• On May 4, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new initiatives to get more underserved community members vaccinated. “New efforts focus on direct appointment assistance; community outreach including neighborhood canvassing, phone banking, and text banking; at-home vaccinations and transportation services; and an additional $33 million in funding, bringing the total to $85.7 million, to support community-based organizations,” according to a statement from Newsom’s office. The state recently surpassed a landmark of 30 million doses administered, and about 60 percent of eligible Californians had received at least one dose as of April 15. But according to Newsom’s office, about 53 percent of people in the lowest quartile of the Healthy Places Index haven’t been vaccinated. In comparison, only 28 percent of individuals in the highest quartile are unvaccinated. “We’re at a pivotal moment in our COVID-19 vaccine rollout—more than 30 million doses have been administered in California to date, and it’s going to take some new approaches to reach those who haven’t been vaccinated yet,” Newsom said in the statement. “These enhanced initiatives build on the community-based approach the state has taken throughout this crisis, in order to ensure vaccines are easily within reach of more people.” The state is moving away from using mass vaccination sites and toward “more targeted outreach with small clinics in communities with the highest disease burden,” according to the governor’s office. “Mobile sites will continue to operate in partnership with places of worship throughout the state, as well as in coordination with businesses, school districts, and local health departments where vaccination efforts are already underway.” These moves are in line with the state’s Vaccine Equity Metric initiative, in which California committed to dedicating 40 percent of its vaccine supply to the lowest Healthy Places Index quartile. “One of the most important responsibilities of government is to make sure that the most vulnerable receive equal protection, especially during a crisis,” California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris said in the statement. “These enhanced efforts aim to meet people where they are while building upon California’s ongoing commitments to ensure that equity is guiding our overall strategy.”
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) released a statement on May 5 in support of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla’s (D-California) Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act, which will protect more than 1 million acres of California’s public lands. The bill includes Carbajal’s Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, which passed the House earlier this year. “The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act’s inclusion in the PUBLIC Lands Act serves as yet another vehicle for final passage of this crucial bill, which would designate over 250,000 acres of public lands on the Central Coast alone with the highest form of federal protection,” according to Carbajal’s office. The congressman added in the statement, “It’s crucial that we act now to permanently protect the great outdoors, which provide invaluable local watersheds and opportunities for outdoor recreation that support our health and our economy.”
• On May 6, Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) announced that his police accountability bill passed the Assembly unanimously. AB 718 would “require law enforcement agencies to complete misconduct and officer-involved shooting investigations even after an officer resigns,” according to a statement from Cunningham’s office. The bill would also require any investigative findings to be shared with the officer’s new agency should they become employed with one. “Officer resignations should not be used as a tool to cover up potential misconduct,” Cunningham said in the statement. “By requiring investigations into misconduct be completed regardless of the accused’s employment status, we can ensure that bad actors are held accountable and help restore the public’s trust. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support of this important reform, and will continue to work on common-sense policies that increase transparency and accountability in all levels of government.”
This article appears in May 13-20, 2021.