Dear Friend,
Happy New Year Assembly District 18 residents! I am so honored to be starting off 2022 with you as your AD-18 Assemblymember. This past year carried many challenges for everyone. Despite the turbulence, I’m so thankful to have gotten to see our community’s strength and resilience first-hand. As we enter this year, I’ll be working alongside you to help build a more safe and progressive future for our children and families.
Last year, you spoke, and I listened. It’s my privilege to represent the 18th Assembly District, and while my team and I are in the midst of finalizing my inaugural bill and budget package for 2022, I am excited to preview that I have already committed to authoring legislation on third-grade literacy, criminal justice reforms, gun violence as a public health crisis, worker ownership, government transparency and housing. This is just the start, and I’ll need your support to turn these legislative proposals into laws that will bring our communities progress, relief, healing and recovery better than the status quo.
Our office is committed to helping you stay engaged on happenings in Sacramento and informed about our district needs. Please continue to reach out to our office with your concerns and questions.
Yours In Service,
Mia Bonta
Assemblymember, 18th District
In this newsletter, you’ll find the following information:
- Meet your Assembly District 18 Capitol & District Team.
- AD-18 Community Resources & Updates
- “California Roars Back!” Governor Newsom’s $100 Billion California Comeback Plan
- Statues that go into effect in 2022
Assemblymember Mia Bonta & staff are committed to keeping AD-18 residents fully engaged and informed.
Please send this newsletter to a friend and subscribe!
Stay connected with our office, follow us on social media:
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Meet your Assembly District 18 Capitol & District office team!
Capitol Office Staff
- Legislative Director, Max Mikalonis
- Chief of Staff, Justin Rausa
- Legislative Assistant, Monica Zarate Sepulveda
- Legislative Assistant, Eliza Brooks
- Legislative Assistant, Haydee Dominguez
- State Assembly Fellow, Efrain Botello Cisneros
District Office Staff
- District Director, Jackie Calderon Perl
- Scheduling, Anthony Ammons
- Field Representative, Silin Huang
- Senior Field Representative, Lisa Williams
- Senior Field Representative, Rowena Brown
- EDD Constituent Services, Camille Fisher
Contact Us: Email or (510)286-1670
Oakland's Proof of Vaccination Mandate Takes Effect February 1
Starting Tuesday, February 1, Oaklanders will be required to show proof of vaccination at restaurants, bars and coffee houses; entertainment venues and museums; gyms, fitness centers and yoga studios; and senior centers and adult care facilities. Exempt from the mandate, due to equity issues, are Oakland Public libraries and community dental clinics. Create your digital Covid-19 record here.
If you are a business owner, please note you are also mandated to post signage of the upcoming requirement in your office/storefront no later than Saturday, January 15.
As the Omicron variant becomes more widespread, getting a booster is more important than ever. Please visit myturn.ca.gov to learn more.
Locations for COVID-19 Vaccination:
- Alameda: Safeway at the South Shore Center
- San Leandro: Davis Street Primary Clinic
- Oakland: Alameda County Public Health
The above-listed locations are just a few of many, to view locations nearest your home, click here.
Learn More About California Grants Portal
Use the California Grants Portal, a project by the California State Library, to find exciting grant and loan opportunities offered by California state agencies. These grants help support local businesses and nonprofit organizations. Categories include education, community/economic development, environmental and more!
Join Faith in Action East Bay and Oakland Ceasefire on January 14 for the first Ceasefire walk of 2022
In response to the devastating impacts of gun violence taking place in our community and all across our country, Faith in Action East Bay and Oakland Ceasefire will host their next walk on Friday, January 21 at 6 p.m.
For more information, please email info@fiaeastbay.org or call (510) 382-1687.
Help Save the Environment with Clean Cars for All
Clean Cars for All is offering grants for income-qualified Bay Area residents to retire their older car and replace it with a hybrid, a new battery, a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, or a prepaid card to use for public transit and purchase e-bikes.
To learn more about this exciting program, click here.
Marcus Foster Education Institute Scholarship Opportunities
The Marcus Foster Education Institute is empowering Oakland youth by offering exciting scholarships to eligible candidates. The organization is currently accepting applications for this year’s scholarship recipients.
Application Opens: September 1
Deadline: February 1, 11:59pm PST
For more information and eligibility requirements, click here.
Free Online Courses to Help You Prepare to Get Back to Work
Through Metrix Learning, a flexible online platform that offers more than 5,000 courses leading to over 180 industry certificates, Oaklanders can improve a wide variety of skills, earn industry certificates, launch into new careers and advance up the career ladder all for free. Courses are available in English, Spanish and Cantonese. Metrix can be accessed 24/7 and is open to all Oakland residents, regardless of employment status.
To learn more, please click here.
Redistricting Oakland; Stay Informed
Redistricting will affect all residents in Alameda County. The community engagement for redrawing the lines for city, county and states will directly impact who is representing your community and the resources you receive.
The Redistricting Commission will be merging maps F3 & K3. The next public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, January 19 at 4 p.m. Please check for updates here.
Oakland Airport receiving $15 Million dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act
Signed into law on November 15, Biden’s new infrastructure bill is already making waves in the East Bay. The Federal Aviation Administration is excited to begin new sustainability, airfield safety, passenger amenities and gender equity projects at the Oakland airport in 2022.
“This funding will create good-paying union jobs in the East Bay,” says Congresswoman Barba Lee (CA-13), who is confident that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act is going to bring “critical investment[s] to our state to guarantee clean drinking water for all, improve highways and bridges, expand our EV charging network, increase safety on our roads and streets, and close the digital divide in neighborhoods like East Oakland.”
Additionally, Congresswoman Lee announced a separate $5.2 million grant from the Department of Transportation for funding clean energy projects at the Oakland Seaport, bringing over $20 million of dollars to the East Bay altogether. To learn more about these upcoming infrastructure projects, click here.
California ROARS Back: Governor Newsom’s $100 Billion California Comeback Plan
Small Business Relief: Governor Newsom’s California Comeback Plan doubles down on support for small businesses to recover from the pandemic, investing an additional $1.5 billion in COVID-19 relief grants – bringing the total to $4 billion, representing the largest small business grant program in the country.
Homeless Relief: Governor Newsom is doubling down on these successful efforts – the CA Comeback Plan includes a massive expansion of Homekey, investing $8.75 billion to unlock at least 46,000 new homeless housing units/placements and affordable apartments. Newsom’s Comeback Plan will also functionally end family homelessness within five years through a new $3.7 billion investment in homeless prevention, housing and rental support. On top of that, the Governor proposes a $1.5 billion investment to clean up California’s roadways and transform public spaces. Learn more about your area here.
Supporting Immigrant Families: Governor Newsom’s plan makes historic investments regardless of immigration status, offering an additional $1,000 in stimulus checks to undocumented families through the expanded Golden State Stimulus, the largest renter assistance in the country with $5.2 billion to help low-income renters cover their back-rent and their rent for several months into the future, and $2 billion to help Californians pay past-due utility bills.
Supporting Public Schools: It’s time to reimagine our public schools. The California Comeback Plan proposes the highest level of state school funding in California history. It includes $15 billion for targeted investments to reimagine our K-12 public schools, $2 billion for savings accounts for 3.7 million kids and $3.4 billion for universal pre-k. Learn more about Governor Newsome’s plan here.
Economic Recovery: The California Comeback Plan provides immediate cash to middle-class families and businesses hit hardest by the pandemic – expanding California’s recovery efforts to reach more people, with bigger benefits. The plan will expand the Golden State Stimulus to middle-class families, creating the biggest state tax rebate in American history. Newsom’s Comeback Plan also creates the largest small business relief package in the nation, prioritizing the state’s recovery efforts and giving money directly back to California’s small businesses.
Healthier Agriculture: The California Comeback Plan proposes $67.5 million to develop a healthier, more resilient, and more equitable food system. Building on our leadership as the top agricultural state in the nation and a global climate leader, the Plan proposes a $531 million package to advance climate-smart agriculture, improve drought resiliency, fund alternatives to agricultural burning, increase pollinator habitat on working lands and support conservation planning to build resilience.
Environmental Justice: Focused on communities that need it most, Governor Newsom has proposed investing $2 billion for past-due utility and water debt for low-income households, $1.3 billion for climate resilience, $3.2 billion for zero-emission vehicles to clean up our air and $1.3 billion for clean drinking water.
Statutes Going into Effect in 2022
Health and Covid-19:
- SB 510: Free COVID-19 testing and vaccination will be offered by healthcare providers, eliminating hidden fees and broadening accessibility for these pandemic precautions. Learn more.
- AB 540: Beginning on May 1, Medi-Cal services will become available to all income-eligible adults aged 50 and over, regardless of immigration status. Learn more.
- SB 395: A new 12.5% tax will be placed on the sale of electronic cigarettes, with the proceeds going to public health and education programs. Learn more.
- AB 45: Cosmetic manufacturers will be required to disclose ingredients that pose potential health risks, including flavor and fragrance chemicals. California will provide this information on a public online database for all residents to view. Learn more.
- AB 1356: Protestors will be prohibited from recording patients or providers within 100 feet of reproductive clinics, as well as posting or sharing any recordings of these individuals on the internet. Learn more.
Housing:
- SB 9: A new California statute allows up to four housing units to occupy single-family lots in certain communities, and limits opposition from local officials. Learn more.
- SB 10: Another California law will make it easier to rezone properties in close proximity to public transportation operations to allow up to ten housing units. Learn more.
Criminal Justice:
- AB 453: “Stealthing”, the term used commonly to describe the act of removing one’s condom during sex without the consent of the partner, can now be punished as sexual battery under state criminal law. Learn more.
- SB 73: Judges will have the ability to sentence offenders convicted of possession of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine to probation instead of time behind bars. Learn more.
- AB 1171: “Spousal rape” will no longer have a special distinction and will be punished the same as any other rape. Learn more.
- SB 352: Limits on sexual assault or harassment charges while serving in the military have been removed from state law. Learn more.
- AB 1057: “Ghost guns” can be seized by law enforcement officers while executing a temporary gun violence restraining order. Learn more.
Law Enforcement:
- SB 2: Law enforcement officers in California can lose their badges for misconduct cases including, but not limited to, excessive force, racial bias, and dishonesty. Learn more.
- AB 490: Policing methods that can potentially cause “positional asphyxia”, which threatens the ability to breathe by compressing a person’s airway, are now illegal. Learn more.
- AB 48: New training will be put into place regarding the use of tear gas and rubber bullets and officers are prohibited from firing them “indiscriminately into a crowd or group of persons.” Learn more.
- AB 481: New mandates are in place to limit law enforcement’s purchasing of military equipment, and require prior approval from local officials. Learn more.
Environment:
- SB 560: Most refrigerators sold to Californians will no longer be able to use hydrofluorocarbons in their cooling systems, and the ban will extend to all refrigerators in 2023. Learn more.
- AB 1024: A fee imposed on lead-acid battery manufacturers for the cleanup of contaminated sites will be doubled in April 2022. Learn more.
Workplace:
- SB 3: California minimum wage has been raised to $15 per hour. Learn more.
- AB 701: Warehouse employers will be required to disclose all rules regarding worker quotas and ensure rest periods aren’t counted against a worker’s productivity. Learn more.
Education:
- AB 367: Public schools and colleges will be required to stock restrooms with free menstrual products, beginning in the fall. Learn more.
Lifestyle:
- AB 286: Food delivery apps will be required to itemize all fees charged above the restaurant’s menu price and to pay tips given to drivers or the restaurant. Learn more.
- AB 390: Customers will have the ability to cancel online subscriptions at any time without further steps such as lengthy surveys. Businesses will also be required to notify customers before free trials and promotions lasting longer than 31 days expire and before annual subscriptions automatically renew. Learn more.
Some of these bills advanced and were signed by the Governor; others the legislative body will revisit in January 2022.
Read The Full Legislative Bills Breakdown here.