Newsom signs more housing bills + Bonta backs federal rule change + Planned Parenthood ads
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert.
NEWSOM SIGNS ANOTHER HOUSING BILL PACKAGE
Following up on the signing of a previous housing reform package — Senate Bills 8, 9 and 10 and Assembly Bill 1174 — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a package of 27 bills that may have lacked the fanfare of those previous bills but which Newsom said nonetheless will lead to construction of 84,000 new affordable homes.
“The acute affordability crisis we are experiencing in California was decades in the making, and now we’re taking the necessary steps to fix it,” Newsom said in a statement. “This package of smart, bipartisan legislation boosts housing production in California — more streamlining, more local accountability, more affordability, more density. These bills, plus this year’s historic budget investments in affordable housing, will directly lead to more inclusive neighborhoods across the state. Creating denser housing near jobs, parks and schools is key to meeting our climate goals as well as our affordability goals.”
Local governments are obligated by law to plan for the creation of more than 2.5 million units statewide, more than double their previous obligation under the Regional Housing Needs Allocation cycle, according to Newsom’s office.
Newsom’s office said that the bills signed on Tuesday will help those local governments meet their obligation. To that end, Newsom has also announced the launch of the Housing Accountability Unit at the California Department of Housing and Community Development. This unit will work with local governments to help them comply with state mandates, and also will be empowered “to take escalating steps to bring municipalities into compliance with their RHNA goals in the event of persistent non-compliance,” according to the governor’s office.
“It is absolutely imperative to meet these housing goals if we are serious about building an equitable future,” Newsom said. “And it is similarly imperative to meet these housing targets because unaffordable housing leads to hours-long car commutes – directly inhibiting our efforts to meet our climate goals. Creating denser housing closer to major employment hubs is critical to limiting California’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
FEDERAL IN-HOME CARE RULE CHANGE
As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seeks to roll back a Trump-era rule making it harder for states to deduct employee benefits and union dues from home health care workers’ paychecks, it has the support of several state attorneys general, including California’s Rob Bonta, who led a multi-state coalition in issuing a comment letter supporting the federal effort.
The new proposed rule would adopt California’s position, that states may continue to deduct benefits from homecare worker paychecks that have been obtained through collective bargaining, such as health insurance coverage or voluntary union dues, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.
“Homecare workers are essential workers, and COVID-19 has shined a light on them and others in industries that are often overlooked and taken for granted,” Bonta said in a statement. “Throughout this pandemic, in-home care providers have looked after the needs of the people in their care, which has kept older adults and people with disabilities in our communities healthy and safe at home. HHS’ proposed rule preserves these workers’ right to bargain together to improve their wages and working conditions while they continue to provide vital care services.”
Bonta is joined by the attorneys general for Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD EXPANDS VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California announced that they plan to expand their bilingual, digital effort to get Californians vaccinated – particularly young adults.
“California has done an incredible job in partnering with community-based organizations, employers, and other networks to help increase vaccination rates across the state,” said PPAC CEO Jodi Hicks said in a statement. “We want to help get those impacted by medical barriers and misinformation vaccinated, which is why we’re excited to be expanding our online efforts targeted especially at younger adults.”
The organization is running 15- and 30-second ads on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Hulu in both English and Spanish.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“When observing the treatment of Haitians being chased by border patrol cowboys on horses, I said ‘I’m pissed’ during a press conference! Definition of pissed: mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore!”
– California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday said that his administration hasn’t ruled out implementing a statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate in K-12 schools, via Andrew Sheeler.
Marybel Batjer, who steered the California Public Utilities Commission through a brief but tumultuous era of wildfires, bankruptcy and blackouts, announced her resignation Tuesday, via Dale Kasler.
Treasurer Fiona Ma has frequently shared hotel rooms with her chief of staff during her tenure as California’s top banking official, a practice she said she engaged in “to save money,” according to expense reports, via Sophia Bollag.