Ethnic Studies Bill Passes Senate- On to the Governor

Thanks to your constant support AB 101 Ethnic Studies passed today in the California State Senate!!! It now goes to the Governor's desk for signature. We are receiving word that he may veto the bill. Please join us and take action!

1. Call the Governor:
(916) 623-4866. Tell Governor Brown to take a stand and support Ethnic Studies. California is NOT Arizona. Use/Share this ESN number so we can keep track of how many people call. Then press "1" for English, and "4" to speak with a rep. Say you want the Governor to sign AB 101 into law. If you get voicemail, it means the Governor's line is busy, so just keep calling back.

2. Email Governor Brown:

Letters to the Editor
Please also consider writing a Letter to the Editor to one of the following newspapers about the importance of AB 101 and Ethnic Studies. You can use the email to the Governor as an example. Please let us know if the article is published. How to submit a Letter to the Editor:

• Sacramento Bee: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article2571437.html
• San Fransisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/submissions/
• San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/letters-commentaries
• Los Angeles Time: http://www.latimes.com/oe-howtosubmitoped-story.html

Upcoming Events

Brown Signs Legislation to provide legal services to Unaccompanied Minors

SACRAMENTO - In action announced earlier today, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed legislation to provide legal services to the unaccompanied minors arriving in California from Central America.

"Helping these young people navigate our legal system is the decent thing to do and it's consistent with the progressive spirit of California," said Governor Brown when the legislation was introduced last month with the support of Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins and members of the Latino Legislative Caucus. 

SB 873 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review eliminates any ambiguity regarding the jurisdiction of the state court to make findings necessary to enable the federal government to grant these minors special immigrant juvenile status. This federal status provides for an expedited naturalization process. The legislation also reinforces the court's authority to provide interpreters to unaccompanied, undocumented minors. Additionally, the Budget Act of 2014 signed today appropriates $3 million to qualified nonprofits to provide legal services for unaccompanied minors. 

During California's Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico in July, the Governor met with Archbishop of Los Angeles José H. Gomez and religious and diplomatic leaders from Mexico and Central America for a wide-ranging discussion on immigration reform and pledged to help with the influx of unaccompanied children migrating to the United States. 

For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.

Oct 5, Immigration Reform Marches

Rallies took place in more than 150 cities across the U.S. on Saturday in an effort to restart the push for comprehensive immigration reform led by a group of bi-partisan lawmakers earlier this year.

Organizers of the "Day of Dignity and Respect" events in cities from New York to Los Angeles hope to draw fresh attention to an issue that was at the forefront of the national dialogue in July when the Senate passed an immigration bill that would have included a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented individuals in the U.S., but House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has refused to put to a vote.

Meanwhile, Democrats in the House introduced a similar measure Thursday, which will likely also face opposition from House Republicans, many of whom are wary of supporting anything that could be perceived as "amnesty" for individuals who broke immigration laws to get to the U.S.

House Republicans have also let it be known that they prefer a more step-by-step approach to the immigration issue in contrast to the broader measures in the Senate bill.  

California Governor Brown endorses comprehensive immigration reform.

The California Latino Legislative Caucus held informational hearings on current efforts on immigration reform on Aug.27,2013, in Sacramento, California.  Speakers from community groups, labor unions, growers, and Dreamers, among others, presented the major issues and many of the problems with SB 744, the current federal proposal.  Enrique Moreno of Border Angeles described terror on the border. There were clear divisions among the groups about the current bill for its many repressive characteristics.  Mike Garcia of SEIU the Service Employees International  was  one of the more active advocates  for the bill saw the passage of the amended S744  as a major victory for working people. Conservative Republican forces in the U.S. Senate amended the bill to achieve a massive   $46  Billion  expansion of border control and  enforcement.  Moreno testified that this would only lead to more deaths on the border.

California Governor Brown joined the hearing for a short while and clearly endorsed efforts at comprehensive reform and promised to work with the legislators to assist with related state issues.

You can view the entire hearing with its many excellent and well informed speakers here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3dGzqkNhqQ&feature=player_detailpage

It is well done and well informed.

Help stop farm worker heat deaths

Less than 10 days left for Governor Brown to decide on lifesaving heat bills. You can help! Cesar Chavez once asked, when speaking of the perils pesticides bring farm workers,"What is the worth of a man or a woman? What is the worth of a farm worker? How do you measure the value of a life?" The United Farm Workers still battles against toxic poisons that can threaten both farm workers and consumers. But exposure to extreme heat continues to pose just as deadly a threat to farm workers. Much of the problem is a lack of state enforcement of California's existing rules to protect farm workers from dying or becoming ill from the heat. This summer, the UFW convinced the California Legislature to pass and send two bills to Gov. Jerry Brown. AB 2346 would let farm workers enforce state rules themselves by suing agricultural employers who repeatedly fail to comply with mandatory requirements for shade and drinking water. AB 2676 says employers must treat farm workers at least as well as animals by providing shade and water or face the same criminal penalties the law imposes when animals are denied these necessities, including possible jail time and fines. The agricultural employers are lobbying intensely against the measures. We can't assume Gov. Brown will sign these bills. Won't you please urge the governor to do the right thing because the lives of farm workers are valuable. You can help by going tohttp://action.ufw.org/heatsafety. Thank you and Si Se Puede! Arturo S. Rodriguez, President United Farm Workers of America

Tribal Chief slams Brown's plan to destroy the Delta

http://blogs.alternet.org/danbacher/2012/07/23/caleen-sisk-make-your-voices-heard-against-the-tunnels/

By Dan Bacher

Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, has issued a urgent call to show opposition to the state-federal plan to build a peripheral canal or tunnels at a rally on the West Steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento on Wednesday, July 25 starting at noon.

Governor Jerry Brown is expected on or near July 25 to announce his plans to build two gigantic tunnels to divert Sacramento River south to corporate agribusiness and southern California, killing Central Valley salmon, Delta smelt and other species and destroying the estuary.

"California Indians and Tribes need to come make your voices be heard on July 25 at the Capitol if you need salmon and/or water,” said Sisk. “The old failed plan in back in the saddle and needs to wear an arrow shirt if the life of the California homelands are to survive this harebrained plan.”

“Please join the efforts of Restore the Delta and many others in opposing this! We need to unite about this misinformation of no scientific common sense! This a drastic mistake!” Sisk urged.

California Dream Act, Farmworkers bill signed

Assemblymember Gil Cedillo, activists student organizers, and the California Legislature, and Governor Brown passed the Dream Act.

  The legislation allows  undocumented immigrant college students to receive public financial aid, marking California's relatively liberal ground in a bitter row over immigration nationwide.

The California Dream Act allows access to public financial aid, including Cal Grants, for undocumented students who came to the country before turning 16 and attended California high schools. Those students already are eligible for in-state tuition, and Brown in July signed a companion measure affording them access to private financial aid.