Legislation

President Issues Executive Orders on Voting on Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

“The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy. Free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people must be protected and defended,” President Biden remarked during the Martin & Coretta Scott King Unity Breakfast. “But many Americans, especially people of color, confront significant obstacles to exercising that fundamental right. These obstacles include difficulties with voter registration, lack of election information, and barriers to access at polling places.”

Rep. Waters Applauds House Passage of American Rescue Plan, Urges Quick Senate Action

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, voted to pass H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, a landmark, life-saving bill that will provide urgently-needed resources to defeat the virus, get vaccines in people’s arms, put money into families’ pockets, return children safely to the classroom, and put people back to work. 

L.A. County Supervisors Hear Options For Removing Sheriff

Los Angeles County supervisors were briefed today on four legal options for removing Sheriff Alex Villaneuva from his elected post, but it was not clear if the board is ready to take action. Supervisor Hilda Solis, the board’s current chair, noted that to date, the board has sued the sheriff, held back funding and granted subpoena power to watchdog dog agencies to strengthen oversight.

Vice President Joe Biden & Sen. Kamala Harris Endorse Rep. Maxine Waters for Congress

Today, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris announced their support of Congresswoman Maxine Waters who is running for reelection to Congress from California’s 43rd Congressional District. The 43rd Congressional District of California includes a large part of South Central Los and the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita and Torrance.

CDC Greenlights Evictions Despite Continued Pandemic

Landlords can resume eviction proceedings after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued clarifications to a previous executive order from President Donald Trump.

A study conducted by Harvard University’s Department of Housing Studies revealed that half of Americans who rent are either severely rent-burdened or moderately rent-burdened. For African Americans and Hispanics, researchers at Harvard determined a triple pandemic for those communities. Black and Hispanic households were “much more likely to contract COVID-19, suffer lost income, and face housing insecurity as a result of the pandemic,” the researchers concluded.

Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson Honored with NNPA 2020 National Leadership Award

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), who began his grassroots political activism being a civil rights champion through the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while a student at Tougaloo College, will receive the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) 2020 National Leadership Award.

Mayor Eric Garcetti Channels 100-Million Dollars into Renter’s Assistance

Mayor Garcetti is looking for ways to change the narrative for underserved and overlooked groups within the city, through multiple levels of resources that include renters assistance, Angeleno Cards, and a number of programs geared towards families that are currently experiencing their darkest days.Garcetti declared 100-million dollars towards renters relief program.

Los Angeles City Mayor Discusses New Channels of Funding in Light of a Three- Layered Crisis, in Health, Finance, and Social Concern

Wednesday, June 10, Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti examined the progressive steps that will take place within the city budget. Garcetti acknowledged the three-layered crisis the world is experiencing together; health, economic, and social concerns have all increased and shown the perilous threat they have if left unchanged.

Executive Director of Civil and Human Rights Join the Mayor of the City Los Angeles to Discuss the Social Reform Within L.A.

Los Angeles City Mayor Garcetti brought awareness to the Civil and Human Rights Department, introducing their first Executive Director, Capri Maddox. This department will magnify the social issues that live among the city and reflect on the solutions. The Los Angeles City Mayor also announced to the panelist of Justice Matters on June 4, together with city council a commitment was made to shift funding that will address structural black racism.

Congressional Black Caucus Focuses on Economic Recovery of African Americans in COVID-19 Crisis

The first draft of the COVID-19 Senate stimulus bill focused money to bailout large corporations and the top one percent. But after days of negotiation that included President Trump big footing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the legislation was changed to focus more on the needs of main street Americans.

Minority-Owned Media Not Forgotten in Stimulus Legislation

Another $10 million has been designated for the Minority Business Development Agency within the Department of Commerce to provide grants to Minority Business Centers and Minority Chambers of Commerce to provide counseling, training, and education on federal resources and business response to the COVID-19 for small businesses.

Congress Passes Historic Anti-Lynching Legislation

Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) called lynchings racially-motivated acts of violence and terror that represent a dark and despicable chapter of our nation’s history. 
“They were acts against people who should have received justice but did not. With this bill, we can change that by explicitly criminalizing lynching under federal law,” noted Harris, who suspended her presidential campaign late last year. 

Big Insurance Must Help End Surprise Medical Billing

Known as “surprise medical billing,” these unexpected costs arise when a patient goes to a hospital for emergency or non-emergency care, only to find out afterwards that one of the medical providers who administered care was not covered in the patient’s insurance network.