Tax credits for undocumented immigrants + A surge in registered voters + Camp Fire event
Happy Thursday California! Thanks for starting your morning with the AM Alert.
CASHBACK
The Earned Income Tax Credit is known as a federal effort to help low-income families earn back a portion of their earnings in the hope that the extra financial help will keep their heads above water. California has its own system, too, which was created in 2015 to help struggling families earn more in tax breaks and refunds through the “cashback credit.”
CalEITC is considered “one of the most effective tools in America to lift families out of poverty,” according to the program’s website, and is lauded as an opportunity for poorer households to start saving money, pay down bills, invest in a car or help pay for education costs. Nearly 2 million Californians in 2019 claimed $360 million in the credit.
The California Immigrant Policy Center released a report on Tuesday that advocates for expanding the credit to undocumented immigrant workers who use an Individual Tax Identification Number rather than a Social Security Number to file their taxes.
The authors estimated that 600,000 more people, including 200,000 children, could benefit from the credit, which the center said would require a “minimal investment” from the state.
“Immigrants are vital to the fabric of our society,” the report noted. “If California wants to be serious about fighting poverty in our state, the right place to start is by supporting people who are the most vulnerable to provide for themselves and their families.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget qualified about 3 million families in California for the credit that provides up to $2,879. It also raised the income level to $30,000, and families with children under the age of six will earn an extra $1,000. But Newsom’s expansion did not include undocumented immigrants.
“I can think of needs that they have — their education, clothes for school, things that relate to their everyday quality of life,” an undocumented woman named Rosalba said in the report, regarding how the credit could help her children. “This is about equality and recognizing everyone’s contribution.”
FROM THE HIGHER UPS
I thought things were supposed to be quiet this time of year. My inbox was flooded with some important updates yesterday, so I’m bulleting what we’ve got going on in and around the Capitol.
- Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, issued a statement in response to increased calls for a reconvening in Sacramento to address the PG&E power shutoffs. Don’t expect the Capitol to be buzzing with full chambers any time soon. Atkins said an oversight hearing on Nov. 18 is already scheduled to address the public safety concerns of the blackouts.
“We are not yet through fire season and the threat of more power shut offs – we are actively working on ways to keep our first responders and communities safe and secure, and that work will continue into this next year,” Atkins said.
- We’re going to need more stickers. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced on Wednesday that more than 80 percent of eligible Californians are registered to vote. That’s the highest percentage in nearly 70 years, with more than 20 million Californians now registered. It’s also a 10-point increase since the 2016 elections. Forty-four percent of those registered are Democratic, 23 percent are Republican and 26 percent are “No Party Preference.”
- The California Supreme Court weighed in on Senate Bill 27, the new law that requires a presidential candidate to release his or her tax returns in order to get on the state’s 2020 primary ballot. The oral arguments were pointedly against it. “Where does it end? Do we get all high school report cards?” Justice Ming Chin asked. The sentiment reflected the U.S. District Court’s decision in Sacramento in September to halt the new law as unconstitutional.
“Today’s hearing is another victory and confirms what Legislative Republicans have been expressing all along – this law is unconstitutional,” said Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove. “Legislative Democrats designed this deceptive law to suppress conservative voters from participating in the 2020 elections.”
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN
Thanks to all who provided invaluable feedback on the AM Alert survey I pushed last week.
As one reader put it, the alert offers info on “what the sausage-makers are up to.”
But we can make the newsletter better, and I intend to implement your feedback to fulfill that mission.
Here are some highlights:
- No more cake. I get it, you hate birthdays. In all seriousness, I appreciate you letting me know that it’s not a necessary section of the newsletter.
Thanks to the many readers who flagged our attention to HTML links that don’t work and Tweet embeds that don’t show up. up. You’ll see that I’ve transitioned already to a “Quote of the Day,” which could include a Tweet, sans the embed, to address this issue.
You like my early morning banter! “I appreciate the levity of the opening comments each morning. Politics can be bleak and serious, so it’s nice to get a laugh in when you can.” Thanks, reader. Now send me your grandma’s best brownie recipe or the most scenic hike in California.
Some of you would like to see greater depth to the segments. Some of you rejoiced in the brevity of the AM Alert. Other alerters advocated for insider info, while one reader said he/she wanted a “quick summary of hot topics.” The two aren’t mutually exclusive, but it’s clear everyone finds a different purpose in the newsletter. I’ll keep that in mind as I try to advance the product to meet everyone’s needs.
Reminder: Tonight The Bee will host the CAMP FIRE: One Year Later, a multimedia showcase that provides a behind-the-scene view into the devastation of Paradise during the November 2018 blaze. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Renée C. Byer and reporter Ryan Sabalow of The Sacramento Bee will discuss what it was like being on the front lines of such tragedy.
Doors open at 4 p.m. Come one, come all, but please register here.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Congratulations Megan Dahle! Your #AD1 special election win last night brings the bipartisan @CaWomensCaucus to a historic number of elected women – 38! We look forward to working with you.”
– The California Legislative Women’s Caucus on Wednesday, after Dahle won the seat vacated by her husband, now state Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber
Best of The Bee:
- California’s vaccine laws aren’t likely to have a dramatic effect, study says by Hannah Wiley
- Sacramento passed a rent control law. Activists may still demand a ballot initiative in 2020 by Theresa Clift
- PG&E gets all the blame for deadly wildfires. But do California regulators go easy on them? by Dale Kasler