Image by wildpixelOPINION – Social scientists recognize that different people view issues differently and these perspectives are determined by their lived experiences. That’s why legislation currently being considered in Sacramento, Senate Bill 1137 (Smallwood-Cuevas, SD- 28), represents an important step toward preventing discrimination through the lens of intersectionality.
Image by Simone HoganOPINION – Legislation introduced this session in the California Assembly (AB 3038) would require all K-12 schools to have an armed police officer stationed on campus. Instead of being a meaningful step toward school safety, this is the latest example of a simplistic, inadequate, and politically expedient solution being offered based on the powerful myth that “good guys with guns” prevent acts of extreme violence.
Capitol caucuses, image by Andrii Yalanskyi Both the Senate and Assembly have several caucuses beyond the main party caucuses: Rural Caucus, Latino Caucus, Jewish Caucus, Black Caucus, LGBTQ Caucus, etc. But which wields the most power behind the scenes? We asked our experts to weigh in.
Image by Natasa Adzic via ShutterstockCalifornia’s Proposition 209, passed in 1996, ended the consideration of students’ race as one factor in public higher education admissions, but did not apply to private colleges and universities. The Supreme Court’s recent landmark decision ended that distinction.
Image by Gorodenkoff via ShutterstockIt’s clear we need to take action now to equip all California students with the knowledge and experience to compete in the workforce of the future.
Photo by The Image Party via ShutterstockOPINION – In many historically redlined and low-income communities, full-service grocery stores are rare. In these neighborhoods, farmers’ markets supported by the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) can serve as a vital source of affordable fruits and vegetables for community members.
However, CNIP and its largest program — Market Match — face a
Students studying in a California classroom. (Photo: GagliardiPhotography, via Shutterstock)OPINION: One of the charges I hold seriously is to ensure every child in California has the resources they need to succeed. As a product of California’s K-12 public schools in the Central Valley, I can still recall the deficiency in resources as well as the knowledge of those that were appointed to secure that my future endeavors were aligned for excellence.
College students performing research in a biology science class. (Photo: Rido, via Shutterstock)OPINION: A daughter of immigrants working hard labor jobs. A first-generation student who suffered the loss of her father and whose mom was laid off. A single mother working to provide for her three children. These are the students our California colleges would have lost and whose futures would have been limited were it not for financial aid.
Employees on the job at a Santa Barbara restaurant. (Photo: Ruben M Ramos, via Shutterstock)California’s growth of nonfarm payroll jobs continued on a steady pace as 2021 ended, according to recent figures from the state Employment Development Department that do not fully reflect the impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. “The 50,000 gain in the labor force was encouraging in December and certainly included more women,” economist Lynn Reaser told Capitol Weekly.
A young girl in Oakland, a key member of a community targeted for health inequities. (Photo: Roots Community Health Center)OPINION: Much attention has been focused on the barriers and challenges to accessing health care, highlighted by a pandemic that disproportionately harms Black, Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander, and Indigenous communities. Barriers to technology or lack of broadband impeded access to MyTurn and other scheduling tools. Barriers to transportation made it impossible or difficult for folks to access mega-sites and wait in hours long lines for the vaccine.