• On May 25, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) reintroduced the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, a bill that incentivizes states to adopt “red flag” laws, which “allow family members or law enforcement officials to petition a judge to temporarily disarm an individual in crisis if they pose a threat to themselves or others,” according to a statement from Carbajal’s office. States that enact these laws would become eligible for federal funding to implement them. “I lost my older sister to suicide with a firearm at a young age and then, in 2014, our community experienced horrible tragedy when a gunman killed six students in Isla Vista,” Carbajal said in the statement. “What I’ve learned since is that temporarily preventing people from having a gun while in a state of crisis, and giving our law enforcement the right tools to address dangerous behaviors, saves live.” Carbajal added that extreme risk protection orders have already been successfully implemented in California and this act would encourage other states to enact them as well. “Extreme risk protection orders save lives by keeping guns out of the hands of people who are a threat to themselves or others,” Feinstein said in the statement. “California has shown that these laws work. Our common-sense bill would help more states enact similar laws that respect due process rights while giving families and law enforcement a way to remove guns from dangerous individuals.” California passed its red flag law following the 2014 Isla Vista shooting, when the gunman had exhibited signs on social media prior and his mother had warned local law enforcement about him. “This important public safety legislation would provide an incentive for the states to adopt Gun Violence Restraining Orders or similar legislation through grant funding,” Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley said in the statement. “I firmly believe if California had this law, years ago hundreds of lives would not have been destroyed, and with the passage of this law thousands of lives can be saved.”
• Gov. Gavin Newsom launched “Vax for the Win” on May 27, a new program to incentivize Califorians to get the COVID-19 vaccine before the state reopens on June 15. “California has already made incredible progress in the fight against COVID-19, with the lowest case rates in the country, while administering millions more vaccines than any other state,” Newsom said in a statement. “But we aren’t stopping there, we’re doing everything it takes to get Californians vaccinated as we approach June 15 to help us fully reopen safely.” According to Newsom’s office, nearly 63 percent of Californians aged 12 and older have gotten at least one shot, but there are still 12 million eligible people who haven’t gotten one yet. “The state will work closely with our partners at local health departments and community-based organizations to ensure the program reaches families living in communities with the lowest vaccination rates, who might face language barriers and other obstacles,” California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said in the statement. Anyone aged 12 and older who is at least partially vaccinated is eligible to win a $50,000 cash prize, and 30 winners will be selected on June 4 and 11. Then on June 15, 10 Californians will be drawn to win $1.5 million. “Winners must complete their vaccination in order to claim their prize,” according to the governer’s office. “Beginning on May 27, the next 2 million people who begin and complete their COVID-19 vaccination will automatically be eligible to receive a $50 prepaid or grocery card, worth a total of $100 million. … Californians will receive a text message with an electronic prepaid card redemption code sent to their mobile phone or email address seven to 10 days after their two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna, or single dose of Johnson and Johnson.”
This article appears in Jun 3-10, 2021.