Insuring HIV patients + NARAL endorsements + Restaurants take on DoorDash
Happy Wednesday, readers! We’re halfway to a three-day weekend.
To start — The Legislative Analyst’s Office raised a question mark around Gov. Gavin Newsom’s homelessness budget proposal on Tuesday, saying the $750 million investment to get people off the streets and into shelter is unclear.
“We recognize that there is no obvious right answer as to how the state should address the homelessness crisis. That said, we find the Governor’s budget proposal falls short of articulating a clear strategy for curbing homelessness in California,” the report noted. “In the absence of a clear strategy, state resources could be allocated in a less targeted/coordinated way. As a consequence, we believe the Governor’s proposed approach is less likely to make a meaningful ongoing impact on the state’s homelessness crisis.
You can read more about Newsom’s proposal here, and the LAO’s response here.
TAKING ON INSURANCE COMPANIES
Federal law prohibits insurance companies from denying health insurance to people with HIV. But neither state nor federal law prohibits those companies from denying life and disability insurance on the grounds of HIV status.
A California lawmaker is looking to change that.
Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Los Angeles, has introduced Senate Bill 961, which she said in a press conference “will end this unjust practice of discrimination against HIV individuals.”
Gonzalez said her bill would force insurance companies to treat HIV like any other chronic condition, “not as a death sentence.”
The senator said that her district has a disproportionately high HIV rate. She said there are 5,000 people with HIV in Long Beach, with around 135,000 people with HIV statewide.
The bill also has a champion in California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.
“When I became insurance commissioner and the only openly gay LGBT official elected statewide, it was my duty to make sure that our insurance industry did not discriminate against anyone in California,” Lara said.
Lara called the existing law a relic of the past.
“This law was written 30 years ago, when people with HIV struggled with fear and stigma, as well as being discriminated against by our society,” he said.
NARAL ENDORSES FIVE CHALLENGERS
Reproductive rights group NARAL Pro-Choice California has endorsed five candidates either against an incumbent or for an open seat in the Legislature.
“Dawn Addis, Susan Eggman, Shelly Masur, Kipp Mueller, and Chris Ward have proven their dedication to reproductive freedom, going above and beyond to stand up for the reproductive rights of all people,” said NARAL’s Shannon Hovis in a statement. “They will bring a deep commitment to expanding reproductive freedom for every person in California. We look forward to helping them win.”
- Addis is running against Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, R-Templeton. Addis is a co-founder and organizer of the group Women’s March San Luis Obispo.
- Assemblywoman Eggman, D-Stockton, is running for the seat currently held by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton. Eggman is a former chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. Galgiani is term-limited out.
- Masur is running for the seat currently held by Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo. Masur is the former president of the New York Clinic Defense Task Force, and previously has worked for the Teen Pregnancy Coalition of San Mateo County and is an active member of the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom. Hill is term-limited out.
- Mueller is running against Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, on a platform of reproductive freedom and abortion rights.
- Ward is running for the seat currently held by Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, on a platform of expanded access to paid family leave and childcare. Gloria is running for San Diego Mayor.
DELIVERING YOUR INFORMATION TO RESTAURANTS
Food delivery platforms like DoorDash would be required to share customer information with the restaurants they order from under a new California bill.
The lawmaker behind the bill says it will “level the playing field” between food delivery apps like DoorDash, Grub Hub, Postmates and Uber Eats and California restaurants, 60 percent of which are owned by people of color, according to the California Restaurant Association and the U.S. Census.
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, is the sponsor for Assembly Bill 2149, which authorizes food delivery platforms to share customer information with the restaurants from which they order. That information includes the customer’s email address, phone number and delivery address.
The bill would limit information request to once per calendar year.
“Restaurants shouldn’t fear losing their customers when they don’t agree to the conditions of some multi-million dollar food delivery app. This bill will put the power back in the hands of small business owners in California,” Gonzalez said in a statement.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“On #WomenInScience Day, let’s celebrate all the groundbreaking women who have pushed the boundaries of science, from Marie Curie to Sally Ride. Let’s also commit to empowering future generations of women scientists to continue to make world-changing discoveries.”
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein, via Twitter.
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A former California Highway Patrol assistant chief who helped his son flee to Mexico after a rape accusation is again asking the CalPERS board to let him keep his full pension despite his role in the crime, via Wes Venteicher.
A Silicon Valley Democrat wants to make sure California doesn’t spend any more taxpayer money at President Donald Trump’s hotels, via Wes Venteicher.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 4:55 AM.