• Gov. Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and the California Department of Human Resources announced the signing of the California Equal Pay Pledge, an initiative launched to close the gender pay gap, according to a Jan. 27 statement. Gov. Newsom also announced the creation of a new chief equity officer position to lead efforts in improving state hiring and other procedures with an equity focus, including efforts to achieve pay parity among the state government workforce. “I’m proud to announce that California has signed the Equal Pay Pledge to advance pay equity in our workforce,” Newsom said in a statement. “Signing the pledge and establishing a chief equity officer position are just the latest examples of our continued commitment to ensuring our state government workforce practices reflect the highest standards of economic, gender, and racial equity.” This announcement follows the unveiling of the California Blueprint, which includes a $1.4 million package to improve awareness of state pay equity rights, and inform enforcement efforts against those who violate equal pay laws. More than 60 major California employers—including Airbnb, Apple, Gap Inc., Intel, and Twitter—have signed the pledge, and agree to conduct an annual, company-wide gender pay analysis, review hiring and promotion procedures, and promote best practices to close the pay gap.
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and 80 other Senate and House colleagues who called on the Biden administration to release the Department of Education’s memo outlining the administration’s legal authority to cancel federal student loan debt and cancel up to $50,000 of debt for federal student loan borrowers, according to a Jan. 27 statement. “In light of high COVID-19 case counts and corresponding economic disruptions, restarting student loan payments without this broad cancellation would be disastrous for millions of borrowers and their families,” the memo stated. While the lawmakers applauded President Biden’s decision to extend the federal student loan payment pause as the omicron variant spreads, they urged the president to do more to provide permanent relief for millions of borrowers and help families avoid financial hardship as the economy recovers. “Publicly releasing the memo outlining your existing authority on canceling student debt and broadly doing so is crucial to making a meaningful difference in the lives of current students, borrowers, and their families. It has been widely reported that the Department of Education has had this memo since April 5, 2021, after being directed to draft it,” the lawmakers wrote. Canceling student debt could help nearly 4 million Californians.
• Santa Barbara County is launching two new planning efforts—Environmental Justice and Housing—under the One Climate Initiative in order to address climate change, according to a Jan. 25 statement. The environmental justice element is a new initiative to identify strategies to reduce pollution exposure; improve air quality; promote access to public facilities, healthy foods, and safe and sanitary homes; and promote civic engagement in the decision-making process. “The One Climate Initiative highlights the broad range of important community issues the county is leading through a lens of climate change,” 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said in a statement. “Community participation is vital as these plans will shape our region’s future to be more equitable, more resilient, and environmentally conscious.” The second element will assess the county’s housing inventory of undeveloped parcels, and update zoning policies and housing programs to ensure the county can meet future regional housing needs for residents of all income levels. Throughout 2022, there will be a variety of opportunities to engage with these projects. The public is encouraged to learn more about the One Climate Initiative and the various projects by visiting countyofsb.org/oneclimate and by signing up for the One Climate newsletter.
This article appears in Feb 3-10, 2022.