Image by michaeljungOPINION – Education is a game-changer that allows people to transcend their circumstances. Our Cal Grant program continues to sustain students, no matter their parents’ immigration status, but there are many outdated rules that still keep hundreds of thousands of needy students out.
California Aqueduct near Palmdale. Image by Angel DiBilio OPINION – As state and local water managers grapple with the many challenges brought on by climate change, the needs of Black, Brown, and disadvantaged communities cannot be ignored as it relates to access to water.
Aging at home, image by evrymmntOPINION – It’s been four years since Governor Newsom signed the executive order for the Master Plan for Aging (MPA) to ensure that all Californians can age well. Great progress has been made on achieving the MPA’s goals, but we’re still in the early stages of implementation.
DEI hands, image by New AfricaThe California Institute of Regenerative Medicine has strong requirements for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. But there is clinker in the CIRM effort – secrecy.
Image by Vadi Fuoco via ShutterstockOPINION By banning copay accumulators, we can ensure that patients receive the treatments they need without facing the additional burden of crippling medical debt.
As a committed activist for social justice reforms, Rainer Apostol has been an invaluable help as a legislative aide for Sen. Caroline Menjivar.
An illustration of the lack of equity between men and women. (Image: Thapana Studio, via Shutterstock)OPINION:
People waiting in line in Covina for the one-shot Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. (Photo: Ringo Chiu, via Shutterstock)OPINION: California is gearing up to make history. The state will achieve near universal health coverage in 2024 by expanding Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, to all income-eligible Californians. Immigration status will no longer be an obstacle.
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.
The young hands of a caregiver surround the hands of an elderly patient. (Photo: Ocskay Mark, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Everywhere you turn these days we’re being told that government doesn’t work, that our democracy is too polarized to deliver for everyday people. The budget Gov. Newsom recently signed tells a different story. It will help turbocharge our recovery from COVID-19 and make a historic commitment on another urgent public health crisis: Alzheimer’s.