Effort to repeal California ‘welfare queen’ law done for the year

State Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, has suspended her latest bid to reverse a law barring families that conceive additional children while on welfare from receiving increases to their grant.

Mitchell said she would not continue forward this year with Senate Bill 23 to repeal a law Mitchell contends perpetuates the negative concept of the “welfare queen,” a woman who has babies while on welfare to collect more cash assistance. Mitchell’s bill is currently awaiting a vote on the Assembly floor, and she said she would instead push to get the policy into next year’s budget.

“How would we pay for it?” Mitchell said. “Because of the huge price tag, I’m going to continue working with the administration during the interim.”

Overturning the “maximum family grant” would cost an estimated $205 million in the first year. SB 23 passed the Senate this spring, but its prospects dimmed when Gov. Jerry Brown left it out of the final budget deal in June.

Mitchell said she had not changed tactics out of concern that the bill would fail in the Assembly or be vetoed by Brown.

“I’m confident that they agree with the policy,” she said. “I will be waiting with bated breath for January 10,” she added, referring to the date by which Brown must release his budget proposal.

Via: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article34058808.html

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article34058808.html#storylink=cpy

April Action Days

My name is Amanda and I am a product of Time for Change Foundation where I have also become a leader in my community. I recently had the opportunity to attend April Action Days in Sacramento with other organizations like California Partnership and Hunger Action L.A.  to raise our voices about bills that affect low-income communities and women's economic security.

Senate Bill 935, authored by Senator Mark Leno, which would increase the minimum wage to $13 by 2016 really resonates with me because  I am a recovering addict who comes from a life of dysfunction and chaos and now I have a job and the opportunity to bring my daughter home with me; raising the minimum wage would reunite me with my daughter and help us to live a better life. 

I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to visit the capitol, it was actually my first time being involved in something like this and it was so empowering not only to be a part of it, but to know that my voice really does matter. I never knew that I could be a part of something much bigger than myself. I became a part of the process in determining society’s future.

Time for Change Foundation Leaders from left:
Crystal, Jeannine, Cecilia, Amanda

My name is Crystal and my experience at the State Capitol was exhilarating! I felt so empowered as a constituent. Seeing other people like me using their time to speak on behalf of their families and communities gives me hope that more will find the courage to raise our voices and remind our representatives that we are the ones who put them there. 

I went to advocate for SB 1029, authored by Senator Loni Hancock, which would lift the lifetime ban on CalWORKS and CalFresh for people that have been convicted of any offense classified as a felony that has an element the posession, use or distribution of a controlled substance.

Being a part of Time for Change Foundation's transitional housing program I have met many women that are out of prison or jail and ready to move forward with their lives but continue to hit this brick wall. 

Removing the lifetime ban would help women like myself give our children the opportunity to thrive and have successful lives.  

This experience has taught me that we can change the laws and injustices that our communities face on a daily basis, but only if we stand up and use the strength of our voices. Together we can!

Californians' food assistance use doubled during recession

As recession gripped the state a half-decade ago, Californians receiving what used to be called food stamps more than doubled to more than four million, a legislative hearing was told Tuesday, but the state still has, relatively, a very low rate of utilization.

Californians' use of what is now called CalFresh may be the lowest in the nation, a report from the Legislature's budget analyst says.

The state's utilization rate of 57 percent of eligible low-income Californians was calculated by the federal government for 2011 and was tied with Wyoming for the lowest. The national average was 79 percent that year, indicating that were California to reach that level, another 1.4 million Californians would be receiving the electronic benefit cards that replaced food stamps and are used in grocery stores to purchase approved foods.

The report said that the food assistance program increased from two million persons in 2006-07 to more than four million in 2013-13 and showed an especially large jump — nearly 25 percent — in 2009-10, during the depths of the recession. While enrollment is still growing, the rate of increase has dropped to scarcely 5 percent a year as the economy has improved.

However, the report from Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor's office warned legislators that the federal data on utilization may be outdated and otherwise not a true picture of what's happening with the federally financed program in California, although it did not question that the state's use is below average.

The joint hearing by the Assembly and Senate human services committees was called to delve into ways to increase utilization. It heard from a variety of advocates for the poor, as well as state and local officials who administer the program.

PHOTO: Volunteers sort boxes of food at the Elk Grove Food Bank Services in Elk Grove on Feb. 20, 2014. The Sacramento Bee/Randall Benton

Governor Brown Heads to the Inland Empire

Media Advisory: 1/14/2014

Contact: Maribel Nunez, (562) 569-4051 mnunez@communitychange.org

Spanish Speakers Available

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

3:00 PM on January 14, 2014

Location: Riverside County Office of Education 3939 13th Street, Riverside, CA 92501

RIVERSIDE SENIORS, FAMILIES, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND ADVOCATES DEMAND GOVERNOR BROWN BUILD A ROAD OUT OF POVERTY IN CALIFORNIA

Event will focus on sharing the personal stories of how residents are living in poverty and demand that Governor Brown build a road out of California’s poverty crisis.

RIVERSIDE- Over the past week anti-poverty advocates and community members have been holding events across the state in response to the 50^th anniversary of the War on Poverty and Governor Brown’s release of a proposed budget for California. They have been calling on Governor Brown to build a road out of poverty in California by reinvesting in the state’s social safety net in the California budget.

This event in Riverside will coincide with Governor Brown’s Tuesday January 14^th trip to the area to hold meetings with local leaders and will encourage the Governor to confront the reality of California’s poverty crisis that he is ignoring with his 2014-15 proposed budget.

What: Community members and Health and human services advocates will gather for a press event to share personal stories of how this poverty crisis is impacting their lives and call on Governor Brown to build a road out of poverty in California for the 8.7 million Californian’s.

Where: Riverside County Office of Education, 3939 13th Street, Riverside, CA 92501

When: 3:00 PM on January 14, 2014

Speakers: Community stories on the need of restorations to Medi-Cal, childcare, CalWORKs, SSI and IHSS. 

Event Contact: Maribel Nunez, mnunez@communitychange.org (562) 569-4051

# # #

About California Partnership
California Partnership is a statewide coalition of community-based groups, organizing and advocating for the policies and programs that work to reduce and end poverty. Our mission is to organize to build power and leadership among low-income communities by strengthening our voice and collective power to advocate for the policies that affect our lives the most.

For more information, please visit www.California-Partnership.org. 

Best Regards,

Maribel Nunez

California Partnership-Inland Empire Organizer

mnunez@communitychange.org

(562) 569-4051

Community Legislative Briefing

Community Legislative Briefing

Developing Champions to Restore the Golden State

Friday, August 23, 2013

10:00 - 12pm

ACLU - SC

1313 W. 8th St.

Los Angeles, CA 90017