• Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the Legislature to take early action to ensure any federal student debt relief provided to Californians would not be subject to state taxes, according to a Nov. 5 statement from the governor’s office. The proposal will be a part of the governor’s budget, which will be released in January. “Californians who get student debt relief shouldn’t be hit with taxes for it. This will provide up to $1.3 billion in tax relief for more than 3.5 million Californians,” Newsom said in the statement. “I look forward to working closely with the Legislature to get this done through early action.” California has nearly 3.5 million borrowers, with an estimated 2.3 million Pell Grant recipients. Under President Biden’s proposal, the federal government will forgive up to $10,000 in student loans for individuals making less than $125,000 per year and up to $20,000 for those who received a Pell Grant, meant for students with the largest financial need. Estimates have shown that waiving state taxes on forgiven student loan debt will provide Californians’ up to $1.3 billion in relief. Individually, borrowers will save on average hundreds of dollars in state taxes, and could even save as much as $1,860.
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) sent a letter urging U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to declare a national health emergency on gun violence, according to an Oct. 31 statement from the senator’s office. A public health emergency declaration would trigger an immediate and systematic response to fully address the nation’s gun violence crisis. Padilla and Lee recently held a roundtable discussion in Oakland to meet with local elected officials, community leaders, and constituents to address the spike in gun violence in the region, and explore possible federal solutions. “Gun violence is currently the leading cause of premature death in the United States,” the letter said. “The U.S. represents about 4 percent of the world’s population, but approximately 35 percent of global firearm suicides, making Americans 25 times more likely to be killed by gun violence than people in other high-income countries. Oakland, California, alone finished 2021 with its deadliest year in more than a decade, with over 130 homicides.” The elected officials continued by saying the public health emergency declaration on gun violence will “fundamentally reframe” how people perceive gun violence prevention efforts and recommit the United States to ending gun violence.
• The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office held a welcome ceremony at the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room for 13 new hires in the department, according to a Nov. 10 statement from the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Bill Brown introduced the newest Sheriff’s Office team members; Administrative Office Professional Eve Cardona, Administrative Office Professional Kimberly Corona Porras, Chief Administrative Officer Mark DiMaggio, Print Shop Supervisor Armando Guerra, Administrative Office Professional Vanessa Guzman, Utility Worker Kevin Hang, Communication Dispatcher Jenny Heinlein, Inmate Services Programs Manager Alice Perez, Computer Systems Specialist LeeAnn Scholl, Sheriff’s Service Technician Nicholas Shapiro, Administrative Office Professional Tina Tumbiolo, Administrative Office Professional Samantha Valenzuela, and Sheriff’s Service Technician Tess Watson. During the welcoming, Brown shared the golden rule of good law enforcement and corrections. “After each and every encounter with a citizen, inmate, or co-worker, ask yourself, ‘If I was that person, would I honestly feel as though I had been treated fairly, courteously, and professionally?’ If the answer is yes, you’re doing a good job,” he said. “If the answer is no, reflect on what was missing and make it right next time.”
This article appears in Nov 17-24, 2022.
