• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Aug. 14 the appointment of new executive team members at the Employment Development Department (EDD), as well as a new senior advisor for the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. These appointments come as a part of Newsom’s initiative to reform the EDD, especially during the pandemic when more people are seeking unemployment insurance than ever before. The need for reforms within the EDD system is something that Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) has been particularly vocal about. “Californians [deserve] a government that works for them,” Cunningham wrote in an Aug. 7 Facebook post. “EDD must be completely overhauled.” At the end of July, the governor announced the formation of an EDD Strike Team “to create a blueprint to modernize information technology programs at the department and transform the customer experience,” a press release stated. “Work to address the backlog of unpaid claims to those that have experienced job loss during the pandemic and to streamline the call center experience is underway, and EDD is collaborating with legislators and staff to improve communication with claimants.” Newsom’s appointments include Maurice Emsellem as senior advisor at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Emsellem was previously the program director at the National Employment Law Project. Newsom also appointed Nancy Farias, Kevin Matulich, Carole Vigne, and Carol D. Williams to EDD posts.
• State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) commended Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in an Aug. 17 Facebook post, writing, “Thank you to Speaker Nancy Pelosi for today calling Congress back into session to address the transparent and unconstitutional effort to block the Postal Service from collecting and distributing ballots so critical to a fair election, especially during this Trump-perpetuated pandemic.” An Aug. 16 New York Times article reported that Pelosi “would call the House back from its annual summer recess for a vote this week on legislation to block changes at the Postal Service that voting advocates warn could disenfranchise Americans casting ballots by mail during the pandemic.” The Times article added that the House was not originally scheduled to return for votes until Sept. 14, “but is now expected to consider a Postal Service bill as soon as Saturday [Aug. 22], according to a senior Democratic aide familiar with the plans.”
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Aug. 14 that “every eligible local educational agency in California has applied for and is receiving a portion of the $5.3 billion in learning loss mitigation funds secured through the state budget he signed in June,” according to a statement from the governor’s office. Newsom also signed an executive order that directs state agencies “to bridge the digital divide” by providing computing devices and hotspots to students across the state. “Schools may be physically closed, but in California at least, class is still in session,” Newsom said in the statement. “While more work remains, districts across the state are in a far better position this semester to provide meaningful distance instruction to every child.” Newsom added that he is grateful for the parents and teachers who are making sure that students’ needs are met. According to the release, based on “current epidemiological data in communities,” more than 90 percent of students will begin the upcoming school year with distance learning. New statewide requirements ensure that all students have access to devices and connectivity, daily live interaction with teachers and other students, challenging assignments equivalent to in-person classes, and adapted lessons for English-language learners and special education students, according to the governor’s office.
This article appears in Aug 20-27, 2020.
