• California Attorney General Xavier Becerra recently spoke against President Donald Trump in anticipation of the administration’s forthcoming ruling on children in immigration custody. In a news release, his office said the new rule would “bypass the Flores Settlement Agreement.” “Children don’t become subhuman because they are migrants. All children are God’s children, our children, and America should never treat them otherwise,” Becerra said in the release. “Yet, the Trump administration is about to take America down that dark road stripping protections that spare children from the trauma and harm caused by unlawful, cruel, and prolonged detention. We are prepared to defend the human rights of children and the values and integrity of the United States of America.” The Flores Settlement Agreement came out of a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in 1985. The legal action was a “response to substandard conditions of confinement for unaccompanied immigrant children.” The Trump administration has been broadly criticized over its immigration policies, including its separation of children from undocumented parents.
• Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) has introduced a resolution to dedicate Sept. 21, 2019, as “California Cleanup Day.” His office announced Assembly Concurrent Resolution 136 on Aug. 26. “California’s beautiful coastline is an unmistakable part of our state’s identity,” the assemblyman said in a news release. “As one of our most important and valuable assets, Californians take pride in working together to keep our beaches clean. Each year, thousands of volunteers from throughout the state converge on our beaches to help keep them clean and pristine for the next generation.”
• Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) announced her support for Moms Demand Action, a gun safety advocacy group. “I joined the Moms Demand Action Rally this past Saturday, because we must work together to keep our communities safe,” she said of an Aug. 21 march in Santa Barbara. She also reiterated her support for Assembly Joint Resolution 4, which would “urge Congress to swiftly enact” House Resolution 8—the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, which would establish new background check requirements for gun transfers between unlicensed individuals. “Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check,” according to H.R. 8’s summary on congress.gov. “The prohibition does not apply to certain firearm transfers, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.” H.R. 8 passed the House in February, and it had its second reading in the Senate in early March but has yet to come to the Senate floor for a vote.
• Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) posted her support on Facebook for the California Legislative Women’s Caucus on Aug. 19, posing for a photo. The post said it was a stand against the “Trump administration’s regressive policy known as the Title X gag rule.” The changes to Title X would alter the rules under which organizations like Planned Parenthood will be able to accept money. Planned Parenthood opted out of Title X saying the funding changes would prevent the organization from providing important care such as abortions. Jackson ended the post by saying, “Millions of women will needlessly lose access to vital preventative health care starting today. We’re talking birth control and breast cancer screenings. Women, and Californians, deserve better.”
This article appears in Aug 29 – Sep 5, 2019.
