Editor’s note: Sacramento Snapshot is a weekly series during the legislative session detailing what Orange County’s representatives in the Assembly and Senate are working on — from committee work to bill passages and more.
In a bipartisan effort, more than two dozen legislators sent a request to the budget chiefs in both chambers: Provide permanent funding for cities to combat homelessness.
The ask is for a $3 billion annual funding stream “for cities to help Californians find homes and prevent more Californians from having to live on the streets, under bridges or in their cars.”
One-time funding hinders cities’ long-term planning and curtails “more ambitious statewide goals,” they said in the letter to Assemblymember Philip Ting, D-San Francisco, and Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, as they continue to work on the 2023-24 budget.
“With the slowing economy, stubbornly high inflation, and the threat of another potential recession, we know that more of our residents could lose their homes and join the growing ranks of the unhoused,” they said.
Many signers came from the Orange County delegation, including Assemblymembers Laurie Davies, Blanca Pacheco, Sharon Quirk-Silva and Tri Ta as well as Senators Bob Archuleta, Catherine Blakespear, Janet Nguyen and Tom Umberg.
They pointed to a League of California Cities study that found 87% of cities had fiscal concerns regarding long-term homelessness services and 79% had tapped into general funds to address homelessness.
“Cities across California have an urgent need for this funding, as they struggle to provide long-term homelessness services and find themselves diverting funding from other programs,” said Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton. “With an ongoing investment from the state, we can achieve transformative effects, prevent more individuals from losing their homes and establish effective homelessness programs, ensuring that all Californians have a place to live and create prosperous communities.”
Marathon bill passages
Several bills got the OK in their prospective chambers this week, including some fentanyl-related legislation. Among those that were greenlit were:
• Quirk-Silva’s bill requires cities and counties to report their inventory of public restrooms. The Department of Health will create a website for people to search by ZIP code to find what’s available. The guide is meant to help gig workers, tourists, delivery drivers, pregnant women and people experiencing homelessness, according to her office.
• Legislation requiring every public school to maintain at least two doses of naloxone, used to treat people overdosing on opioids, passed the Assembly — as did Assemblymember Joe Patterson’s bill requiring schools to inform about the dangers of fentanyl, and Assemblymember James Ramos’ bill making fentanyl test strips available on college campuses.
• Blakespear’s legislation requiring all semiautomatic pistols sold in the state to use microstamping technology that would print a unique code on fired shell casings. The idea is to help law enforcement track the source of a gun used in crimes.
In other news
• SeaWorld brought rescue animals to lobby legislators, including a porcupine, raven, python, kinkajou and kangaroo for its “Animals at the Capitol Day.”
What do a rescued kinkajou, kangaroo and python all have in common? They all got to meet @AsmCottie!
Thanks for stopping by, Assemblymember! #AnimalsAtTheCapitolDay pic.twitter.com/SJsAJrEddL
— SeaWorldCaresCA (@SeaWorldCaresCA) May 23, 2023
• The Assembly, for the first time, passed legislation allowing legislative employees the chance to form a union to bargain for wages, benefits and working conditions. Of the Orange County delegation, only two Republicans voted against the measure, Assemblymembers Diane Dixon and Kate Sanchez, and Assemblymember Tri Ta did not have a vote recorded.
“Legislative staff aren’t looking for special treatment — they are looking for the same dignity and respect afforded to all represented workers,” said Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, D-Inglewood, who authored the bill.
Source: Orange County Register
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