El Popular News - The largest Spanish language publication in Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley.
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3 - 9 de Marzo, 2023 © El Popular I 11A www.elpopularnews.com T he two state senators are Sena- te Melissa Hurtado (D) and Se- nator Shannon Grove (R). The three assembly members are newly elected Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains (D), Assemblyman Vince Fong (R), and Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R). All of which have introduced new bills this year. Here are two of the most bills that have been introduced by each representative this year so far. MELISSA HURTADO (D) – BAKERSFIELD. SB-245: This bill, introduced on January 26, 2023, by Hurtado and Susan Rubio, would remove age li- mitations on access to CalFresh and would allow anyone to be eligible for the program if the individual's immi- gration is the only cause for ineligibi- lity. The bill would also impose a sta- te-mandated local program. The bill currently awaits review by the Human Services Committee. SB-244: Senate bill 245 would prohibit all foreign governments from purchasing, leasing, acquiring, or holding an interest in agricultural land within California. However, the bill makes exceptions if a government had previously held before January 1, 2024. The bill was introduced on January 19, 2023, and is also coau- thored by neighboring Senator Shan- non Grove. The bill is currently under review by the Judiciary Committee. SHANNON GROVE (R) – BAKERSFIELD SB-237: Bill 237 would punish the possession, sale, or purchase for sale of fentanyl by imprisonment for 4 to 6 years. It would punish the trans- portation of fentanyl by imprisonment for 7 to 9 years. The bill would also punish the traffi cking of fentanyl by imprisonment for 7, 10, or 13 years. All imprisonment would be at a coun- ty jail. The bill was introduced on January 24, 2023, by senators Gro- ve, Brian Dahle (SD-01), and Susan Rubio (SD-22). SB-237 currently sits in the Public Safety Committee. SB-293: This bill would require the Department of Education to make statewide summative California As- sessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results available to the public by October 1 each year. The bill would also require the state board's calendar for delive- ring results to the department to be consistent with the new deadline. Senator Grove introduced the bill on February 2, 2023. The bill currently awaits review by the Public Safety Committee. DR. JASMEET BAINS (D) – BAKERSFIELD AB-786: Assembly bill 786 would require the California Department of Aging to establish the Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregiver Education and Support Grant Program. This fi - ve-year grant program would expand access to evidence-supported de- mentia caregiver education, training, and support to caregivers of those with dementia. AB-786 was introdu- ced on February 13 of this year. The bill is currently under review by the Aging and Long-Term Care Commi- ttee. AB-1203: This bill would exempt breast pumps, breast pump storage and collection supplies, breast pump kits, and breast pads from sales and use taxes in California. The bill does not require the state to reimburse local agencies for sales and use tax revenue loss due to the bill. Dr. Bains introduced the bill on February 16, this year. The bill is currently pending referral. VINCE FONG (R) – BAKERSFIELD AB-641: Introduced by Fong on February 9, this bill would expand the defi nition of an automobile dismantler and aims to target catalytic conver- ter thefts. The new defi nition would now include a person who keeps or maintains on property owned by the person, or under their possession or control two or more used catalytic converters that have been cut from a motor vehicle using a sharp im- plement. The bill is currently under review by the Transportation Com- mittee. AB-619: This bill would authorize a nonprofi t entity that provides services contracted with a state agency, during a state of emergency, to request the state agency to allow that nonprofi t to modify the method in which it provi- des those services. It is to be allowed so long as the purpose of the contract is served. The bill would require the state agency and the nonprofi t entity to prepare and sign an addendum to the contract establishing the terms and conditions of the modifi cation if agreed upon by the state agency. It would also require nonprofi ts to no- tify each state agency from which it receives funding of a closure or of an impacted program and identify and thoroughly document all expen- ditures associated with the closed program and retain documentation to justify expenses and to support claiming continued state funding, as specifi ed. The bill would require these state agencies to ensure that funding is available to pay for can- celed services, closed programs, or reduced service levels. The bill was introduced by Fong on February 9 of this year and currently is under re- view by the Emergency Management Committee. TOM LACKEY (R) – PALMDALE AB-1544: This bill would autho- rize a police or sheriff's department that is investigating an open case of suspected child abuse or severe ne- glect to forward to the Department of Justice a report in writing of its inves- tigation made on or after January 1, 2024. Current California law prohibits police or sheriff's departments in the state from doing so. The bill was in- troduced by Lackey on February 17 of this year and is currently pending referral. AB-622: Currently, existing law provides that a person who leaves their home to go into another state or precinct in this state for temporary purposes (due to natural disaster), with the intention of returning, does not lose their domicile. The state defi nes domicile as someone's "re- sidence" for voting purposes. Under AB-622, people who simply return to their districts would also not lose their domicile as well. The bill was introdu- ced by Lackey on February 9 of this year and is currently pending referral. As the new year goes on, it will be interesting to see which bills will be passed by the state legislature and ultimately be signed by the governor. Residents of Kern County will see fi rsthand what their representatives have been advocating for in Sacra- mento. N ow about three years later on Sunday, Feb. 26, there was yet another protest in front of the Golden State Annex. This time the protest was about the inhumane living conditions that have inspired around 100 detainees to begin a hunger strike for the last eight days. Throughout the rally people who were detained at a detention center at one point or another spoke about their experiences. "I have to start off by saying this, I spent seven years in prison, the year and a half I spent in here was worse than that. We're being treated as less…I started seeing the GEO staff taking advantage of people. Saying, 'you can't get your soap, you can't get deodorant, you have to wait.' But that's not the way it works," said Fidel Garcia during the rally. More people spoke about the treatment and punishment they ex- perienced within the detention cen- ter. Nestor Chavez, another former detainee of Mesa Verde, spoke of being silenced when they decide to speak up. "The people in there can't use their voice because they exclude them from other people. They put you in a private cell as a punish- ment. They also give you strikes. What is a strike? They cut your commissary, or your phone and you can't communicate with your family, and that's really hard. Or you couldn't see your relatives because you were punished," said Chavez. Others explained how their de- tainment affected their family mem- bers. "I suffered eleven months inside. One of my grandchildren tried to end his life knowing I wasn't with him and for everyone I can imagine all of this is very sad. It's one thing to imagine but another to live throu- gh it," said Victor Everardo Lopez. Kern Sol News reached out to GEO for a statement on the hunger strikes. They stated that the stories are an attack on ICE. "We strongly reject these base- less allegations, which are part of a long-standing radical campaign to attack ICE's contractors, abolish ICE, and end federal immigration detention by proxy in the State of California," according to a GEO spokesperson in a statement. GEO also stated they do not to- lerate staff misconduct. "As it relates to allegations regar- ding retaliation, GEO has a zero-to- lerance policy with respect to staff misconduct. We have a grievance process in place for use by per- sons housed at our facilities that is grounded in accessibility, confi den- tiality, fairness, objectivity, and inte- grity, without fear of retaliation. Any alleged misconduct by GEO staff is promptly investigated and addres- sed," according to the statement provided by a GEO spokesperson. GEO continued to say that the strikes are politically motivated. "We also note that certain de- tainees take actions that are ins- tigated and coordinated through a politically motivated and choreo- graphed effort by outside groups," said a GEO spokesperson. During the protest through every chant or prayer the detainees of the Golden, State Annex could be seen waving a white fl ag and shouting, "Thank you for coming." In return, people would shout, "We are here for you." Or other variations of that phrase. The community has banded to- gether to ensure that the people being detained at facilities like Gol- den State Annex know they are not alone in their fi ght for human rights. These protests will continue un- til the hunger strikes are over, the next protest will be in the Mesa Verde Detention Center located on Golden State Hwy. in Bakersfi eld next Sunday, March 5 at 2:00 P.M. In early 2020, there was a possibility of a detention center opening in McFarland, a residential area where immigrants make up around 33% of the overall population according to the census. Naturally, it sparked protests from the residents, however, in the end, it simply wasn't enough. Later in the year, Golden State Annex was up and running despite all of the backlash. When looking at a map of state legislative districts and Kern County, a total of fi ve state representatives represent Kern County — two of them in the state senate and three in the state assembly. McFarland Golden State Annex detainees McFarland Golden State Annex detainees go on a hunger strike with community support go on a hunger strike with community support What new bills have Kern County state legislators introduced so far, this year? legislators introduced so far, this year? Aimee Preciado /Kern Sol News Cristian Cerda /Kern Sol News A protest in response to inhumane living conditions was held at Golden State Annex in McFarland on Sunday, Feb. 26. Several detainees appear to be waving at the supporters from behind the facility's fence. Photo: Kern Sol News Dr. Jasmeet Bains is the newest legislator from Kern County. Photo: Contributed