CALIFORNIA PRETENDS ITS BOUNDARIES: California lawmakers who support reproductive rights want to protect everyone involved in an abortion. This can mean clinicians and patients as well as anyone who helps them, regardless of where they live.
But California’s powers may stop at its borders.
Patchwork of conflicting state abortion laws prompted by the Dobbs decision is testing the limits of how far a state can go to enforce its own laws in another state. This is prompting legal scholars to look back to before the Civil War—to state laws clashing around slavery when it comes to legal prosecution, protection, or cooperation involving another state.
Those laws have not been tested, and those legal battles could take years to resolve. Meanwhile, California is moving forward with 14 bills to fight back against laws from other anti-abortion states. Here are some key measures we’re looking at:
- A relatively new bill from the MP Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), AB 1242, added in June, would prohibit the arrest in California of anyone involved in providing or accessing an abortion. It would prohibit law enforcement in California from cooperating with out-of-state abortion investigations. Bauer-Kahan also authored AB 1666, which protects Californians from civil lawsuits based on laws in other states that are hostile to abortion rights. It went into effect immediately after the governor signed it in June.
- AB 2223, by the member of the Assembly Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), has emerged as the most controversial measure. The bill would ensure that no one in California is investigated, prosecuted or jailed for pregnancy loss. Opponents have falsely claimed it would legalize infanticide.
- AB 2626, by the member of the Assembly Lisa Calderon (D-Industry), would prevent state medical boards from suspending or revoking the licenses of those convicted in another state of performing abortions. Another bill presented in June, AB 657, by the member of the Assembly Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove), would expedite licensing for practitioners seeking to provide abortions.
All the proposals in the abortion package are still in play or already signed into law, including an amendment on the November ballot to include abortion and contraception rights in the state constitution.
Supporters are happy with the initiative’s chances. Kansans’ stunning decision last week to support the right to an abortion in their state’s constitution—by a nearly 20-point margin—strengthens this optimism.
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EDD DILEMMA: California’s unemployment policies are fundamentally geared toward supporting businesses rather than unemployed workers, leading to long delays in payments and an excessive number of claims being denied. according to a report released today by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. LAO researchers found that more than half of the unemployment claims denied by the EDD each year are ultimately overturned by an appeals board—compared to only a quarter of claims made nationwide—and applicants often wait weeks or months before receive benefits, the result of very complex fraud protections and inefficiencies in the department.
Despite a series of fraud incidents linked to a now-defunct federal pandemic program, fraudulent unemployment insurance claims are now rare, representing less than one percent of all claims. However, the state has prioritized cracking down on fraud over receiving payments for unemployed workers because the program is underfunded and supported by taxes paid by businesses, creating an incentive to cut costs.
The report laid out more than a dozen recommendations for improving the program, including simplifying the unemployment application. He also suggested a California State Auditor investigation into why so many EDD claim denials are ultimately overturned.
CLINTON CASH: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clintonhosted a virtual fundraiser today for Rep. Karen Bass, who is looking to capitalize on a recent wave of national support to bolster her Los Angeles mayoral campaign. Tickets for the event ranged from $3,000 for a couple — the maximum individual contribution allowed at the LA races is $1,500 — to $500 for Zoom invitees. Bass also received endorsements from the President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris last week as she is locked in battle for the seat with the billionaire businessman Rick Carusowhom she finished seven points ahead of in the primary.
UNITED GREENS: Ten environmental groups have sent the government a list of their demands for climate and energy policies. Gavin NewsomSenate Pro Tem Tony Atkins and Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon as an environmental agreement creates in the Capitol. The governor spoke to both caucuses last week about his desire to see bolder clean energy goals and curbs on drilling, though he avoided advocating for specific bills. The Greens don’t always agree on the details, but the specifics in Friday’s letter could pressure policymakers to act. The groups called for, among other things, a 2045 emissions reduction target and a carbon capture and storage policy that avoids extending the life of the state’s fossil fuel infrastructure. – Camille von Kaenel.
“Grand jury is investigating LA Sheriff’s Department’s handling of deputy who kneeled on inmate’s headfrom Alene Tchedmedyian of the Los Angeles Times: “The activity marks a major development in this case. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been accused by three top executives of trying to keep the March 2021 incident — exposed by The Times earlier this year — under wraps. The incident drew national attention when Villanueva announced that the reporter who wrote the story was under criminal investigation. He quickly took those remarks back.”
“Villanueva did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
“San Francisco quietly pulled back on monkeypox contact tracing weeks agoby Gabriel Greschler and Jakob Rodgers of the Mercury News: “While the department investigated every known case in the ‘early days of the outbreak,’ many of the people interviewed were unwilling or unable to give the names of their partners, according to city health officials. The virus, health officials say, is spreading through skin-to-skin contact, mostly during sexual intercourse.
“This made it difficult to contact to trace all known cases,” the health department said in an email. “We focused our strategy on focusing our case investigation efforts on specific groups that might signal something new in epidemiology. We are currently conducting investigations and contact tracing for under 18s; any person who can become pregnant, and people who are pregnant, among others.”
Compiled by Sakura Cannestra.
-“In dry California, salt water creeps into major waterways,” by Kathleen Ronayne of the Associated Press.
-“The 73-year-old fire watcher died at her home in the McKinney Fireby Michael Cabanatuan of the San Francisco Chronicle and Dominic Fracassa.
-“Bill calls for California to issue IDs to every undocumented immigrant,” by Josie Huang of LAist.
