California drought relief package heads to Gov. Jerry Brown

In a concerted effort to aid California's drought-stricken communities, the Legislature on Thursday sped a $687 million relief package to Gov. Jerry Brown.

One week after Brown and legislative leaders unveiled the emergency legislation, both houses of the Legislature approved the bill with little resistance. The Assembly passed the bill 65-0, and the Senate sent it to Brown's desk with only three dissenting votes.

Relying largely on unspent bond money, the measure sets aside more than $500 million to quench the thirst of afflicted communities with infrastructure projects like capturing storm water and distributing recycled water.

It also sets aside millions for drinking water in communities at risk of running out and allocates food and housing aid for Californians, like those in the agricultural industry, who have seen their livelihoods damaged by diminished water supplies.

In the Assembly, Republicans used the opportunity to call for more storage capacity, an issue being debated via a set of water bond proposals. But they agreed with their Democratic colleagues that the emergency water package marked a needed intermediate step.

"This is part of the puzzle, part of the solution for the entire state," said Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield.

Things went a little less smoothly in the Senate, where the water debate occurred against the backdrop of Republicans seeking to expel a state senator who has been convicted on eight felony charges stemming from lying about his residence. Senate Democrats rebuffed that attempt, preserving a status quo that has seen Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, accept a paid leave of absence.

The drought bills passed the Senate handily in the end, though during floor debate Republicans accused Democrats of maneuvering the procedure to avoid a two-thirds vote. 

Democrats do not have a supermajority this week because Wright and Sen. Ron Calderon, indicted last week by a federal grand jury, are out dealing with legal problems.

Republicans argued that the bills should be urgency measures -- which require two-thirds approval -- instead of budget trailer bills that take a simple majority to pass. They also argued that taking up budget trailer bills several months after the budget was approved violates a voter-approved initiative that the Legislature cannot get paid if it doesn't complete the budget by June 15.

"This bill is just another example of how our budget process has been twisted over the years," said Sen.Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, one of three opposing votes.

Laurel Rosenhall of The Bee Capitol Bureau contributed to this report.
via: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/02/california-drought-relief-package-heads-to-gov-jerry-brown.html

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Come out to the Justice Reinvestment Committee Hearing Tomorrow!

Join Take Action California Members Time for Change Foundation, CURB and California Partnership at the Select Committee on Justice Reinvestment's Hearing tomorrow at the California Science Center in Los Angeles!

Committee Co-Chair Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr. is convening a hearing in Los Angeles. Come discuss local programming practices in Southern California which have promise toward reducing recidivism. The Select Committee will hear from law enforcement, courts and community service providers from a number of Southern California counties, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange.

Friday, February 28, 2014
10 am - 12 pm

California Science Center 

Loker Conference Room
700 Exposition Park Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90037

The Select Committee's goal is to develop real data-based, long-term solutions that preserve public safety without spending excessive money on prisons. We can focus more on investments that grow our economy and provide opportunity. 

UC Berkeley students gather to discuss Bay Area education reform

UC Berkeley students gathered with Bay Area teachers and administrators in Dwinelle Hall on Saturday to discuss ways to reform K-12 education in the Bay Area.

The event — called the Educate the Bay Summit and last held in 2009 by the UC Berkeley Public Service Center — provided student groups and community organizations the opportunity to showcase their work in improving pre-K and high school student success.

The summit, sponsored by the ASUC, was organized by the offices of senators from various student political parties, including SQUELCH! Senator Emily Truax, CalSERVE Senator Briana Mullen, CalSERVE Senator Justin Kong and Independent Campaign for Common Sense Senator Solomon Nwoche.

Two of the summit workshops were facilitated by ASUC senators. In her workshop, Mullen addressed the challenges of being a tutor and how to better equip tutors to handle students who might come from backgrounds different from their own. CalSERVE Senator Destiny Iwuoma focused on the statewide IGNITE campaign, which centers on outreach to students of underrepresented backgrounds and preventing the expansion of local county jails.

The ASUC Senate recently unanimously passed a bill, co-authored by Truax, in support of increasing early childhood accessibility. The bill calls for the ASUC to endorse the Educate the Bay Summit and also for the Lobby Corps within the External Affairs Vice President’s office to advocate for California Senate Bill 837, which would create a new transitional kindergarten program and add a 14th year to K-12 education.

“I would hope people would get different perspectives on how inequality exists in K-12 education and find newfound solutions to mitigate these problems through student and community organizations,” Truax said.

The conference’s main speakers — Darrick Smith, a professor at the University of San Francisco, and Donald Evans, Berkeley Unified School District superintendent — both spoke about the diversity of the educational experience. A series of workshops followed, facilitated by community organizations and several student groups, such as People’s Test Prep Services, a campus organization that provides free SAT test prep classes to underserved high school students.

“It’s not like we can just go in the community and know what’s best for the community. We need to ground ourselves in the community,” said Katrina DeVaney, a UC Berkeley senior and executive director of People’s Test Prep Services. “You really need to be careful about how you’re approaching education.”

UC Berkeley junior Matt Nguyen, a Teach for America campus representative, emphasized the constitutional history of affirmative action and its implications for K-12 and higher education.

“We’re living in the Bay Area — one of the nicest places but also one of the most inequitable places as well,” Nguyen said. “Even after the summit, the conversation needs to continue.”

Jane Nho is the lead student government reporter. Contact her at jnho@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter@JaneNho.

via: http://www.dailycal.org/2014/02/23/uc-berkelety-students-gather-discuss-bay-area-education-reform/

Women Overlooked in California Prisoner Realignment Program

California is in the midst of reducing its state prison inmate population to no more than 137.5 percent of capacity, the first step to address what was deemed inhumane overcrowded conditions. Much of the overcrowding in state prisons has been due to offenders violating conditions of their parole and automatically being sent back to prison. One of the programs undertaken has been transferring parole supervision of low level, non-violent, non-sex offenders to county probation departments. While still more than 5,400 inmates away from the desired benchmark, the population has been reduced and overcrowding has been eased somewhat in many of the state’s prisons.

However, the efforts seem to be more of an accounting trick.

A little discussed loophole in the mandate concerns how the reduction occurs. The court order requires that the overcrowding has to be reduced overall, but there seems to be some leeway regarding the percentage as to individual facilities. So while some of the more notable facilities have seen a reduction, many are still well above the desired capacity.

The most overcrowded are women’s facilities.

At the beginning of the realignment in 2011, women overwhelmingly benefited from the realignment. In the first year, more than 5,200 female prisoners were released. The majority of these releases were first time, non serious offenders.

As a result, the three women’s prisons were quickly below the court ordered benchmark. One facility, Valley State Prison for Women, saw a 36 percent reduction in inmates in 2011. The California Department of Corrections decided to convert the facility to a men’s prison to reduce overcrowding elsewhere. The remaining inmates at Valley State Prison were then transferred to the state’s two remaining women’s prisons.

The two women’s facilities are now operating higher than the court mandated level, one of which is currently at 175 percent capacity.

Nearly two-thirds of female prisoners are incarcerated for nonviolent offenses, such as drugs or property crimes. Under the realignment, they are put under county jurisdiction as parolees. This gives them access to diversion programs which provide alternatives to jail should they violate their probation. Furthermore, all newly convicted offenders of non-violent, non-sex crimes are also eligible to serve their sentences under county jurisdiction instead of state.

A program that has become popular with several counties is called split sentencing. Under this program, offenders serve a portion of their term in the jail, and the remainder under strict supervision of the probation department. Often this means serving the remainder of their term under house arrest with electronic monitoring. They are subject to regular and surprise inspections and searches, with any violations subject to a number of penalties, including returning to jail.

Not all counties are created equal, however.

Nearly 30 percent of the realignment prisoners released fell under the supervision of Los Angeles County. Only 5 percent of the inmates in LA County jails are involved in a split sentencing program, with officials claiming that they don’t have the resources for the time intensive program. This means that most offenders that would normally serve in prison are serving longer sentences in jails that are not equipped for extended stays.

State prisons and county jails differ due to their populations. Prisons facilities and services are built and designed to house offenders with longer sentences. Jails are temporary facilities, housing those recently arrested, on parole violations, or serving a sentence of a year or less. The influx of prisoners has lead to overcrowding at the jails, which have seen stretched resources, including having to house the overflow in makeshift dorms such as basements.

This has become especially hard on women.

The majority of incarcerated women have children. In jail, visitations must occur through a window, if they happen at all. There are no family rooms, or outside yards for exercising as there are in state prisons. Personal items, such as feminine hygiene products, aren’t easily available or in the same quantities. The standard issued sandals are the only option for footwear. Bad medical conditions and several inmates in a cell are also becoming more common.

The conditions are much like those that were occurring in state prisons, leading to the need for the prisoner realignment.

These issues also exist in the men’s jails, where many are seeing a marked increase in violence. There are plans for a new women’s jail in LA County, though it is still in the planning stages. The sheriff’s department is also looking to developing their jail diversion programs for both men and women.

In the meantime, the state prison population continues to decline because none of the prisoners in the county jail system count towards the state prison population, which makes them closer to meeting their reduction goal.

Crystal Shepeard

via: http://ow.ly/tWzXp 

Moody's warns bankrupt cities they must cut pension debts

Moody's Investors Services, a major bond rating house, warned Thursday that if bankrupt California cities don't reduce their pension obligations, they risk returning to insolvency.

The warning was aimed directly at two bankrupt cities, Stockton and San Bernardino, but Moody's cited the experience of Vallejo, which emerged from an earlier bankruptcy without reducing its pension debt and is once again facing fiscal turmoil.

"In California, particularly for municipalities with pensions under the California Public Employees Retiree System, or CalPERS, bondholders will likely continue to pay a steep price if bankruptcies remain venues for restructuring debt obligations but pension liabilities remain untouched," Moody's Vice President Gregory Lipitz said in a special report on the California situation.

Stockton did not seek to reduce its pension obligations, despite pressure from other creditors, and has nearly concluded a deal with creditors on a recovery plan.

San Bernardino is still in the mediation process with creditors, but has indicated that it may seek pension modification.

CalPERS backed Stockton's approach to bankruptcy but has been fighting San Bernardino's bankruptcy petition, contending that under California law, public employees' pensions are contracts that cannot be involuntarily "impaired."

No California bankruptcy judge has ruled on whether pensions can be altered but the judge in Detroit's multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy has said that pension obligations are debts that may be subject to modification like other debts.

"Vallejo substantially restructured its compensation structure, including significant cuts to retiree health care benefits, but by failing to address its pension liabilities it remains vulnerable to increasing annual payments," Moody's Tom Aaron, the co-author of the report, said in a statement.

Moody's warned that "Vallejo now faces the risk of a second bankruptcy if its finances continue to degrade. In its budget message the city stated it has a "well below fiscally prudent reserve level" of 5 percent of expenditures and that by (fiscal year) 2015 its budget deficit could reach $8.9 million without corrective measures."

Categories: Pensions

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Attend the Justice Reinvestment Hearing in LA

Dear Supporter,

“The Select Committee on Justice Reinvestment’s goal will be real data-based, long-term solutions that will help us stop spending excessive money on prisons and allow us to focus more on investments that grow our economy and provide opportunity.”  Speaker Pérez said.

Attend the next hearing in Los Angeles Hearing on Friday, February 28th.

Bring your stories and experiences; this is a rare chance for Committee members to hear from people who are not law enforcement or government officials. 

I served 45 years in prison, starting on Death Row. Almost two years ago I was paroled, I attempted to obtain employment within the city to no avail.  Like many former prisoners hunger and economic issues led down to a despairing path of homelessness.

Fortunately, I discovered a community based organization, they gave me what everyone needs: a fair chance!

We know how to reduce spending on incarceration and invest that money to expand alternatives like the Fair Chance Program that better serve communities all across the state!

My skills are being utilized in a meaningful way; I am properly housed, fed and very grateful. We need the Committee on Justice Reinvestment to hear our stories.

See you there,

Ernest Shepard III

Fair Chance Project a member of Californians United for a Responsible Budget

California chamber appeals ruling on cap-and-trade fees

The California Chamber of Commerce is appealing a local judge's ruling that California's "cap-and-trade" fees on business to curb greenhouse gas emissions are legal.

The business organization maintains that when the Air Resources Board adopted the fee program, which is expected to raise billions of dollars, it violated a constitutional provision, passed in 1978 as part ofProposition 13, that requires two-thirds legislative vote on new taxes.

It maintains that fee revenue in excess of that needed to administer the state's greenhouse gas reduction program are illegal taxes and is taking that contention to the 3rd District Court of Appeal in response to Sacramento County Judge Timothy Frawley's ruling in November. He declared that Assembly Bill 32, California's anti-greenhouse gas law, was sufficient authority for the fees.

"We stand by our belief that the Legislature in passing AB 32 did not authorize the ARB to raise revenue for the state beyond those costs necessary to administer the program," said Allan Zaremberg, the chamber's president, said in a statement. "We also believe the ARB's auction violates Proposition 13, because it imposes a new tax that did not receive two-thirds approval by the Legislature."

Gov. Jerry Brown is counting on the fees for variety of spending, including drought relief and a proposed bullet train system linking the northern and southern halves of the state.

"We believe that the judge inappropriately created a new category of regulatory fees," said Zaremberg, "in order to avoid ruling that the revenues came from an illegal tax -- not approved by two-thirds of the Legislature. The judge himself called this a close question.'"

Categories: Gov. Jerry Brown, Water

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/02/california-chamber-appeals-ruling-on-cap-and-trade-fees.html#storylink=cpy

California leaders propose drought relief funding plan

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders unveiled a proposed $687.4-million drought-relief package Wednesday to free up water supplies and aid Californians facing financial ruin because of the state's prolonged dry spell.

The proposal would provide millions of dollars to clean up drinking water, improve conservation and make irrigation systems more efficient. It would increase penalties for those who illegally divert water.

The plan also contains money for emergency food and housing for those out of work because of the drought, including farmworkers, and to provide emergency drinking water to communities in need.

Under the legislation, which could be enacted within weeks, the State Water Resources Control Board would be directed to find ways to expand the use of recycled water and storm-water runoff.

Funds also would be available to replenish groundwater supplies, and for state and local agencies to clear brush in drought-stricken areas that pose a high fire risk.

Brown, appearing before reporters at the state's emergency operations center, said that unlike many problems in Sacramento, "this is not caused by partisan gridlock or ideology. It's caused by Mother Nature herself.

"We really don't know how bad the drought is going to be," Brown said.

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said the intent was to provide drought relief as quickly as possible and avoid "the ideological vortex" that has bedeviled California water policy for decades.

The new package sidesteps a controversial proposal to replumb the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and is silent on a multibillion-dollar water bond measure scheduled for the November ballot.

"The idea is to do all that we can with the resources we have," Steinberg said.

California's highly charged water issues have also attracted attention in Washington, where House Republicans want to dismantle federal environmental regulations that they say take precious water supplies from California farmers.

Such a move is opposed by Democrats, including President Obama.

The president, during a tour of parched San Joaquin Valley croplands last week, raised the GOP's ire by tying California's drought to global warming.

He said that unless carbon pollution is curbed, such dry spells will grow more severe.

The president pledged $160 million in federal assistance to farmers, cattle ranchers and others hurt by dry conditions.

No partisan divide is expected to impede the new drought legislation in Sacramento, where Democrats hold a supermajority in the Assembly and Senate and could approve the package without Republican support.

Still, passage is not assured: When it comes to water, Californians are split more by geography than by political allegiance.

The Democratic proposal announced Wednesday would pump money into long-term programs as well as provide immediate drought relief to growers and to communities at risk of running out of drinking supplies.

The strategy drew mixed reactions.

Tim Quinn, executive director of the Assn. of California Water Agencies, called the legislation "a bold move by the governor" that would help protect the state against future droughts by funding local projects "that can make a difference soon."

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

via: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-drought-20140219,0,2302688.story#axzz2tn6ucBnZ

California lawmaker proposes adding health warning labels to sodas

SACRAMENTO — Citing studies linking soda to obesity, a state lawmaker and medical experts proposed a first-in-the-nation bill Thursday that sugary drinks sold in California carry health warning labels similar to those on cigarette packs.

They want warning labels on the fronts of all cans and bottles of soda and juice drinks that have sugar added and 75 or more calories per 12 ounces.

The label would read: "STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay."

"When the science is this conclusive, the state of California has a responsibility to take steps to protect consumers," state Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) said at a Capitol news conference.

At fast food restaurants with self-serve soda dispensers, the label would be on the dispenser. In a movie theater or business where the dispenser is behind the counter and used by employees, the label would be on the counter. In sit-down restaurants, the label might be on the menus.

"As with tobacco and alcohol warnings, this legislation will give Californians vital information they need to make healthier choices," Monning said.

The legislation is supported by the California Medical Assn. It is opposed by CalBev, the state arm of the American Beverage Assn., which said the proposal unfairly singles out one type of product for regulation.

"CalBev opposes the bill because obesity is a complex condition that can't be boiled down to one specific product or ingredient," said Jessica Borek, a spokeswoman for the industry group, whose members include Coca-Cola Co., Pepsi-Cola Co. and the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.

Major soda producers have for years voluntarily put calorie counts on the front of each bottle to help consumers make decisions on what to buy, Borek said.

"We agree that obesity is a serious and complex issue," CalBev said in a statement. "However, it is misleading to suggest that soft drink consumption is uniquely responsible for weight gain. In fact, only four percent of calories in the average American diet are derived directly from soda."

But health experts say the use of liquid sugar gives soda unique qualities for contributing to diabetes.

Americans, on average, drink more than 45 gallons of sugary beverages a year, according to Dr. Ashby Wolfe of the California Medical Assn.

Drinking just one soda a day increases an adult's likelihood of being overweight by 27% and a child's by 55%, according to a World Health Organization-commissioned study published last year in the British Medical Journal.

"As physicians, we're desperate to break the cycle of diabetes and obesity we see in our offices every day," Wolfe said. "Consumers have a right to know about the unique health problems associated with soda and other sugary drinks."

The bill also drew support from minority health activists who said soda consumption is high in their communities because they are targeted by marketers.

Nearly half of African American and Latino children born after 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes, said Darcel Lee, a physician who is executive director of the California Black Health Network. "This is a public health outrage," she said.

The measure, SB 1000, would take effect July 1, 2015. Monning said he hoped that it would become a model for the rest of the country.

California's Legislature has generally favored measures giving consumers more information about products. Over the years, the state has pioneered legislation aimed at getting residents to eat better, requiring that chain restaurants post calorie information on menus and restricting the use of trans fats in restaurants.

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

via: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-soda-warning-20140214,0,7510007.story#ixzz2tn74jE7r

Top-two primary system is shaking up California elections

When Rep. Gary Miller this week became the latest California congressman to throw in the towel, the Rancho Cucamonga Republican in effect delivered his district into Democrats' hands.

While Miller's is the only one of the five open House seats in California that analysts say is likely to flip from one major party to the other in this year's elections, the state's relatively new "top two" primary system is helping to reshape all of them.

Contests in districts dominated by one major party, once essentially settled in primaries, could now continue into the fall. With the candidate fields still taking shape, those might include the races to succeed Republicans Howard P. "Buck" McKeon in northeast Los Angeles County and John Campbell in Orange County, for example.

The battle to succeed Henry Waxman on the coastal side of L.A. County could open the door — at least in the primary — to an independent with enough money and backing to overcome the Democrats' registration edge.

Jim Mayer, who heads a nonpartisan good-government group that pushed for the top-two primary, said the open congressional races could help show how well it is working two years after its inauguration. The top two finishers in the primary now advance to November, regardless of any party affiliation, and all voters can choose among all candidates.

"The thing to watch will be where do these candidates position themselves," said Mayer, chief executive of California Forward.

Will they address voters' priorities? Will they be pragmatists, willing to compromise? Or will they put party platform and ideology first?

"The question embedded in the new rules is, who are you going to represent?" Mayer said.

Two years ago, the "jungle" primary produced 10 congressional and 20 other fall elections that for the first time pitted members of the same party against one another.

Among them was the race for Miller's increasingly Democratic 31st Congressional District in the Inland Empire. Four Democrats split the primary vote, allowing Miller and the other Republican to move on to the general election.

Miller would have faced much tougher odds this year because it was highly unlikely that the situation would repeat itself. In addition, district voters chose Democrats in most other races in 2012.

Although two Republicans, San Bernardino City Councilman John Valdivia and military veteran and businessman Paul Chabot, have said they would run for the seat, most observers expect that GOP campaign money will now go to other districts with better prospects.

The Democratic establishment is backing Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar for the seat.

Other Democrats in the race are former Rep. Joe Baca of Rialto, Colton attorney Eloise Gomez Reyes and San Bernardino school board member Danny Tillman.

Most voters still have trouble distinguishing among candidates except by party label, said UC San Diego political scientist Thad Kousser.

"That means the hope of the top-two is very hard to realize if voters can't figure out how to spot the moderate," he said. "It also will take a while for independent voters to realize they can play a role in primaries now."

Those factors represent the challenge faced by three Republicans considering a bid to replace GOP Rep. John Campbell of Irvine in the 45th District, a party stronghold. The race may come down to name identification and campaign mail rather than differences in ideology, Kousser said.

And in McKeon's 25th District, which still tilts Republican despite changing demographics, a potentially large field could add to voters' confusion.

The better known of the Republicans who have announced for the race are state Sen. Steve Knight of Palmdale and former state legislator Tony Strickland. Among the Democrats is Lee Rogers, whom McKeon defeated by 10 percentage points in 2012.

Campaigns are developing strategies to help candidates adjust to the new system. One is to discourage competitors, especially in an intraparty fight, by declaring early and lining up a lot of backing right away.

State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) used that technique to help clear the field of potential competitors for Rep. George Miller's solid blue 11th District in the Bay Area.

"We announced right away, then burned up the phone lines, trying to get every key endorsement," said Dave Jacobson, a consultant with Los Angeles-based Shallman Communications who is working for DeSaulnier.

Two potential candidates, Democratic Assemblywomen Susan Bonilla of Concord and Joan Buchanan of Alamo, did not get in and endorsed DeSaulnier.

DeSaulnier's strategy was not entirely successful for state Sen. Ted Lieu of Torrance, the first Democrat to stake a claim in Waxman's Westside-South Bay 33rd District. He announced the day after Waxman's retirement announcement.

Although three other well-known Democrats then took a pass, former L.A. Controller Wendy Greuel jumped in almost as soon as Lieu did. Columnist and radio show host Matt Miller announced his candidacy Friday. Other, less-known Democrats also entered.

A Republican and two independents are also running. Bestselling author and spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson, one of the independents, has been drawing large audiences at campaign events for months and has reported raising more than $350,000.

jean.merl@latimes.com

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-gary-miller-20140215,0,6870707.story#ixzz2th8hbx4z

California senator unveils bill to give health care to undocumented immigrants

A plan to provide undocumented immigrants in California access to subsidized health care has been spelled out in Senate Bill 1005 by Sen.Ricardo Lara, a Democrat from Bell Gardens.

Undocumented immigrants are excluded from the federal Affordable Care Act that is now offering legal residents the ability to purchase health insurance through government-run marketplaces.

Lara's bill would create two avenues for Californians who are in the country illegally to seek health care. The state would expand Medi-Cal to include undocumented immigrants whose incomes are under 138 percent of the poverty level -- about $32,000 a year for a family of four. And for undocumented immigrants who make more than that, the state would create a marketplace to sell insurance products.

The marketplace would be similar to Covered California -- the state's exchange that was created to sell insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The bill does not spell out a cost for California to extend health insurance to undocumented immigrants.

"We are doing the number crunching now," said Anthony Wright, executive director of the Health Access advocacy group that is supporting Lara's bill.

He said the goal is to provide health insurance for roughly 3 million Californians who don't have health insurance and cannot get it under the federal health program because of their immigration status.

"The idea under this bill is to extend the same level of help that the Affordable Care Act provides but to all Californians," Wright said. "It's about fairness and inclusion for all Californians."

Currently some California counties provide health care to undocumented immigrants but the offerings vary greatly among counties.

PHOTO: Senate President Pro Temp Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, speaks with Senator Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, in the Senate chambers in March 2013. The Sacramento Bee/Hector Amezcua

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/02/california-senator-unveils-bill-to-give-health-care-to-undocumented-immigrants.html#storylink=cpy

via: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/02/california-senator-unveils-bill-to-give-health-care-to-undocumented-immigrants.html

S.F. seen as model in bilingual education over English only

In the 15 years since voters essentially banned bilingual education in state schools, teaching English learners to read, write and do arithmetic first in their native language has nearly disappeared from California classrooms.

Since Proposition 227 overwhelmingly passed in June 1998, it's been all about learning English, first and foremost - but not in San Francisco. Nearly 30 percent of the city's 17,000 English learners are in bilingual education programs, compared with 5 percent on average statewide, according to the most recent data available.

And it's working, according to a recently published Stanford University study commissioned by the San Francisco Unified School District.

Districts can get around the Prop. 227 ban by having parents sign a waiver authorizing their children to be in bilingual education programs.

Bilingual education students, who learn to read and write in their native language and then transfer those academic skills into English, are - after a slower start - as fluent by sixth grade as those focused on and immersed in English with minimal support in their home language, according to the study.

Equally proficient

The same results were seen with English learners in dual-immersion programs, which teach native English speakers and non-English speakers first in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic or other languages before phasing English into their studies.

In other words, students ended up equally proficient in English no matter how they learned it in San Francisco schools, the Stanford researchers found.

The difference is that those in dual-immersion and bilingual education programs are taught in those five or six years to speak, read and write in two languages and are more likely to be bilingual.

Despite the state ban, "we haven't actually deterred from our goal of bilingualism," said Christina Wong, San Francisco Unified's special assistant to the superintendent. "We were very pleased, and it really helps justify the investment the district has made over a number of years to this effort."

A bad word

When Prop. 227 passed, "bilingual" was, to many, a bad word.

There was a sense that in bilingual education classrooms, English learners were segregated and languished in native language classrooms, putting them at a significant disadvantage to their English-fluent peers.

Knowing English, supporters said, was critical - even if that meant purging a first language from a student's skill set.

"Bilingual education in California means monolingual instruction, mainly in Spanish," said the measure's author, Ron Unz, during the 1997-98 campaign. "It would be a very good thing if (students) were fluent in two languages, but often they come out illiterate in two languages. I've always been somebody very skeptical of bilingual education."

The initiative passed with 60 percent voter support.

More than 15 years later, the global economy increasingly has placed value on bilingual workers, whether English is their first or second language. That demand in the United States has trickled down into schools, where policymakers are rethinking an English first approach and parents are calling for access to language-immersion programs.

In 2012, several districts in California, including San Francisco, started offering a Seal of Biliteracy for graduating high school seniors to acknowledge their language skills.

Nationally, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said last year that when teaching English to English learners, the primary language should be maintained so they can become bilingual.

"We are really squandering our linguistic resources by not supporting the primary-language instruction," said Sarah Capitelli, a University of San Francisco professor of teacher education. "I feel like it's a huge waste."

Esther Woo started teaching 10 years ago when Prop. 227 and the decline of bilingual education in California was in full swing.

via: http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/S-F-seen-as-model-in-bilingual-education-over-5229826.php

Sugary drinks would get warning labels under Monning bill

Cigarettes, carcinogenic chemicals - and soda?

Sugary beverages could become the latestconsumer products to bear warning labels under a new bill, introduced by Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, intended to contain spiraling obesity rates.

"We're in the midst of an obesity and diabetes epidemic that's wreaking havoc on the public's health," Monning said at a Thursday press conference, standing beside mock-ups of soda cans with labels warning about the hazards of tooth decay and diabetes.

"With daily consumption of these sugary drinks becoming the norm in the American diet," Monning added, "it is critical that consumers have the right to know the unique health problems associated with these sugar-sweetened beverages."

As currently written, the legislation would apply to beverages containing over 75 calories per 12 ounce serving. Co-sponsors include the California Medical Association, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, the California Black Health Network and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California.

The bill follows other high-profile public policy efforts to limit soda consumption, notably a failed and deeply divisive proposal by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to ban large sodas. In past years, Monning has unsuccessfully sought to impose a tax on sweetened beverages.

"The support has not been there for a tax," Monning said, but he believes approaching the issue via labeling "will face less resistance in the Legislature."

Increasing diabetes rates are the leading contributor to swelling healthcare costs, said Dr. Harold Goldstein of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. He cited studies finding that the average American imbibes 39 pounds of sugar a year.

"There is now overwhelming evidence that soda and other sugary drinks play a central and unique role in the development of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay," Goldstein said.

Childhood obesity and its associated health effects has become a pressing public health issue. Around 40 percent of California's children are overweight, and Goldstein pointed out that children born after 2000 have a lower life expectancy than their parents.

Young people of color are especially susceptible. Fully half of African-American children are likely to develop type 2 diabetes, said Darcel Lee of the California Black Health Network.

"This is a public health outrage," Lee said.

But Calbev, which represents the soft drink industry in California, issued a statement deflecting responsibility for increased obesity rates.

"We agree that obesity is a serious and complex issue," the statement says. "However, it is misleading to suggest that soft drink consumption is uniquely responsible for weight gain. In fact, only four percent of calories in the average American diet are derived directly from soda. According to government data, foods, not beverages, are the top source of sugars in the American diet."

The group also noted that the industry in 2010 launched an initiative in which calories counts are displayed on soft drink packaging.

Should the bill become law, it could present beverage manufacturers with a choice between altering their labels or exiting the vast California market. As has been the case with California raising standards in the past, Monning said his bill could set off a national ripple effect.

"Our hope would be that it would pave the way for a national standard," Monning said.

PHOTO: Sen. Bill Monning unveils his soda labeling bill in Sacramento on February 13, 2014. The Sacramento Bee/Jeremy B. White.

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/02/sugary-drinks-would-get-warning-labels-under-monning-bill.html#storylink=cpy

via: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/02/sugary-drinks-would-get-warning-labels-under-monning-bill.html