• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado) sent a letter to the CEOs of 27 major companies accused of exploiting migrant children for labor, urging them to take immediate steps to stop any unlawful exploitation or ill treatment of children, according to an April 5 statement from Padilla’s office. Some of the specific companies include General Mills, PepsiCo, Frito Lay, Fruit of the Loom, Walmart, and Target. In their letter, the senators explain that migrant children have reportedly been working at their facilities, or in support of their facilities, in unsafe occupations, in hazardous conditions, and in other unlawful circumstances. The senators demanded the companies carefully examine hiring procedures, workplace safety requirements, and compliance with wage and hour laws as they apply to minors. They also question the companies’ actions since the allegations were made public. “According to the Department of Labor, NBC News, and The New York Times, migrant children have been working at your facilities in hazardous conditions, engaged in work that is not suitable for their age group, and working hours well beyond what is permitted by law,” the lawmakers wrote. “Your staff must be trained, and retrained if necessary, on federal and state child labor laws to ensure that children are not being placed in harm’s way, and employees must have the opportunity to report unfair labor practices without risk or fear of retaliation.”
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued a statement following the arrest of former President Donald Trump following a federal indictment on more than 30 counts of falsifying business records. “While Mr. Trump deserves the same rights as any in our justice system—due process, presumption of innocence, and a speedy trial—I have been deeply troubled by the former president’s dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric that cannot be interpreted any other way than him trying to intimidate the judge, jury, and witnesses that will be part of his eventual case. Any incitements of violence by or on behalf of Mr. Trump must be condemned,” Carbajal said. “Some have suggested that the powers of Congress might be wielded to interfere in a local district attorney’s prosecution. This would be an extremely partisan and gross abuse of power. I implore my colleagues in the House to not stoop to Mr. Trump’s misguided antics, and to not embark on the very thing they claimed they wanted to root out with their newly gained legislative power: ‘weaponization of the federal government.’ The justice system must be allowed to proceed without interference.”
• Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office issued a progress report on actions over the past year to build climate resilience across the state, following the state’s Climate Adaptation Strategy that aimed to protect vulnerable communities from climate threats and new ways to adapt to climate extremes, according to an April 5 statement from Newsom’s office. The released report showed nearly three-quarters of the strategy’s 350 metrics across 150 actions that are in progress or completed, with remaining metrics in the early stages. “Climate change is happening all around us. In just the last year, California experienced a record heat wave and communities suffering from years of drought are now facing historic flooding. We are acting now with an all-of-the-above approach to help all Californians prepare and adapt,” Newsom said in the statement. “California’s Climate Adaptation Strategy recognizes that extreme weather and other climate impacts threaten communities in every part of our state and accelerates actions to protect the most vulnerable. While we have made great progress over the last year, the climate crisis demands we move further and faster to reduce risks to our people.”
This article appears in Apr 13-23, 2023.
