Will new legal guidelines enhance housing for CA farmworkers?

Many California farmworkers have lengthy lacked protected and reasonably priced locations to sleep — a difficulty thrown into sharp reduction after final yr’s mass taking pictures in Half Moon Bay, which left seven agricultural employees lifeless.

To enhance farmworker housing, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two payments on Tuesday on the Fresno headquarters of the nonprofit Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative. The governor mentioned the laws helps to deal with the altering nature of California migrant farmworkers — 92% of whom reside within the state. He added that “with humility, grace and deep understanding,” he acknowledged that extra work wanted to be carried out to assist these employees.

• Newsom: “No one is denying that, across a spectrum of issues. And that’s why ‘good enough’ never is.”

He signed Meeting Invoice 3035which will increase the variety of housing websites in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties; and AB 2240which lifts eligibility necessities for employees and their households to reside in farmworker housing and will result in 24 state migrant housing complexes staying open year-round. Newsom additionally signed SB 1150which expands paid sick depart for farmworkers who need to keep away from smoke, warmth or flooding from an area or state emergency.

Newsom introduced a bunch of different invoice signings Tuesday:

• Gun laws: California already has a number of the nation’s strictest gun legal guidelines, however Newsom introduced the signing of 24 payments designed to guard youngsters and victims of home abuse and forestall gun-related hate crimes. “California won’t wait until the next school shooting or mass shooting to act. In the absence of congressional action, our state is once again leading the way by strengthening our nation-leading gun laws,” he mentioned in a press release.

Hollywood and AI: A high-profile invoice regulating AI expertise nonetheless awaits Newsom’s choice. And whereas Massive Tech is slamming the proposalone other massive California trade helps it: Hollywood. On Tuesday, 140 of a number of the greatest names in leisure signed a letter urging Newsom to signal the invoice, studies the Los Angeles Instances. The measure would require builders to check whether or not their AI applications could cause catastrophic hurt.

It’s highschool soccer season and for gamers within the Inland Empire — the place temperatures can soar to greater than 100 levels — heat-related diseases can pose a severe threat. To guard these college students, a brand new regulation requires the California Interscholastic Federation to develop warmth security guidelinesstudies CalMatters’ Deborah Brennan.

The principles restrict sports activities observe and competitors, and get stricter as temperatures rise. Totally different areas of the state even have completely different warmth thresholds. For the Inland Empire, coaches should present extra frequent water breaks when it reaches 82.2 levels — at 92.1 levels, all outside observe is forbidden.

Although coaches agree the foundations assist maintain college students protected, the stricter requirements within the Inland Empire could be a drawback.

• Night in Valenciaathletic director at Palm Desert Excessive: “Let’s say we have a couple weeks where it’s extremely hot, and we don’t get to practice during the week but play football on Friday night, versus a school in Orange County that has had a full week of practice.”

Study extra in regards to the warmth sickness regulation in Deborah’s story.

As local weather change drives harmful warmth waves, hundreds of inland residents — not simply scholar athletes — are in danger for heat-related diseases. CalMatters’ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and video technique director Robert Meeks have a video phase on this concern. Watch it right here. SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.

In 2018, Newsom campaigned for governor on including 3.5 million housing items by 2025 to ease California’s reasonably priced housing disaster. This yr, Vice President Kamala Harris is pledging to construct 3 million extra reasonably priced properties and leases in 4 years throughout the nation if she’s elected president.

So what classes can she study from Newsom and California?

CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff appears at Newsom’s successes — and failures — on his massive housing ambitions and highlights three takeaways: Set manageable targets. Clear away regulatory hurdles. And use sticks in addition to carrots.

Whereas California has handed a sequence of main legal guidelines to spice up housing manufacturing below Newsom, excessive development prices, onerous laws, lack of public funding and group resistance have been roadblocks. Learn extra on Harris’ plan and Newsom’s document in Alexei’s story.

U.S. Home snapshot: A brand new ballot out Tuesday exhibits Democrats main in 4 of six swing California congressional races the place voters have been surveyed. However the ends in all of the races (that are among the many key races highlighted in our Voter Information) are throughout the margin of error. With that massive caveat, Adam Grey is forward in District 13, Rudy Salas in District 22, George Whitesides in District 27 and Derek Tran in District 45, all Democrats. Republican Scott Baugh leads in District 47 and GOP Rep. Ken Calvert is tied with Democrat Will Rollins in District 41.

As in 2022, what occurs in California might decide management of the carefully divided Congress, level out the pollsters at Cal State Lengthy Seaside, Cal Poly Pomona and the College of Southern California.

Let’s dive into some larger training information:

• Funds woes: California State College is already working to shut an working deficit of greater than $200 million this educational yr, however its 2025-26 funds aren’t trying too sizzling, bothexplains CalMatters larger training reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn. On Tuesday, Cal State’s senior finance employees reported that the college system faces a price range gap of $400 million to $800 million (out of a $8.3 billion complete price range). By subsequent summer time, the deficit might forestall Cal State from enrolling new college students, offering raises for workers and bettering commencement charges. Learn extra in regards to the price range crunch in Mikhail’s story.

• Switch charges: A state audit launched Tuesday discovered that only one in 5 group school college students switch to a four-year collegewrites CalMatters group school reporter Adam Echelman. That’s partly as a result of the switch system is so advanced, in accordance with the audit. Some four-year universities don’t settle for sure group school programs, for instance, and a few group schools don’t provide the courses college students want. The auditors suggest group schools rent extra counselors to offer extra assist for transfer-bound college students. Learn extra about the switch audit in Adam’s story.