Portfolio Priorities In the News

April 7, 2021

Community Well-Being

• Assemblyman Marc Levine is advancing legislation to impose a new tax on guns and ammunition that would fund violence prevention programs. Opponents say the new tax will discourage people from purchasing guns but the tax will be imposed on retailers, and data indicates that gun sales may not waver following last year’s firearm purchase surge.
• “Ghost guns” (unserializedfirearms) are not a new phenomenon, but new technology and a growing network of consumers is leading to a rise in the untraceable home manufacturing of firearms. Federal and state governments can take actions to create regulatory structures to address the threats ghost guns have on public health and safety.

Equity in Access

• A number of states are working on legislation that will allow families on Medicaid to more easily access out-of-state care, which is especially critical for patients requiring specialized treatment. Currently, most state Medicaid providers pay out-of-state providers less than in-state care and laws are working to address the difference by requiring payment parity. Medi-Cal allows out-of-state care for emergency services when a recipient is temporarily in another state but Medi-Cal must first approve any out of-state in-patient medical services.

Economic Security and Dignity

• An estimated 2.2 million eligible Californians are thought to be at risk of not receiving their federal stimulus payments totaling $5.7 billion lost. A brief by the California Policy Laboutlines how the IRS can help eliminate the stimulus gap nationwide, including the development of auto-payment infrastructure for all safety-net enrollees.
• As the private and public sectors prioritize a transition to clean energy, vulnerable communities may be disproportionately impacted by a rise in energy costs. The Biden administration’s proposed infrastructure package includesprograms and subsidies that could shield low-income communities from the shift to clean energy.

Leading for Power and Change

• In an interview with the Latino Community Foundation, the founder of a new Community Development Financial Institution in the Central Valley discusses how the institution will address inequities in access to capital for Latino entrepreneurs. The new CDFI will target young and immigrant entrepreneurs that are overlooked by traditional lenders.

April 1, 2021

Community Well-Being

• Following the 9/11 attacks, the United States invested in infrastructure to combat terrorism and as a result, defenses against infectious diseases diminished. Funding for public health preparedness shrank from $940 million in 2002 to $67.5 million in 2019 and the majority of Americans live in counties where expenditures on policing are nearly double that of nonhospital health care. Preparing for the next public health emergency will require restoring investments and closing the gap on the deficit of 250,000 public health workers.

Equity in Access

• Arkansas policymakers passed HB 1570, a bill that prohibits trans youth from accessing gender-affirming health care or insurance coverage. The bill will take effect this summer unless the Arkansas governor vetoes the bill this week. If passed, Arkansas will be the first state to ban health care for transgender youth.
• One way to address racial equity in vaccine distribution is to inoculate dialysis patients while they seek treatment in dialysis centers which are frequently located in areas underserved by other forms of health care. Dialysis clinics are expected to receive vaccine doses to expand access among this high-risk group.

Economic Security and Dignity

• The Longest Shift series includes photographs and motion portraits of essential workers in Los Angeles, which was once the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many Californians shifted to remote work, essential workers – many of whom work low-wage jobs – performed high-risk work that demonstrated their crucial importance. The battle continues to secure living wages for these essential workers.

Leading for Power and Change

• The Ford Foundation announced seed funding of $15 million to launch the Black Feminist Fund that will center feminist organizing, advocacy, and philanthropy on a global scale. The Black Feminist Fund is the first global hub for Black feminist philanthropy and will focus on grantmaking to grassroots efforts, research, and growing a base of Black women donors.

March 24, 2021

Community Well-Being

• Following the mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado where 10 people were killed, President Biden is calling on the Senate to tighten gun laws; the House has already approved legislation that will expand background checks. Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced that President Biden is considering executive actions to mitigate violence in communities.
• California has stricter gun laws than any other state but is now revisiting some debates on how to best regulate firearmsincluding microstamping technology. Federal courts have found that state-run websites for registering firearms and completing ammunition background checks were so flawed last year that they put many gun owners at risk of being wrongfully charged with a misdemeanor or felony and prevented them from purchasing ammunition.

Equity in Access

• Images of children and teenagers detained at the borderhave emerged after federal agencies barred media access and oversight by nonprofit lawyers. Policymakers are criticizing the White House for reportedly keeping children detained for a week at a time despite the three-day limit and for keeping in place a public health order to expel adult immigrants and families.
• A reportby the Latino Policy & Politics Initiative explores the macroeconomic benefits of four immigration regularization scenarios: regularizing all unauthorized workers, regularizing unauthorized essential workers, regularizing unauthorized workers with DACA, and regularizing workers with Temporary Protected Status. Regularizing all unauthorized workers would generate the most 10-year national GDP gain. 

Economic Security and Dignity

• On Tuesday, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced the launch of Oakland Resilient Families, a guaranteed income pilot program where 600 Oakland families will receive $500 a month for 18 months. Families can apply and will be randomly selected to participate as early as this Spring.

Leading for Power and Change

• Recent key wins have put a spotlight on the California Donor Table, a community of individual donors who make investments to make lasting policy change. The Table has donated to organizations working on the census, criminal justice reform, immigration rights, environmental justice, and COVID support, among others.
• In a short interview, two long-time racial equity grantmakersfrom the W.K. Kellogg Foundation offer perspectives on the role individuals play in advancing racial equity in their organizations and communities.