National Union of Healthcare Workers Hosts U.S. Senate Candidate Forum
The top three Democrats running to become the next U.S. senator to represent California participated in a candidate’s forum at the National Union of Healthcare Workers’ Leadership Conference on Oct. 8, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.
The participants were U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Katie Porter
(D-CA-47), and Adam Schiff (D-CA-30). They are all running for the Senate seat previously held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and is currently occupied by Sen. Laphonza Butler, who Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed after Feinstein passed away on Sept. 28.
The debate was moderated by Lisa Matthews from The Associated Press. The panelists answered inquiries posed by members of NUHW and a team of journalists. On this team were Melanie Mason from Politico, Benjamin Oreskes from the Los Angeles Times, and Sandhya Raman from Roll Call.
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The candidates responded to 20 questions on topics ranging from healthcare, minimum wage, the current Israel-Hamas war, and the potential of Butler joining the race.
During the forum, all three politicians expressed their disapproval and commented on Gov. Newsom’s decision to veto Senate Bill (SB) 799. The bill would have provided striking workers access to unemployment benefits.
“You get what you paid in,” Lee said of striking workers’ unemployment benefits.
“We need to make sure that the working people are protected,” Schiff said.
“Nobody should go hungry for using their legal rights to better themselves and better our entire country’s economy,” Porter said.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers represents more than 16,000 union members.
“Our union’s endorsement is in the hands of our members,” said NUHW President Sal Rosselli. “After we get a chance to hear from the candidates, we’ll take a transparent, democratic and informed vote, and the winner will have NUHW’s full support.”
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Launches Statewide Paid Internships Effort as a Crime Prevention Strategy
The California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond launched a statewide paid internship effort at a summit he hosted in Sacramento on Oct. 10.
The event explored ways to design paid training and career coaching programs and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow. Amid reports of a spike in crime, including crimes committed by juveniles, the effort’s objectives include helping connect youth to bright futures and helping prevent youth from engaging in crime.
“We have many young people who need an opportunity to earn and learn, and that is why we are launching a statewide paid internship strategy at a time where the need is very great,” said Thurmond. “We can build a statewide effort where we can serve more students, and we want them to not just put money in their pockets but to learn about a career path that will help them moving forward.”
For more information on the program or to participate, email [email protected].
New California Law Allows Nonprofits with State Grants and Contracts to Get Paid Early
Last week, Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 590, which authorizes state agencies to advance up to 25% of the total amount of state grants or contracts to nonprofits.
The legislation, unanimously supported by members of both houses of the State Legislature, prioritizes nonprofits serving disadvantaged communities, according to Newsom’s office.
In a statement, CalNonprofits thanked Newsom for signing the bill and Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) for authoring it.
“It strongly impacts the access and ability of nonprofits to partner with the state or successfully pursue grant funding. What on its face may look like a minor technical change, authorizing advance payments to nonprofits signing government contracts is a major equity advancement,” read the CalNonprofits statement.
With upfront funds, nonprofits won’t be forced to float significant expenses until reimbursed or to take on high interest loans to get new programs going,” the statement continued.
LAO to the Legislature: Establish New Formula for Funding County-Level Corrections Program
The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released a report on Oct. 10 recommending that the State Legislature establish a new formula to provide funds to counties through the County Probation Grant Program.
The program was designed to help keep people convicted of felonies out of prison and reduce incarceration costs by supporting county-level community corrections programs.
The program was established by Senate Bill (SB) 678, introduced by former Sen. Mark Leno, who represented San Francisco. It became state law in 2009,
To make sure the program is effective and sustainable, the formula the LAO is advising the state to create would base the monies counties receive on state savings and established metrics used to assess the performance of local programs. It would also target funds to specific practices whose success is “evidence based.”
