• Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed an additional $331 million of funding to back up Californian’s fighting “unjust evictions.” He allocated $20 million to the fund in June but announced in an Aug. 7 news release that he wants to make the fund permanent. “Families facing eviction and foreclosure should know their rights and have legal advocates who can fight on their behalf—especially at this moment when Californians are grappling with sky-high rents and huge housing costs,” Newsom said in the release. The news comes in the wake of sharp increases in California rental costs and a lawsuit Newsom filed against the city of Huntington Beach, lambasting its dearth of affordable housing. The funding would come from a $410 million settlement the state received from lenders following the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. The money would be available to nonprofit housing rights advocates through a trust. The proposal awaits legislative approval.
• A bill floating in the state Legislature could make HIV prevention medication available over the counter. The bill—SB 159—awaits final approval from state lawmakers and could serve as a bulwark against future threats of HIV outbreaks. San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener’s bill will be on the Senate’s order of business as it closes in on its final month in session. Passage of the bill would open up over-the-counter sales of the drug known as PrEP, making it available through Medi-Cal, and would require pharmacists who offer it to undergo special training. The medication is said to be extremely effective. “Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99 percent when taken daily. Among people who inject drugs, PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by at least 74 percent when taken daily,” according to the Centers for Disease Control. Detractors of the bill say doctors need to be involved in prescribing the drug.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom has pardoned seven prisoners following a campaign pledge to reduce incarceration numbers. The governor, however, is not able to expunge a person’s record. “By granting these pardons to people who are transforming their lives, the governor is seeking to remove barriers to employment and public service, restore civic rights and responsibilities, and prevent unjust collateral consequences of conviction,” the governor’s office said in a statement. Newsom’s reform-minded approach to the criminal justice system has also included a suspension of executions. He’s said he “cannot in good conscience sign a death warrant for someone.” Newsom has also declared opposition to private prisons, saying they “contribute to over incarceration.”
• While on a trip to Los Angeles in early August, Gov. Gavin Newsom boosted his $2.3 billion investment in early childhood education. The money funds a range of programs, including $300 million for full-day kindergarten facilities and $143.3 million to subsidize child care for low-income families. The cash is also designed to support new parents. It will expand California’s Paid Leave program for each parent, allowing them to take eight instead of six weeks of maternity or paternity leave.
