Publication: LA Times
California has recognized that there are environmental, public health and mobility benefits to getting people out of cars and into other modes of travel, including biking, walking and taking public transit. Yet in too many instances, state law still favors cars.
The COVID-19 Relief Grant has been created for small businesses and nonprofits that have been impacted by the pandemic or health/safety restrictions. Funds are awarded in amounts up to $25,000 to underserved micro- and small businesses throughout the state. Round 8 is specifically for cultural institutions. More information can be found here.
Publication: SF Gate
Cracking down on "greenwashing," the state Legislature approved a bill Thursday that raises standards for what products can be labeled as compostable.
Assembly Bill 1201, dubbed the Better Composting Standards Act, now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk to be signed by Oct. 10. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, is designed to help consumers determine what products are and aren't environmentally friendly and to reduce harmful chemicals from contaminating compost.
Publication: CBS 13/Sacramento
Justifying jaywalking? It’s a controversial crime that many people just simply ignore, but now California could soon make it legal to cross outside of a crosswalk.
It’s a crime many people admit doing and now, California state lawmakers have voted to legalize crossing the street mid-block if no cars are around.
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The bill’s author, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), says jaywalking tickets have become a way for police to unfairly target minorities.
Publication: NBC 4 Los Angeles
With the CA Legislative session ending at midnight, attention now turns to bills awaiting the Governor’s signature. One in particular would decriminalize jaywalking. Beverly White reports for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Sept. 10, 2021.
Companies have been labeling products as “compostable” when they’re actually not. But that practice could soon end because of higher composting standards under a bill approved by the Legislature and sent to the Governor late yesterday. AB 1201, the Better Composting Standards Act by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), tightens the rules on what can be identified as compostable to prevent contamination, which threatens composting programs.
“Consumers and businesses are being deceived into thinking they’re buying the right products to conserve resources and reduce their environmental impact. Some are labeled as compostable, even when they contain harmful chemicals that contaminate our compost, consequently making that compost unusable,” said Ting. “We must be clearer on what is acceptable for composting and ensure that our compost doesn’t contain harmful chemicals.”
California could soon walk back its jaywalking laws, if Governor Gavin Newsom signs AB 1238/The Freedom To Walk Act by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), which would legalize safe crossings for pedestrians. Jaywalking is arbitrarily enforced throughout the state, and when cited these expensive tickets are disproportionately given to people of color.
“California’s jaywalking laws are outdated and not enforced fairly across our communities. These laws do not protect pedestrians and instead burden people with unaffordable fines and subject marginalized communities to harassment by law enforcement. Unfortunately, some of these encounters with law enforcement become life threatening,” said Ting.
AB 1238/The Freedom To Walk Act promotes the fair and equitable use of roadways by:
Publication: LAist
I’ll come clean with you: I’m a law breaker, and I break it regularly.
In the last offense I remember (honestly, I do it so often I can’t recall every instance), I walked to buy something from a store down the street from my home. Then I hit a snag: I’m mid-block, the store is directly across the street, but I would have to walk a few minutes in each direction to get to a crosswalk.
Consumers could be ingesting fewer chemicals in their food and making smarter decisions about their cookware purchases under legislation sent to the Governor today. AB 1200 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) bans the use of “forever chemicals,” known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in food packaging. The bill also requires the makers of cookware to disclose the use of PFAS and other hazardous chemicals in their products.
“When it comes to our food, we must ensure safety. Under federal regulations, companies are allowed to self-certify that a chemical they’ve added to food packaging is safe. That’s not good enough for me. Manufacturers should be mandated to use safer alternatives,” said Ting. “In addition, disclosure of PFAS used in cookware helps families decide for themselves what’s right for them.”
Publication: Fox 26/Fresno
A newly announced bill may soon pay low to moderate-income jurors in San Francisco a little more for doing their civic duty.
According to Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), AB 1452 aims to increase the daily pay for jury duty service from $15 to $100. Ting says the new bill aims to provide more socioeconomic and racial diversity among jurors.