raped or sexually abused, A DOJ news release stated. A lawsuit filed on behalf of 21 incarcerated women at the Chino facility alleged that from 2014 to 2020, corrections officers groped and raped the women, forced them to participate in various sexual acts and threatened them with violence.
Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division condemned violence against women arguing that all women have the right to be protected.
“No woman incarcerated in a jail or prison should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff who are constitutionally bound to protect them,” said Clarke.
Staff at the correctional facilities were also accused of seeking sexual favors in return for contraband and other privileges. Some of the accused staff members include prison officials responsible for handling sexual abuse complaints at the facilities.
Jeff Macomber, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation stated that the department is willing to participate in the independent investigation.
“Sexual assault is a heinous violation of fundamental human dignity that is not tolerated — under any circumstances — within California’s state prison system,” said Macomber.
Recently, the federal Bureau of Prisons announced that it will close a women’s prison in Northern California known as the “rape club” following an investigation by the Associated Press exposing sexual abuse by correctional officers.
The United States Senate reported that corrections staff have sexually abused incarcerated people with approximately two-thirds of the victims being women in federal prisons. Federal reports revealed that sexual abuse by corrections officers is a systemic problem in prisons nationwide.
