Cal Wellness Issues in the News

Sept. 22, 2022

Community Well-Being

• California will be the first state to create an anti-gun violence office. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention will work to identify evidence-based and data-driven approaches to combating gun violence. The Supreme Court, which has recently taken an expansive view of gun rights, will significantly impact just how much this new office can achieve.
• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law promised that federal funding would fix dilapidated infrastructure, but government funding has often bypassed small, rural, and BIPOC communities. Climate change has increased the frequency of severe weather events and poor infrastructure has turned natural disasters into long-lasting crises for Black Americans across the country. While predominantly White regions receive funding, Black communities are largely left to rely on grassroots networks during disasters.

Equity in Access

• A five-minute video shows the journey of one of the many migrant families that have been sent to Democratic-led cities since April by governors from Texas, Florida, and Arizona. The White House has called the actions “an inhumane political gimmick” that has turned asylum-seekers into political pawns.

Leading for Power and Change

• Advocates in Fresno, Kern, and Riverside counties are pushing for independent redistricting commissions to draw county supervisor districts beginning with the next census. Local leaders say that current supervisor districts disenfranchise voters, particularly those in the Latino community.

Sept. 14, 2022

Community Well-Being

• An organization that sets standards for business transactions has voted to create a special code for gun stores to use when processing credit and debit card transactions. Virtually every retailing category in the US has a code that is attached to each card transaction but, until now, there was no code for gun stores. Gun safety advocates say this is an important step towards improving coordination with law enforcement and preventing gun violence. It is unclear whether the new code will actually be used.

Equity in Access

• Thousands of California farmworkers marched to the state capitol to convince Governor Newsom to sign a bill that will allow them vote for a union. Farmworkers who try to unionize are typically more vulnerable than other workers because they are threatened with deportation. President Biden and other party leaders have publicly supported the bill.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The Social Security Administration is expected to announce an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the over 70 million people who receive Social Security benefits. The adjustment would be the highest increase in over forty years. COLA is typically offset by higher Medicare premiums, but premiums are expected to increase by only a modest amount next year.
• Guaranteed income programs are gaining traction across the country with nearly fifty programs launching since 2020. Some researchers say applying lessons from municipal pilot programs on a nationwide scale will be difficult and the best pathway isn’t through scaling up a pilot, but in reforming and expanding existing federal programs such as the earned-income tax credit and the child tax credit.

Leading for Power and Change

Advocates are calling on Governor Newsom to veto a bill that would extend the deadline to July 2024 for the state’s reparations task force to submit its report assessing the compensation owed to descendants of enslaved people. The bill was sponsored by a member of the task force who argues that though the committee is expected to complete its report by the original deadline, it needs more time to lobby and push for reparations.

Sept. 8, 2022

Equity in Access

• The Biden administration announced it will roll back the public charge rule that considered cash assistance as well as supplemental health benefits as factors in green card applications. Immigration advocates note that much work needs to be done to reverse the chilling effect the previous rule had on people’s willingness to access public benefits.

Economic Security and Dignity

• Governor Newsom signed a bill to create a Fast Food Council that will be empowered to set minimum standards for wages, hours, and working conditions in the state. The bill also sets a cap on minimum wages at $22 an hour next year for workers at chains with more than 100 restaurants.
• Los Angeles County’s guaranteed income program launched last week with 1,000 residents receiving $1,000 monthly payments for the next 36 months. Over 180,000 people applied for the program. The program administrator will assist participants to help them reach their personal and financial goals.

Leading for Power and Change

• The midterm elections are around the corner and ballots will be mailed to registered voters no later than October 10 and voters can return ballots by mail, drop them at collection boxes or turn them in at voting centers by November 8. California lost a congressional seat but will be key to determining the balance of power in Congress. The most closely watched local contest is the mayoral race in Los Angeles. There will be seven statewide propositions on the ballot for sports betting, tobacco, dialysis centers, and abortion rights.

Aug. 25, 2022

Community Well-Being

• Researchers have found that witnessing the killing of a loved one can do more psychological damage to children than if they were shot themselves. The devastating effects of intimate partner violence on children exposed to it have been well documented in recent years but seeing one parent kill another inflicts an especially harmful form of trauma because it deprives the children of both caretakers: one to death, the other to prison or frequently suicide.

Equity in Access

• The California Department of Health Care Services announced it will continue to offer government-funded health insurance to undocumented young adults through the end of 2023. A new law scheduled to take effect in January 2024 will extend health insurance benefits to cover all adults who, but for their immigration status, would qualify for the state’s Medicaid program. An estimated 40,000 young adults would have had their benefits lapse had the department not extended coverage until the new law goes into effect.

Leading for Power and Change

• Political candidates are gathering likes and views on TikTok to try to educate, encourage and hook young people on politics. The platform offers politicians a valuable opportunity to promote civic engagement and helps elect candidates, particularly progressive ones as TikTok use among politicians skews Democratic. There are concerns that the algorithm of the social media platform could be meddled with to change the tone of public discourse.

Aug. 17, 2022

Community Well-Being

• An article by the Center for Effective Philanthropy makes recommendations for foundations to do more to address climate change. Recommendations include looking for opportunities to incorporate climate change in current grantmaking and programs, asking grantees how climate is affecting their work and their communities, talking with board of directors about how the climate crisis is relevant to the work, and connecting with a collaborative fund to pool resources and learn more.

Equity in Access

• An issue brief by the California Health Care Foundation describes key care delivery transitions that will impact seniors and people with disabilities (SPDs) during implementation of CalAIM. Currently, the organization and delivery of health care and social services for SPDs varies significantly across California counties and while CalAIM works to reduce this complexity in the long term, in the short term it will move or transition SPDs into new or consolidated delivery systems and programs.

Economic Security and Dignity

• People leaving California have lower incomes and education levels than those moving to the state. Census data suggests that housing costs drive migration out of and within the state. The pattern between states and within California suggests that a geographic polarization of income may be occurring, and the effects might be significant for policy, resource planning, and politics.

Leading for Power and Change

• Starting January 1, 2024, California will require its agencies to provide additional demographic categories for descendants of enslaved people. Employees will not be required to disclose this information, but advocates argue that the new legislation will provide critical information to the state’s reparations task force.
• A prominent election law commentator is launching the Safeguarding Democracy Project to promote free and fair elections in the U.S. The project will “work to ensure that all eligible voters can freely cast their vote, that those votes will be fairly and accurately counted, and that the election winners will undergo a peaceful transfer of power.”

Aug. 10, 2022

Community Well-Being

• A report by the Office of Public Safety Accountability shows that the oversight agency failed to review about one-third of Sacramento police misconduct complaints from 2021. The director of the accountability office said the office needs more staff to be able to review all complaints. The police department has no obligation to implement recommendations from the accountability office or the review commission and dozens of recommendations made in the past five years haven’t even reached the council for discussion.

Equity in Access

• This November, California could become one of the first states to create explicit constitutional rights to both abortion and contraception. The proposed constitutional amendment in Proposition 1 doesn’t go into detail about what enshrining the right to contraception in the state constitution would mean but it could provide a new legal pathway for people to sue when they’re denied contraceptives.

Economic Security and Dignity

• California has launched CalKIDS, a taxpayer-funded scholarship program aimed at helping kids start saving for college from the day they’re born. The program grants up to $100 automatically to every child born in California on or after July 1, 2022, and up to $1,500 automatically to every eligible low-income student.
• Newly unionized child-care providers in California signed their first-ever contract with the state last year and now the 40,000-member organization is making a push to help providers “retire with dignity.” One in 5 home-based family child-care providers in the state are 60 or older and just 21% of California workers operating home-based day cares reported having some form of retirement savings. The 2022-23 state budget includes funding for a study regarding potential retirement benefits for child-care providers who offer home-based state-subsidized care.

Leading for Power and Change

• A bipartisan group of senators has introduced the Electoral Count Reform Act that would clarify that the vice president has a "solely ministerial" role in counting Electoral College votes as president of the Senate and make it harder for lawmakers to challenge a state's electoral votes.

Aug. 5, 2022

Community Well-Being

• The federal government is prohibited from leasing land it owns for the purpose of drilling until it completes an environmental impact report on fracking in the Central Valley. The settlement puts a moratorium on any sales of oil and gas leases on federal land around Bakersfield until the appropriate environmental reviews are completed. Governor Newsom has called for a ban on new fracking permits on state-permitted land starting in 2024.
• Family members of some of the people killed or wounded in the 2019 Gilroy shooting are suing the companies that distributed the rifle used by the shooter. The suits are seeking a jury trial, but they did not specify the damages they are seeking.

Equity in Access

• The Office of Health Equity contracted with Public Health Alliance to produce a report with policy, program, and resource recommendations to ensure that local public health departments are adequately prepared to protect communities from the impacts of public health emergencies. Key findings include that 87% of local health department respondents said knowledge of community engagement and partnerships was the most critical staff skill in the COVID response and 85% of CBOs indicated that they would most benefit from general operating support in order to respond to public health emergencies.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The 2022-23 California State Budget includes a $50 million one-time investment for a Statewide Reentry Employment Grant Program. The funding will provide new support for transitional jobs, pre-apprenticeships, and union training pathways coupled with direct cash assistance and wrap-around support. The effort was bolstered by the advocacy of more than 20 reentry and workforce development organizations throughout the state.

Leading for Power and Change

• An article from GIH summarizes the key themes that emerged from interviews with health funders who actively support civic engagement efforts. The strategic importance of civic engagement and the level of resources invested in related grants have been increasing and foundations generally expect levels of support to remain stable or increase in the future. Civic engagement activities most commonly cited by health funders include community organizing, leadership development, voter engagement, census support, and redistricting advocacy.
  

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July 27, 2022

Equity in Access

• A new study found that greater investment in primary care is associated with better quality of care, patient experience, and plan rating. The study, which evaluated primary care spending data from 13 Medi-Cal managed care plans, found wide variation in the level of primary care investment by plan and population. When individual measures of quality were studied, plans with a higher percentage of spending on primary care performed better on 9 of 11 measures.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The U.S. government spent about $665 billion on procurement contracts in 2020, with only 9% going to minority-owned small businesses. The Equity in Infrastructure Project is a pledge to increase the number, size and percentage of historically underutilized businesses that become prime contractors, participate in joint ventures or are equity participants by December 2025. The EIP can help ensure that small and disadvantaged businesses are awarded federal contracts in infrastructure spending.

Leading for Power and Change

• California’s Citizen Redistricting Commission and Top Two impacted primary elections in June and will continue to have an enduring legacy. Due to Top Two, twenty-eight races this Fall will feature two candidates of the same party, the highest number since 2012. By carving up political strongholds, redistricting discouraged many incumbents from running because they’d be competing against another incumbent.

July 21, 2022

Community Well-Being

• A study from the University of Michigan found that the 40% of children that are exposed to the criminal justice system through a caregiver face multiple adverse childhood outcomes. The study also found racial disparities in the likelihood of exposure; 62% of Black children are exposed to the criminal justice system before the age of 18 compared to 60% of Native American children, 45% of Latino children, 32% of white children, and 17% of Asian children.

Equity in Access

• The American Rescue Plan Act provided $130 billion in flexible resources to counties and cities over five years to address the pandemic. The U.S. Treasury prioritized equity in the spending guidelines for ARPA funds and PolicyLink analyzed the extent to which cities prioritized equity in their ARPA investments thus far. Initial observations show that 90% of cities have exhibited “equity awareness” but only 11% of cities set specific equity targets.
• Covered California premiums will increase by an average of 6% next year, the largest rate hike since 2019. Since financial aid is based on household income, subsidies may offset some of the rate increases. The rate increases are attributed to inflation, a potential loss of enhanced subsidies from the federal government, and people resuming medical visits and procedures they postponed during the pandemic.

Economic Security and Dignity

• Childcare costs have gotten more expensive during the pandemic, with 51% of parents reporting that they spend more than 20% of their household income on childcare. Families are having more difficulty finding childcare with nearly 16,000 providers closing their doors since the start of the pandemic.

Leading for Power and Change

• An analysis of Latino voting patterns in six Senate races from 2020 shows the complexity of this growing segment of the electorate. Data do not confirm a massive or uniform defection of Latino voters away from the Democratic Party, however, findings show that despite the overwhelming support for Democrats among Latino voters, a not insignificant number are persuadable swing voters.

July 13, 2022

Community Well-Being

• Governor Newsom signed a bill allowing individuals to sue gun manufacturers who fail to adhere to a newly created firearm industry standard of conduct aimed at reducing gun violence. The bill also allows state and local governments to sue gun makers. The new law will go into effect on July 1, 2023, but is expected to face legal challenges.
• Police killings in Vallejo outpace those of all but two California cities, San Bernardino and South Gate. An investigation by Open Vallejo and ProPublica found a pattern of delayed and incomplete investigations after police killings occur in the city. Six of the department’s 17 fatal shootings between 2011 and 2020, involved an officer using deadly force while still under investigation for a prior killing. The Vallejo police department has taken an average of 20 months to review fatal shootings.

Equity in Access

• A new lawsuit settlement prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials from using private contractors to arrest immigrants at county jails and prisons. The lawsuit alleged that ICE collaborated with private contractors to detain and arrest people since federal law limits immigration officers to make arrests related only to immigration. California lawmakers are considering a new policy which would ensure that people who have served a sentence are not processed for deportation.

Economic Security and Dignity

• Growing evidence indicates that diversifying the health care workforce is crucial to improving access to and the quality of care in communities of color. Research conducted by the Urban Institute shows that career pathway programs are essential for achieving health care workforce diversity. Some of the more critical components of pipeline programs include providing social supports, exposing students to supportive networks, and addressing financial constraints.

Leading for Power and Change

• Wisconsin’s Supreme Court banned the use of ballot drop boxes in the state’s elections. Many are celebrating the ruling, arguing that it validates their belief that the 2020 election was “rigged” against the sitting president. In fact, ballot drop boxes may help to “unrig” elections that have long favored one party.

July 7, 2022

Community Well-Being

• The Returning Citizen Stimulus initiative offers cash payments to people released from prison to support their reentry. Formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly Blacks and Latinos, face post-conviction poverty and the cash assistance during the transitional period can be a stabilizing force. The cash payments are paid over three months and are contingent on meeting certain benchmarks.

Equity in Access

• A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that between 2019 and 2021, the life expectancy for Latino Californians fell from 82.5 to 76.8 years and fell from 74.8 to 71 years for Black Californians. The decreases in life expectancy were less pronounced among white and Asian Californians and the life expectancy gap widened based on income, demonstrating that the pandemic’s impact was not felt evenly among all communities.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The pervasiveness of “beating the odds” stories illuminate how we think about economic inequity and wealth. Structural barriers become hidden when narratives focus on individuals and allow long standing, inequitable practices to flourish. Countless efforts are underway to create new narratives and build economic power.

Leading for Power and Change

• The 2022 midterm cycle will be the first time Generation Z candidates can run for office. Generation Z defines people who are born between the years 1997 and 2012 and have come of age during a volatile period in history. These younger candidates are deviating from a “compromise mindset” to that of disrupting institutions and systems. Some Gen Z candidates running for Congress have already obtained endorsements from well-known political leaders.

June 30, 2022

Community Well-Being

• In response to the Supreme Court ruling, California lawmakers on Tuesday moved to limit where firearms may be carried and who can have them. Lawmakers aim to restrict concealed carry to those 21 and older and bar concealed weapons from certain locations including schools, government buildings, medical facilities, and public parks. Lawmakers will work to advance the legislation in August so that it can take effect in January.

Equity in Access

• According to a UCLA study, between 8,000 and 16,100 more people from out of state will travel to California annually for abortion care. It’s estimated that most people traveling to California to seek care will be uninsured people of color. Minors are also expected to seek abortion care in California because the state does not require parental consent. Governor Newsom announced that his administration won’t spend public funds to help out-of-state patients travel to California for abortion care.

Economic Security and Dignity

• As policymakers consider whether to make the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit permanent, findings from a study suggest that the EITC can be a useful tool for addressing income inequality for workers without dependent children. Pilot programs in two cities indicate that increased EITC benefits for childless workers increased after-bonus earnings, led to a small increase in employment rates, and did not reduce work effort among higher earners.
• Economists predict that Black families will suffer the worst effects of rising inflation and may be forced to go without some basic necessities. The wealth gap has made it difficult for Black families to maintain savings and build generational wealth.

Leading for Power and Change

• The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to return Bruce’s Beach to a Black family after it had been improperly taken from them. The decision opens a new path forward for the government to rectify racially motivated injustices. Advocates are calling on county officials to specify in their records that Bruce’s Beach is in the ancestral homelands of the Tongva people to avoid inadvertently perpetuating the erasure of a community that has also suffered injustices.
• The 2020 presidential election set a record for youth voter turnout and the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has the potential to spur turnout in the midterms. Young activists are using social media platforms such as TikTok to lay the groundwork for their advocacy. Organizations are hiring content creators as coordinating staff and independent contractors to build an online organizing base.

June 23, 2022

Community Well-Being

• In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court struck down a New York law requiring people to have “proper cause” to obtain a concealed-carry license for carrying a firearm in public. California is among the number of states that are impacted by the expansion of gun rights. This is the Supreme Court's first major gun ruling in over a decade.

Equity in Access

• The $178 billion in federal funding for the healthcare system at the start of the pandemic had unexpected consequences and in many cases, exacerbated the gap between under-resourced hospitals and wealthy hospitals. The formula used to determine funding levels put safety-net hospitals at a disadvantage. Hospitals were required to use federal funds for COVID-related costs, but many hospitals saw strong profits and increased their reserves during this period.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The Sacramento City Council is expected to approve a $750,000 contract with a local United Way affiliate to expand an existing guaranteed basic income program. The expanded program is limited to low- and moderate-income households living in the city of Sacramento; a single adult must earn below $28,205, and a two-adult household must earn below $43,201 to be eligible. The pilot will be financed with federal COVID-19 relief funds.
• CalWORKs, California’s public assistance program, requires a child’s primary caretaker to open a child support case so that the government can recover costs from the noncustodial parent. Governor Newsom’s budget proposes waiving the state’s share of “recoupment” from child support payments to redirect more money directly to children and their primary caretakers.

June 15, 2022

Community Well-Being

• Several members of the entertainment industry have signed a letter committing to incorporating gun safety best practices into their storytelling. The letter acknowledges that cultural attitudes are impacted by the media and stories have the power to effect change. The letter campaign was coordinated by Brady.
• There has been a national increase of Latino activism in environmentalism in recent years. A Pew Research Center study released last Fall showed that about 70% of Latinos say climate change affects their communities at least some, compared to 54% of non-Latinos. Latinos are disproportionately affected by chronic health conditions aggravated by extreme heat, like diabetes and heart and kidney disease.

Equity in Access

• The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the federal government improperly lowered drug reimbursement payments to clinics and hospitals that serve low-income communities. Under Medicare, health care providers get reimbursed by the government for drugs used in hospital outpatient departments and until 2018, hospitals had been getting reimbursed at a rate based on the average price of the drugs.

Economic Security and Dignity

• 3.7 million more children are living in poverty since Congress allowed the monthly Child Tax Credit (CTC) to expire at the end of 2021. New analysis shows that monthly payments provide more anti-poverty benefits than annual lump sums and monthly checks reduce income volatility. The monthly CTC did not negatively impact employment and helped parents reduce credit card debt.

Leading for Power and Change

• Youth organizers are seeing wins in several campaigns, often despite minimal philanthropic funding. The Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing launched the Youth Power Pledge, a campaign to raise $35 million to build the power of youth organizers. Of those funds, $15 million will go directly to grassroots youth-organizing groups and $20 million will support grantmaking, leadership development programs, and a range of resources to strengthen youth-organizing groups.

June 8, 2022

Community Well-Being 

• In California, a proposed bill would make the marketing of firearms to children a civil liability and would allow lawsuits against gun manufacturers based on their marketing. A similar bill was passed in New York and has held up to legal challenges.  

Equity in Access 

• Medi-Cal has a payment structure that works like a monthly deductible; people are allowed to keep $600 of their income for personal use and must spend the rest on health care expenses before their Medi-Cal coverage kicks in. The $600 threshold has not changed in over three decades and has not kept up with the current cost of living. Under a proposed bill, the monthly limit would increase to $1,562, or 138% of the federal poverty level. 
• Roughly 4 million Californians have been diagnosed with diabetes and one in four people who have diabetes and rely on insulin cannot afford it. The state is working on an initiative to launch its own generic drug label, CalRx, to bring to market affordable drugs such as insulin. The initiative faces an uphill battle and there is no guarantee that the administration’s predictions of dramatic savings or wide distribution of insulin will materialize. 

Leading for Power and Change 

• In a Nonprofit Quarterly piece, community organizers reflect on lessons learned from a 2020 campaign that centered narrative change. Key lessons include understanding that narrative change is a long-term process, investing in the next generation of leaders, challenging dominant counter-narratives, and building infrastructure for the long haul. 

June 2, 2022

Community Well-Being

• The Judicial Council of California has been sued for relying on massive late fees, known as “civil assessment fees,” to fund California courts. Civil assessments disproportionately impact people of color who are subject to traffic stops and citations at much higher rates than their white peers and are less likely to be able to pay fees by their deadline. The Judicial Court will not fight the lawsuit pending action from the Governor and the Legislature to end civil assessments permanently.

Equity in Access

• Farmers are scrambling to recruit foreign workers on temporary guest-worker visas to harvest California’s crops. Mexican immigrants constitute most of the farmworkers in the state but are not coming to the U.S. at previous rates due to relative economic stability in Mexico, stricter border enforcement, and growing housing costs in the U.S. This shift has decreased the total population of undocumented immigrants, particularly in California.

Economic Security and Dignity

• Women in the workforce were hit hard by the pandemic and women’s employment is not projected to recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2024. Women’s funds have been at the forefront of funding organizations addressing women’s underemployment and preliminary data suggests that these funds are seeing double-digit growth in their operating and grantmaking budgets in 2022 when compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Leading for Power and Change

• California’s reparations task force released its first report with recommendations for state lawmakers which include free tuition and raising the minimum wage. The task force will release by July 2023 another report with recommendations on exact monetary compensation and the number of Black Californians eligible for payments.
• An influx of new voters has historically reshaped the American political landscape and the two fastest growing racial and ethnic groups have the power to do just that in upcoming elections. Asian American and Latino populations are growing rapidly but represent the lowest rates of voter turnout at 59.9% and 54.7%, respectively. Political consultants are beginning to understand that these groups are not monoliths and require unique messaging to mobilize.

May 25, 2022

Community Well-Being

• Though research shows that gun buyback programs don’t necessarily reduce gun violence in communities, Sacramento officials got hundreds of firearms off the streets this past weekend by offering gift card incentives. Participants shared that gift cards were not the only motivating factor – many cited a lack of knowledge with firearms and inability to safely store the weapons.
• A new research study shows that the widespread and well documented practice of redlining is indelibly linked to air pollution. Redlining has led to zoning decisions that expose people of color to pollution and has created disparities in cities across the country.

Equity in Access

• Governor Newsom is proposing to extend health care coverage to the roughly 700,000 undocumented adults between the ages of 26 to 49. If the budget proposal is approved, this group would obtain coverage starting 2024. Advocates are pushing for quicker access to medical care as well as additional supports including the expansion of nutrition assistance and unemployment insurance for undocumented workers.

Economic Security and Dignity

• If approved, the Hope for Children Act of 2022 would establish a work group to advise the Legislature on establishing trust fund accounts for foster children and children whose parent or guardian died from COVID-19. If the bill passes, the state will make an initial deposit of $4,000 for eligible children under 10 years old and annual deposits of a still undetermined amount.

Leading for Power and Change

• Latino advocacy groups are warning that there is insufficient campaign outreach targeting Latino voters. Most Latinos report not knowing much about the American Rescue Plan or Build Back Better. Latinos surveyed cited the rising cost of living, the economy and housing as the top three issues they want elected officials to address.

May 18, 2022

Community Well-Being

• A KCET series highlights the human and environmental impacts of the flow of goods in the Inland Empire. While some celebrate the economic benefits of the inland ports in Riverside and San Bernardino County, local communities of color are experiencing environmental injustices. Articles in the series chronicle issues such as air pollution and land use policies.

Equity in Access

• Between 5.3 million and 14.2 million people could lose Medicaid when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. During the public health order, states were required to keep people on Medicaid in exchange for extra funding. The public health emergency is currently set to expire on July 15, but the Biden administration has been extending the order every 90 days.

Economic Security and Dignity

• California lawmakers are at odds about how to allocate funds in the budget to lift the state’s poorest communities out of poverty. While the state’s poverty rate dropped between 2019 and 2020, inflation and the loss of federal programs could stall further progress. Federal stimulus provided a boost and some lawmakers are advocating for the state to extend expiring federal stimulus programs. Other proposed measures include rental assistance, child care waivers, and a refund to each car owner to ease the burden of high has prices.

Leading for Power and Change

• Ballots have been mailed to registered voters in California for the first ever all-mailed ballot election. The use of mail-in ballots has shifted recent election trends; Republicans have traditionally overperformed significantly in the early vote but in 2020, it was Democrats who were outpacing their rate of registration in the early vote. Current polling suggests that Republicans continue to carry an anti-mail-ballot sentiment, and this could be a very challenging election for their candidates.

May 5, 2022

Community Well-Being

• Several states are debating the minimum age for a juvenile’s arrest while 25 states don’t have any age limits at all for prosecuting juveniles. Youth justice advocates argue that arresting young children can lead to trauma or create adverse effects that lead to more criminal activity.

Equity in Access

• If the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on Roe v. Wade holds, women of color will bear the brunt of the impact of restricting or banning abortions. In a number of states in the South and Midwest, women of color receive abortions at a disproportionate rate, signaling an overall lack of access to health care, birth control, and reproductive health education in these states.

Economic Security and Dignity

• Lawmakers in over a dozen states are following California’s lead in proposing legislation to offer a legal refuge to displaced transgender youth. Some states, including Texas, are directing state agencies to consider placing transgender children in foster care. Under California’s proposed bill, the state would reject any out-of-state rulings removing transgender children from their parent’s custody because they allowed gender-affirming health care.

Leading for Power and Change

• Racial justice advocates are calling on President Biden to establish a commission to study reparations for slavery. The advocates acknowledge that an executive order may be the only plausible path forward for reparations considering that GOP lawmakers are strongly opposed to legislation to create a commission.

April 27, 2022

Community Well-Being

• The Biden administration has announced new comprehensive strategy to support people re-entering society after incarceration. The plans to bolster reentry and empower formerly incarcerated persons include investments in job training, expanding federal job opportunities, promoting best practices for hiring across the federal government, expanding access to health care and housing, and developing educational opportunities.

Equity in Access

• A Kaiser Family Foundation brief provides an overview of how adults are faring during the pandemic across a range of social determinants of health. Data shows that Black and Latino adults have fared worse than White adults across nearly all measures and patterns of hardship reflect both the effects of the pandemic and related policies and longstanding disparities in social determinants of health.

Economic Security and Dignity

• A new study shows that colleges and universities across the country are seeing significant declines in enrollment. Enrollment is declining the most in community colleges and California community colleges lost nearly 15% of enrollment during the 2020 – 2021 academic year. Cost appears to be the most significant barrier, particularly for students who have dropped out of college or have never attended. Emotional stress is inflicting 71% of students who are enrolled but considering withdrawing.

Leading for Power and Change

• A coalition of legislators and organizations are asking the state for $100 million for the Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund in the upcoming budget. The fund would be used as a source for grants to tribes and community-based organizations addressing public health. Advocates were unsuccessful in getting the fund to be included in the 2021-2022 budget.

April 20, 2022

Community Well-Being

• SB 1000, a planning and zoning law implemented in 2018, mandates that cities and counties incorporate environmental justice into land use planning to reduce health risks for vulnerable residents. The law has been key in helping community advocates in Santa Ana to lobby city officials to update the city’s General Plan to address the hazardous level of lead in the local soil.

Equity in Access

• A new report shows that nearly half of U.S. healthcare workers plan to leave their current positions by 2025. Healthcare workers are calling for more skills training, preservation of the patient-doctor relationship in a changing digital world, and recruitment of more professionals into the field. Clinicians are concerned about a global healthcare workforce shortage, with 74% predicting there will be a shortage of nurses and 68% predicting a shortage of doctors in 10 years’ time.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The Imperial Valley may become a global beacon for lithium production, but locals are wary that lithium can bring prosperity to all. A key question for locals is whether the region will benefit economically from lithium production, and residents worry that their concerns will be overlooked in the excitement of a lithium goldmine. A commission is examining the potential impacts of lithium production, but it is not required to collect community input and it’s unknown if the commission’s recommendations will carry weight during decision-making.

Leading for Power and Change

• The Biden administration announced the launch of the Rural Partners Network, an effort led by the USDA to create economic opportunities in rural communities. New federal field staff will be placed in more than 25 rural communities and Tribal Nations to help local leaders identify and leverage federal resources available to improve local economies.

April 14, 2022

Community Well-Being 

• President Biden announced a new rule with a goal to better regulate ghost guns by requiring dealers to stamp serial numbers on the firearms. Under the new rule, the definition of a firearm would now include unfinished parts and would require dealers to run background checks before the sale of a gun kit. The rule is supposed to go into effect in a few months but the rule will likely be met with heavy opposition from gun advocate groups.  

Economic Security and Dignity 

• The disparity between the Latinx population and physicians in the state threatens the quality of care provided to Latinx patients and poses critical language and trust barriers between doctors and patients. With a disparate Latinx physician gap, at loss is what experts call physician concordance —which occurs when a physician and patient share a similar identity or race, often leading to better health outcomes. The share of Latinx and “of Spanish origin” medical school matriculants has increased by 3.6% since 2014. 
• California lawmakers are considering a guaranteed income program for students who have experienced homelessness. Through SB 1341, the state would give graduating high school seniors at least four monthly cash payments. The bill’s author says the goal of the payments would be to encourage students to enroll in college or seek career training opportunities.  

Leading for Power and Change 

• The largest qualitative research study on philanthropic giving by high to ultra-high net worth people of color in the United States shows some important patterns. A majority of survey respondents regularly make sizeable gifts to friends and family but do not perceive this as “philanthropy,” but rather as familial obligation. 44.4% of BIPOC donors named social justice as a factor in their charitable giving decisions.   

April 6, 2022

Community Well-Being

• A California study shows that living in a household with a gun increases the risk by at least 50% of being shot to death by someone else. The research also shows that those who live with handgun owners have a much higher chance of being fatally shot by a spouse or intimate partner. The risks uncovered in the study are likely much higher in states with less stringent gun laws than California.

Equity in Access

• California lawmakers are considering the Excluded Workers Pilot Program that would provide $300 a week for 20 weeks to undocumented workers who lose their jobs. The program would provide income assistance to workers not eligible for state or federal unemployment insurance benefits. States such as New York and Colorado have similar programs for undocumented workers.

Economic Security and Dignity

• California college students across the state face housing insecurity but the crisis is hitting community college campuses the hardest. The most recent statewide study found that 60% of community college students experience housing insecurity and 19% experience homelessness. Community college campuses now have programs to help students meet basic needs, including food pantries and mental health support.

Leading for Power and Change

• A windfall of philanthropic support can increase the impact potential of community-based organizations, but fast growth also presents challenges to talent management. Investing in “people systems” can help organizations to maintain employee satisfaction and protect culture and performance. Some of the systems include algorithmic hiring rubrics, rubric-driven performance management, pulse checks, and compensation and benefits reviews.

March 30, 2022

Community Well-Being

• A new research center will focus on investigating effective and equitable policies to address gun violence. The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions is a merger of two reputable entities that have collaborated previously. In addition to research, the Center will provide resources to stakeholders, train gun violence prevention researchers, and engage with decisionmakers at the local, state, and federal levels.
• San Jose unveiled a new program that will offer cash rewards for information that leads to the seizure of a ghost gun or assault rifle. Larger payouts will be awarded for information about dealers and manufacturers.

Equity in Access

• While the Biden administration is attempting to end the Migrant Protection Protocols, it continues to defend Title 42. Advocates find the policy decisions to be contradictory because the administration is working to end MPP in part due to its “unjustifiable human costs,” yet it is asking in separate litigation to continue expelling all asylum seekers under Title 42 in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The Palm Springs City Council voted unanimously to fund a local community-based organization to design a guaranteed income program and apply for state funding. The proposed guaranteed income pilot would support transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming residents. The CBO will seek input from local transgender and nonbinary leaders and conduct outreach.

Leading for Power and Change

• State law directs the California Reparations Task Force to prioritize for reparations those who can trace their lineage to African Americans enslaved in the US. Some genealogists and historians warn that reparations eligibility based on lineage may be difficult and costly to prove so they recommend that the task force considers covering costs associated with proving lineage.

March 23, 2022

Community Well-Being

• Youth prison facilities will close by July 2023 and direct care employees for the Division of Juvenile Justice could receive up to $50,000 in bonuses to stay on the job until then. Non-direct care employees, who mostly work for headquarters in Sacramento, could receive up to $25,000 in bonuses. The effort to retain youth corrections employees could cost the state more than $38 million.

Equity in Access

• Community clinics in California may be owed as much as $408 million for administering over 6 million COVID-19 vaccinations. Community clinics have been integral to vaccine rollout but were instructed to not submit reimbursement claims until the state and federal government determined how to pay for vaccinations. The payment delay has forced some clinics to cut back on services including shuttering vaccination sites.

Economic Security and Dignity

• CalWORKs supports about 400,000 children throughout the state by providing their families with monthly cash grants while helping parents find work. A new report shows that the program prioritizes pushing parents into paid employment over addressing longer-term barriers to work or providing resources needed to lead thriving lives.

Leading for Power and Change

• A company is proposing building a network of floating turbines that are tethered to the seafloor and connected to one another and the mainland with electric cables off the Gaviota Coast. The wind turbines would be within the boundaries of a proposed Chumash marine sanctuary which is intended to preserve Chumash tribal history and protect the area’s biodiversity.
• Leading California nonprofit organizations are calling on Governor Newsom to provide tax relief to nonprofit organizations in the upcoming budget. A recently enacted bill requires employers with more than 25 employees to provide five additional paid sick days for employees who contract COVID but does not provide relief to offset costs imposed on small businesses and nonprofits.

March 16, 2022

Community Well-Being

• The Biden administration has reinstated California’s authority to set its own motor vehicle pollution standards. The state is now free to pursue its plan to require that all new cars sold in the state after 2035 be electric-powered. California has the nation’s largest car market and has the power and influence to set pollution and fuel economy standards; 16 states currently follow California’s standards.
• Democratic candidates have been ratcheting up their law-and-order rhetoric as crime rates have climbed. Recent polls show a 9-point jump since 2020 in the share of California voters who see violence and street crime as a problem and a 16-point rise in the share who say Newsom is doing a poor job addressing crime.

Equity in Access

• California is proposing to establish the Office of Health Care Affordability to rein in the increasing costs of health care. Under the proposal, an eight-member board of experts appointed by the governor would set health care cost targets for each geographic region and would fine companies that charge too much. The California Medical Association worries that the proposal could unintentionally drive up prices by causing more health care providers to merge.

Leading for Power and Change

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the undercount rate for Latinos tripled in the 2020 census compared to 2010. While Latinos were undercounted by nearly 5% in the 2020 census, Whites were overcounted by 1.64%, and Asians were overcounted by 2.62%. Advocacy groups and census experts had accurately warned that the inclusion of a citizenship question on the census would reduce Latino participation.  

March 9, 2022

Community Well-Being

• Last month, California became the first state to adopt a strategy to address microplastics, fragments of broken-down plastic found in the ocean and floating through the air.  California’s strategy primarily aims to prevent plastics from entering the environment in the first place and monitoring those that already exist. Last week, representatives from 175 nations agreed to begin working on a global treaty to address plastic pollution.

Equity in Access

• Federal policy lowered health insurance premiums and boosted enrollment in Covered California but now millions are at risk of having their care dramatically reduced if the federal government fails to extend coverage before the end of 2022. Medi-Cal recipients, particularly Black and Latino Californians, are also at risk of losing coverage if the state does not extend the emergency order that required them to offer continuous coverage during the pandemic.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The 2021 State of Latino Entrepreneurship report provides insights about the business outcomes of Latino-owned businesses to inform data-driven policy and programs. The report features survey data and analysis that provides an understanding of existing gaps but also explores the special characteristics of Latino-owned employer businesses.

Leading for Power and Change

• Right-wing militia groups in Shasta County are using special elections and intimidation tactics to assert power in local politics. The growing movement has successfully secured the board majority and is backing candidates for sheriff, school superintendent, and district attorney. Movement leaders are offering their recall campaign approach as a blueprint for neighboring conservative counties.

March 2, 2022

Community Well-Being

• A historic amount of government funding has been made available to local gun violence prevention (GVP) programs, but the windfall of support has also created confusion for many small organizations. Groups are calling on the government to remove barriers to entry so small GVP groups are able to access the new funding to sustain long-term programming.

Equity in Access

• Medi-Cal will expand to cover undocumented immigrants 50 and older in 2023, but 1.16 million undocumented immigrants will remain uninsured. Low-income immigrants have few viable options for health coverage; while most Californians who earn over the Medi-Cal limit can get subsidized coverage through Covered California, undocumented people are ineligible under the federal Affordable Care Act. To address affordability, the chairs of the Legislature’s health committees recently introduced bills that aim to reduce deductibles and copays for people enrolled through Covered California.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The first large-scale study of Black workers in Southern California shows that economic restructuring triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is compounding the Black jobs crisis in Southern California. Key recommendations from the researchers include making investments to create long-term quality jobs and targeted programming to provide wellness support to Black workers.
• Recent data shows that low-income families continue to face disruptions with child-care. While 30% of the U.S. households with children under 11 had disruptions with child-care in the past month, 36% of households with incomes under $25,000 experienced disruptions. When child-care disruptions happen, low-income families are more likely to resort to unpaid leave or to quit jobs.

Leading for Power and Change

• California’s new political districts will give Latinos more voting power in the state than ever before; the share of Latino-majority districts is now 30%. The redrawn districts have shifted hundreds of thousands of voters into new districts and the changes appear to have prompted several state legislators to retire or pursue other careers as they are now in districts they are less likely to win, or they would have to run against an opponent from the same party.

Feb. 24, 2022

Community Well-Being

• Sea levels along the California coastline could rise 7 to 21 inches by 2050 and San Mateo County is most at risk. Climate activists from Marin City, the only predominantly Black community in Marin County, are asking the state to help address existing flooding issues. Mitigating sea level rise will require an equity-focused approach, yet the Biden administration plans to use race-neutral criteria when determining where to focus environmental justice efforts.

Equity in Access

• A report from the Department of Health and Human Services shows historic gains in health insurance coverage for Black Americans since the adoption of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Between 2011 to 2019, 2.7 million Black Americans younger than 65 obtained health insurance. Still, the cost of health insurance remains a barrier and some states have refused to participate in key provisions of the ACA.

Economic Security and Dignity

• A RAND study has found that 6% of men at age 35 are unemployed, and 64% of them have been arrested as adults. Black men are more likely than other racial or ethnic groups to have a criminal record and 35-year-old Black men are almost twice as likely as white men to be unemployed. Research suggests that a criminal record reduces access to job opportunities, even with minor, nonviolent felonies.

Leading for Power and Change

• Alliance for Justice has released a guide to address the challenges nonprofit organizations face when conducting digital advocacy. The resource offers guidance to 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, and tax-exempt political organizations. The guide offers an overview of nonprofit tax and election rules and guidance on linking to third-party websites, sharing candidate materials, and volunteer activity.