Welcome to my legislative website. It is an honor to have this opportunity to serve my community. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns that you may have with the district—or with your state government.
The legislative year is over, and while there’s still work to do, I’m proud of our accomplishments. About a dozen of my bills were sent to the Governor, and my bill to fund emergency homelessness solutions, including $27 million for San Francisco, were enacted through the state budget. Thank you for the honor of representing you in the California State Assembly.
My bill, AB 748, provides transparency and accountability to the public by requiring the release of audio or video recordings within 45 days of a critical incident. The proposal is on Governor Brown’s desk, and he has until September 30th to act on it.
Please click here to sign my petition to urge him to sign this bill. Police transparency is important.
Traffic relief, safer roads and better air quality are on the way. The Bay Area received great news from the California Transportation Commission (CTC) recently when it announced $660 million for thirteen projects in our region. Close to home, the funding includes improvements to Jefferson Street in San Francisco and the addition of express lanes on Highway 101 from SFO to Mountain View.
U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) has begun a large scale enforcement program in Northern California. It is clear this is retaliation against California because we stood up for our values. We defended our immigrant communities with legislation to help keep families together. It's important to know that, even if you are not a citizen of the United States, you have rights.
Assemblymember Phil Ting is pushing the envelope of California environmental legislation; authoring AB 1745, which seeks to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles after 2045. While the bill did not pass this year, he vows to bring it back in 2019. In a conversation with Jobs With Impact, a podcast covers Phil’s early career as a civil rights activist in the Asian community, his views on green job opportunities, and the climate priorities of the California legislature, where he currently chairs the Assembly Budget Committee. Listen here.
Your voice matters! A lot is at stake at the national, state & local levels. Please register to vote by Monday’s deadline (10/22), so you can participate in the November 6 election. The online application is easy to fill out: RegisterToVote.Ca.Gov.
Some of San Francisco’s underserved business corridors are about to get a boost, thanks to five new liquor licenses awarded to restaurants by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control today. Type 87 liquor licenses are made possible by AB 471, which was championed by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and signed into law last year. With three in the Bayview and two in the Sunset, the 2018 recipients are:
Java Beach Coffee Roasters: 3620 Wawona Street
Word A Café: 5114 Third Street
Old Skool Café: 1429 Mendell Street
Corinne Chuitang Pusawong: 2244 Taraval Street
Bayview Pasta: 5009 Third Street
“I’m excited for the neighborhoods that’ll see more jobs, foot traffic and social spaces,” said Ting. “It’s also an opportunity for a new generation of restauranteurs who previously couldn’t afford a license.”
A Type 87 liquor license differs from a traditional one (Type 47) in the following ways:
Location: Restaurants must be located in: the Sunset, along Noriega and Taraval Streets; the Excelsior, on Ocean Avenue and Mission Street; Visitacion Valley, on Leland Street and Bayshore Avenue; the Portola’s San Bruno Avenue; and the Bayview’s Third Street.
Affordability: Cost is about $15,000 instead of the nearly $300,000 that conventional liquor licenses cost on the secondary market. Restaurants in outer neighborhoods typically lack the revenue to recoup such a large investment, placing them at a competitive disadvantage.
One-Time Use: These licenses cannot be re-sold or transferred. If a business closes or relocates, it is canceled and a new one is created in its place.
Before Ting’s legislation was enacted, new liquor licenses hadn’t been issued in San Francisco in over 80 years. New restaurants and bars typically have to buy their liquor licenses from other businesses that have closed or want to sell their license.
AB 471 allows for 30 Type 87 licenses total, five awarded per year until 2023. When more than five businesses apply for one in any given year, a random drawing is held. The first wave of restaurants were approved last year. Today’s lottery was the second wave.
Open enrollment for Covered California begins today! You can shop for private health insurance & compare prices. Financial assistance may be available, if you qualify. January 15, 2019 is the deadline to sign-up or switch to a different Covered CA health plan: http://www.CoveredCA.com.
A. P. Giannini Middle School, the most populous public middle school in San Francisco, is set to undergo much needed safety repairs and improvements. Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, helped to secure $4 million for the rehabilitation project.
“Students need a safe, modern learning environment in order to succeed. After years of deferred maintenance, we’re at the point where we can no longer postpone making upgrades,” said Ting. “I’m glad the state could step in to help this valuable community asset.”
The scope of the work will include updating the electrical wiring in the gym, repaving the uneven school yard, upgrading the auditorium and fixing the locker room ceiling, which leaks. San Francisco Supervisor Katy Tang first brought the school’s condition to the attention of Assemblymember Ting.
The Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council approved more than $113 million this week in the first wave of block grants available under the new Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP). The money is part of a $500 million 2018-19 state budget program championed by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and the Big 11 Mayors, in negotiation with the Governor, to help local governments address California’s homeless crisis.
“This is welcome news. I’ve been a strong advocate of state and local partnerships when it comes to solving our biggest problems. This is the first of many steps in getting people off the streets and into housing,” said Ting, Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.
Grant Recipients:
Oakland $ 8.67 million
San Diego $ 14.1 million
Los Angeles $ 85 million
Long Beach $ 2.8 million
Bakersfield/Kern
Continuum Of Care (CoC) $ 2.6 million
In 2017, California’s homeless population was more than 134,000. The council, which is under the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, began taking applications for the HEAP block grant on September 5. Cities and Continuums of Care (CoC) county partners are eligible. Once approved, the money can be spent on services, such as:
In a major to move to increase police transparency in California, Governor Brown today signed AB 748 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco). The landmark bill requires the release of recordings from body-worn cameras within 45 days of a critical incident, which is defined as the discharge of a firearm or use-of-force that causes death or great bodily harm.
“The Governor’s signature on AB 748 signifies a strong commitment to police transparency in California. Public access to body camera footage is necessary to boost confidence and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” said Ting.
Current California law provides no clear or consistent policy regarding the release of body camera recordings. In April, the Los Angeles Police Commission adopted a policy similar to AB 748. But other departments commonly cite “pending investigation” as a reason to withhold the recordings under the Public Records Act. Such secrecy fosters mistrust after critical incidents occur. The new law does not supersede a department’s ability to set its own disclosure rules, so long as the rules comply with the general guidelines set forth in AB 748.
Footage from body-worn cameras can help shed light and provide clarity when there is confusion in the community after tragic events. The footage can even help clear law enforcement of any perceived wrongdoing. If releasing body camera recordings interferes with an investigation, AB 748 also allows for 30-day delays.
Californians serving unjustly long prison sentences may get a second chance under a bill signed by Governor Brown today. AB 2942 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) gives prosecutors the discretion to review cases and recommend a sentence reduction, if warranted. The recommendation is then submitted to a sentencing court, which would make the final determination.
“District attorneys have found that certain prison sentences, upon further review, are no longer in the interest of justice. Let’s give them a tool to revisit cases in which defendants were sentenced under outdated guidelines, have been rehabilitated and would benefit from a second chance,” said Ting, author of AB 2942. Under current California law, only the Board of Parole Hearings may recommend a change to defendant’s sentence.
While public safety remains a key priority, emerging research suggests past policies should be revisited. A University of Chicago report found longer prison sentences have marginal effects on reducing recidivism. In addition, results from a separate study by the Brennan Center for Justice indicate that prison sentences could by shortened by 25% across the board without a negative effect on public safety.
Passage of AB 1184 first step to securing $30 million from TNC Impact Tax to fund transit operations & infrastructure
San Francisco - City leaders kicked-off Transit Week Monday with the news that Governor Brown has signed Assembly Bill 1184, the first step in securing critical funding for San Francisco transportation projects. This past July, Supervisor Aaron Peskin withdrew his Private Transportation Tax from the November ballot, after negotiating a deal with ride-share companies to pursue an alternate tax on TNC net ride revenue through state and local processes. The City's Chief Economist estimates the tax will generate $30 million annually, which would be dedicated to transportation infrastructure and operations. Assemblymember Phil Ting authored AB 1184 to affirm San Francisco's agreement with the private transportation industry to become the first city in California to levy a TNC impact tax.
"As San Francisco's economy grows, it must find ways to move people around safely. The Governor's signature on AB 1184 is an important first step to raise much-needed revenue that'll improve roads, bike lanes, public transit and other transportation projects," said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco.)
Supervisor Peskin co-chaired a six-month long Transportation Task Force 2045 (TTF2045) in his capacity as Chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA). The Task Force, comprised of a diverse cross-section of business, resident and advocate representatives, identified a $22 billion funding need over the next 27 years, without sustained local sources of funding to cover the need. One of the recommendations of the Task Force was to levy a TNC impact tax to mitigate the impacts of TNCs on congestion, declining public transit revenue and general wear-and-tear on City infrastructure. The negotiated agreement caps the proposed tax at 3.25 percent of net ride revenue for TNCs and driverless passenger vehicles, and 1.5 percent for shared rides. With the State-affirming legislation passed, the next step will be to put the TNC Impact Tax onto the November 2019 ballot.
LATEST NEWS
Some of San Francisco’s underserved business corridors are about to get a boost, thanks to five new liquor licenses awarded to restaurants by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control today. Type 87 liquor licenses are made possible by AB 471, which was championed by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and signed into law last year. With three in the Bayview and two in the Sunset, the 2018 recipients are:
In a major to move to increase police transparency in California, Governor Brown today signed AB 748 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco). The landmark bill requires the release of recordings from body-worn cameras within 45 days of a critical incident, which is defined as the discharge of a firearm or use-of-force that causes death or great bodily harm.
Californians serving unjustly long prison sentences may get a second chance under a bill signed by Governor Brown today. AB 2942 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) gives prosecutors the discretion to review cases and recommend a sentence reduction, if warranted. The recommendation is then submitted to a sentencing court, which would make the final determination.
San Francisco - City leaders kicked-off Transit Week Monday with the news that Governor Brown has signed Assembly Bill 1184, the first step in securing critical funding for San Francisco transportation projects. This past July, Supervisor Aaron Peskin withdrew his Private Transportation Tax from the November ballot, after negotiating a deal with ride-share companies to pursue an alternate tax on TNC net ride revenue through state and local processes. The City's Chief Economist estimates the tax will generate $30 million annually, which would be dedicated to transportation infrastructure and operations. Assemblymember Phil Ting authored AB 1184 to affirm San Francisco's agreement with the private transportation industry to become the first city in California to levy a TNC impact tax.