California will apologize for slavery as part of reparations push
CALMatters's WENDY FRY: "California’s governor signed a slate of bills today aimed at beginning the process of reparations for Black descendants of enslaved people, including a measure that requires the state to apologize for perpetuating slavery.
The headliner bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom requires officials to sign and display a plaque in the state Capitol that includes the following: “The State of California apologizes for perpetuating the harms African Americans faced by having imbued racial prejudice through segregation, public and private discrimination, and unequal disbursal of state and federal funding and declares that such actions shall not be repeated.”"
Newsom signs formal apology for California’s role in slavery
LAT's TARYN LUNA: "Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a formal apology for California’s role in slavery and legacy of racism against Black people as part of a series of reparations bills he approved Thursday.
“The State of California accepts responsibility for the role we played in promoting, facilitating, and permitting the institution of slavery, as well as its enduring legacy of persistent racial disparities,” Newsom said in a statement. “Building on decades of work, California is now taking another important step forward in recognizing the grave injustices of the past — and making amends for the harms caused.”"
Delegation of authority by the legislature
Capitol Weekly's CHRIS MICHELI: "Under constitutional separation-of-powers provisions, generally the laws are enacted by the legislative branch of government, the laws are administered by the executive branch, and the laws are interpreted by the judicial branch.
With the executive branch charged with administering the law, as well as enforcing it, the state agencies and departments that administer the law need to engage in rulemaking activities, which are quasi-legislative in nature."
Gavin Newsom is vetoing 1 of every 5 bills. Here’s why
CALMatters's JENNA PETERSON: "Heading into the final four days before his midnight Monday deadline, Gov. Gavin Newsom will need to decide whether to sign or veto 465 bills still on his desk.
So far, he’s blocked 102 of 528 measures he’s acted on since the Legislature adjourned Aug. 31, or nearly 20%. That compares to a 15% veto rate in 2023, when he blocked 156 bills. He had a similar veto percentage in 2022, including some significant bills. In 2021, he vetoed fewer than 8%."
Economists like Newsom’s plan to help control gas prices. Refiners don’t.
EdSource's MALENA CAROLLO: "Fall is in the air, and that means California drivers are gearing up for seasonal price increases at the pump. A plan by Gov. Gavin Newsom to hold down those spikes cleared the Assembly petroleum committee Thursday.
The proposal, the focus of a special legislative session, is set to head to an Assembly floor vote Tuesday."
How a conservative won on sex trafficking in California’s deep blue legislature
LAT's ANABEL SOSA: "One of California’s most conservative Republican lawmakers has scored an unusual win for the second year in a row by getting Democrats to embrace a tougher approach to protecting children from sex trafficking.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a high-profile bill by state Sen. Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican who has opposed mandatory vaccinations for children and once suggested that God caused a drought. The bill Senate Bill 1414 makes it a felony to solicit a minor 15 or younger for prostitution."
Cheech and Chong sue California over new marijuana regulation
The Chronicle's AIDIN VAZIRI: "Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, best known for their comedy duo Cheech & Chong, have filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Public Health over newly enacted regulation prohibiting hemp products with any detectable THC.
The lawsuit was submitted by representatives of Cheech & Chong’s Cannabis Co., alongside the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s emergency ban on hemp-derived THC products went into effect."
Despite achieving milestones, we need more renewable energy, fast
STEVEN KING: "This summer in California has been full of both impressive renewable energy milestones and concerning climate change impacts. These contradictions prove that we still have a long way to go on the road to 100% clean, renewable energy, and how important it is for California to drive quickly toward its goals.
On the one hand, we experienced an impressive stretch of 100 days from early March through the end of July, during which clean, renewable energy sources including solar, wind, hydro, batteries and geothermal power supplied 100% of the state’s electricity demand for at least a few minutes each day. What was once only an ambitious dream – powering California with 100% clean, renewable energy – has become a strikingly common occurrence this year."
Firefighter accused of setting blazes in Northern California was a former inmate firefighter
LAT's RUBEN VIVES: "A Cal Fire engineer accused of setting several fires in Northern California had previously been in a firefighting training program while serving a six-year state prison sentence for vehicular manslaughter, according to state corrections officials.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said 38-year-old Robert Matthew Hernandez, who was recently charged with multiple counts of arson, had participated in the state’s Conservation Camp Program from April through December 2018."
We made an emergency alert guide to help Californians navigate a complicated process. Here’s how you can do it, too.
CALMatters's NATASHA UZCATEGUI-LIGGETT: "After reporting out how residents can sign up for local emergency alerts in each of California’s 58 counties, CalMatters and The Markup learned that in some cases, it’s harder than you’d expect. We found broken links and wrong information throughout the registration process, though two counties fixed these problems immediately after we contacted them. Some counties also had third-party sign-up pages that might make a savvy internet user question whether the website was legitimate.
Local emergency government alerts, sent via SMS, email, phone call, or app notification, are an important and often overlooked method of emergency messaging. During the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, some community members did not receive evacuation alerts because they had not registered for local alerts. Additionally, during the deadly 2018 Camp Fire in California, only 40 percent of Paradise residents were signed up when local emergency alerts went out."
California ranks last in high school sports safety. Would athletic trainer bill help?
The Chronicle's MARISA INGEMI: "Kevin Gorham remembers the grief of the Encinal High School community like it was yesterday. When freshman football player Giovani Pulido suffered cardiac arrest at a practice in 2016, there was little anyone at the field could actually do.
There was no defibrillator nearby, and though there were eight CPR-trained coaches, none had the skill of a medical professional to properly assist Pulido. Gorham, a teacher at the time, recalls vigils in the following days and weeks in the Alameda community. He especially remembers the feeling of helplessness, because it hasn’t faded."
As Cal State touts sex discrimination reforms, some students and employees question progress
CALMatters's MERCY SOSA: "More than a year after stinging audits, hearings with state Legislators and outcry from students and faculty calling for change, Cal State University is moving closer to meeting requirements from the state to reform how it handles reports of sexual discrimination, harassment and assault at its 23 campuses.
The Cal State Board of Trustees responded positively to a progress report given during its meeting this week by officials in the Chancellor’s Office tasked with overhauling the university system’s Title IX procedures. Reforms underway include internal audits of five campuses each semester, collecting data for an annual report, and hiring civil rights attorneys to handle cases more efficiently."
Vegetarian meal options increase in California school lunches, says new report
EdSource's STAFF: "More California schools are offering vegetarian lunch options, although the percentage of these options still remains low, according to a new report from the organization Friends of the Earth.
The report, Plant-Based Trends in California’s School Lunches, found that in the state’s largest 25 school districts, the percentage of vegetarian menu options increased from just 7% of menu options in 2019 to 11% in 2023. Some of the menu items the organization cites as “healthy, plant-based” options are chana masala bowls, vegan tamales, tofu ramen and veggie falafel wraps."
Q&A: How new wellness coaches expand mental health support in California schools
EdSource's VANI SANGANERIA: "Early this year, the California Department of Health Care Access and Information introduced the new Certified Wellness Coach program, aimed at improving the state’s inadequate capacity to support growing behavioral and mental health needs in California’s youth.
The program is part of the historic five-year, $4.6 billion state-funded Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, of which the Department received $278 million to recruit, train and certify a diverse slate of mental health support personnel, or certified wellness coaches, in schools and community-based organizations across the state. All told, the goal is to place about 1,500 coaches within the state’s 58 counties."
San Francisco schools face new challenge: Fiscal fallout from hiring fiasco
The Chronicle's JILL TUCKER: "The San Francisco school district is scrambling to bring on board scores of special education teachers and aides after officials bungled their hiring, leaving hundreds of vulnerable students in the lurch.
Now, officials, who had sought to save money by not hiring the legally required staff, are facing additional costs such as legal fees, more staff time and costly learning remedies."
October heat wave set to bring sizzling temperatures to Bay Area
The Chronicle's GREG PORTER: "A heat wave is set to hit California early next week, with the potential for temperatures to soar into the 90s or higher in San Francisco and along the Bay Area coastline.
After a week of dramatic weather swings, temperatures will begin to slowly trend upward through the weekend. This trend in temperatures will intensify on Monday, marking the start of a multi-day heat wave that may stretch all the way to the coast."
Kroger-Albertsons merger a step toward empowering veterans
Capitol Weekly's NICK BUSSE: "Veterans bring perseverance, endurance, tenacity, and strength to every challenge they face, whether on the battlefield or in their communities. These qualities are invaluable assets that can drive success when they return home, especially in the workforce.
As the Head of Military for a national company connecting veterans with job opportunities, a combat veteran, and a nonprofit leader dedicated to connecting veterans and enhancing their wellbeing, I see daily how employment reinforces the dignity and pride of returning service members. However, veterans face unique challenges when they come home to California—challenges that are solvable if our political leaders choose to prioritize solutions."
Inside the emotions of the A’s last day in Oakland: ‘This might be harder than my two divorces’
The Chronicle's JOHN SHEA: "Those “sell the team” and “let’s go Oakland” chants were never more meaningful, never more powerful … and never more heartbreaking.
Realizing John Fisher is done with Oakland, done with the East Bay and done with the Bay Area, folks momentarily moved on from the relocation chaos created by the Oakland Athletics’ owner to embrace and even enjoy one of the greatest and yet saddest days in Coliseum history."
Breed wooed S.F. tech leaders on zoo pandas by pitching AI and potential naming influence
The Chronicle's TARA DUGGAN: "Mayor London Breed proposed using artificial intelligence and creating a “panda smart home” in letters she sent to tech leaders like Marc Benioff and Sam Altman this summer, even floating the idea that they could have a say in naming the animals. The letters were part of an appeal for funding of the city’s $25 million project to bring giant pandas from China to the San Francisco Zoo next year. They were obtained in a public records request by a zoo critic and shared with the Chronicle.
Breed has been working to fund the project since announcing a deal reached with China in April to bring a pair of giant pandas to the city zoo by next year. It would make San Francisco one of a handful of U.S. cities, including San Diego, to have the beloved black-and-white bears on loan."
These 11 buildings tell the story of 21st century San Francisco, warts and all
The Chronicle's JOHN KING: "If you want to gauge a city’s evolution over 25 years, you can study demographics. Chart housing prices. Dissect crime rates.
Here’s another idea: Check out its buildings."
