Sacramento, CA – California has become the largest state to ban facial recognition software in police body cameras, in a move to protect civil liberties over use of technology prone to mistakes. Governor Newsom today signed AB 1215, a proposal by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) that prohibits law enforcement from equipping body cameras with facial recognition software and other biometric scanners for three years.

“The public wanted their officers and deputies to use body cameras to provide accountability and transparency for the community. The addition of facial recognition technology essentially turns them into 24-hour surveillance tools, giving law enforcement the ability to track our every move. We cannot become a police state,” said Ting.

To prove that facial recognition isn’t ready for prime time, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently put the technology to the test, running photos of all 120 members of the state Legislature through a mugshot database. It falsely matched 26 lawmakers, including Ting. More than half of those falsely identified are lawmakers of color, illustrating the biases and risks associated with the technology’s dangerous inaccuracies if allowed to subject people to perpetual police line-ups. A similar test conducted on members of Congress last year also produced 28 mismatches.

“Face-scanning police body cameras have no place on our streets, where they can be used for dragnet surveillance of Californians, our locations, and our personal associations,” said Matt Cagle, Technology and Civil Liberties Attorney for the ACLU of Northern California. “AB 1215 helps ensure Californians don’t become test subjects for an invasive and dangerous tracking technology that undermines our most fundamental civil liberties and human rights.”

False matches led Axon, one of the largest manufacturers of police body cameras, to bar facial recognition programs in its products. Microsoft also had the same concerns, particularly the high error rate among women and people of color, when it declined to sell facial recognition software to a California law enforcement agency.

Sacramento, CA – Clean slate legislation signed by the Governor today will give hundreds of thousands of Californians a second chance in life after they have served their time and successfully completed probation. Even after rehabilitation, a criminal record typically prevents people from getting jobs and housing, or attending school. AB 1076 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), uses technology to automate arrest and conviction relief for those already entitled to record clearance under existing law. The current paper system is burdensome and expensive, and it discourages individuals from going through the process.

“People shouldn’t have to pay for their mistakes for the rest of their lives. A fresh start improves an individual’s chances of succeeding and reduces the likelihood of recidivism. Automating the record clearance process will enable former offenders to get back on their feet and lead productive lives,” said Ting. “Our economy and society pay the price when job-seeking workers are shut out.”

In its amended form, AB 1076 would automate record clearance for individuals whose arrest occurs after January 1, 2021. A new California Policy Lab analysis found that of the estimated 1.1 million people who will have a new detention, arrest, or conviction during the first five years of the law’s implementation, about 44% will be eligible to have one or more cases automatically cleared. Studies show that lack of access to jobs and housing are primary factors that drive individuals to reoffend.

The obstacles to successful re-entry also disproportionately impact communities of color and those who are socio-economically disadvantaged. By requiring no additional action by petitioners, AB 1076 can make the records clearance system more fair and equitable.

Debut coincides with World Mental Health Day on Oct 10th

San Francisco – The California Peer-Run Warm Line officially opened today, offering free non-emergency emotional support and referrals to anyone in the state via telephone or instant messaging. This service is made possible because of a state budget allocation of $10.8 million over three years, championed by Governor Newsom, State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assembly Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).

“When addressing issues surrounding health, the conversation must also include emotional wellness. This new state resource builds on our current mental health system by serving a population that is not in crisis but still in need of support,” said Ting.

“Too many Californians are struggling with mental health and emotional well-being challenges. Peer-to-peer support is a proven way of helping people stay healthy and get the help they need. The California Peer-Run Warm Line is an important resource for so many people, and I’m thrilled we were able to get it funded,” said Wiener.

According to Mental Health America, about one in five adults in the U.S. experiences mental health challenges in a given year. In peer-run or peer-to-peer engagement programs, someone who has personally gone through similar mental health challenges is providing support to callers. It’s a model that helps prevent the need for more expensive, crisis-based interventions, such as hospitalizations. In addition, the term “warm line” illustrates the step before “hotline,” which typically serves people in crisis. Warm lines aim to reach those who are not quite at that stage, but still need some emotional assistance.

The California Peer-Run Warm Line is toll free: 1-855-845-7415 and will initially be staffed for most of the day:

Mondays to Fridays: 7:00 am – 11:00 pm

Saturdays: 7:00 am – 3:00 pm and Sundays: 7:00 am – 9:00 pm

The call center is scheduled to ramp up to 24/7 service by the end of the year and expects about 25,000 calls a year. This new mental health line builds upon the city-funded San Francisco Peer-Run Warm Line, which opened in 2014 and is run by the Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF). Past callers expressed concerns over interpersonal relationships, anxiety, panic, depression and alcohol/drug use.

“The Warm Line saves lives by providing preventative care for those in distress,” said Mark Salazar, the Executive Director of MHASF. “At the same time, the Warm Line saves money for the community by helping our callers to stay out of crisis and the need for emergency resources like ER visits, hospitalization and police intervention. We are very pleased to be partnering with the state of California to create what we believe is the first comprehensive state run Warm Line,” says Salazar.

The debut of the California Peer-Run Warm Line coincides with Thursday’s World Mental Health Day and its suicide prevention theme this year.

The complete announcement can viewed here.

#   #   #   #   #

(Sacramento) – As a result of Governor Newsom’s signature today on AB 697, California will soon begin requiring colleges to disclose preferential admissions practices to the state. Under the legislation by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), the data must detail whether any of the school’s admitted students have a relationship to a donor or alumni, and how many of these students did not otherwise meet the criteria for admission.

“We must strive for a level playing field in the college admissions process, so there can be equal opportunity for all,” said Ting. “We should know how prevalent donor and alumni-based preferential treatment is in California, so we can compare that to the amount of state-funded benefits, like CalGrants, flowing toward the school.”

In March, a handful of Assembly Democrats unveiled a package of six college admissions reform proposals in response to the scandal dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues.” That investigation found that well-connected families used a side door to get their typically unqualified children admitted into elite schools through illegal bribes, donations and/or falsified SAT scores. Additionally, the scandal shed light on the many legal ways that wealth and relationships skew the college admissions process.  AB 697 was California’s first reform measure to reach the Governor’s desk.

Two other bills from that package were also signed by the Governor today:

• AB 1383 - strengthens checks and balances on special admissions by exception (McCarty)
• AB 136 - prohibits fraudulent tax write-offs for individuals charged in the scandal (Quirk-Silva)

Ting’s AB 697 will take effect January 1, 2020, with data from the 2019-20 school year required to be released by June 30, 2020.

Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), author of AB 40 and other legislation intended to address the climate crisis, released the following statement about the Governor’s Climate Executive Order. Ting’s statement is as follows:

“I applaud the Governor for taking aggressive action to address the climate crisis. We know the transportation sector accounts for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in California; so to focus a number of directives on cleaner cars and other green transportation technologies will help us reach a tipping point. I see my bill, AB 40, as complementary to these efforts to address our impact on global warming.”

AB 40 (Ting) encourages automakers to sign onto the deal struck by Governor Newsom and four automakers in July to increase the fuel efficiency of their gas-powered fleet, regardless of actions taken by the federal government.  Under AB 40, only those automakers committed to California’s public health and climate goals could benefit from the state’s clean car rebate program.

#   #   #   #   #

Amidst today’s action by the Trump Administration revoking the federal waiver that permits California to set its own strict air pollution controls, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) called on California to step up its effort to further reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by proposing changes to how the state’s clean car rebates are given out. Ting’s measure, AB 40, represents a legislative effort that comes as the United Nations Climate Action Summit begins Monday, where world leaders are expected to bring concrete action plans to accelerate the progress they are making on addressing climate change. 

Under AB 40, only those automakers who have committed to increase the fuel efficiency of their gas-powered fleet - regardless of what the federal government does - would be eligible to participate in the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP). In other words, to qualify for a clean car rebate, the vehicle must be made by car companies that voluntarily agreed with Governor Newsom in July to buck any federal rollback of Obama-era tailpipe regulations in favor of California’s tougher standards. Higher fuel efficiency regulations are key to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to global warming. So far, Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen are on board, with more expected to join.

“California should not be incentivizing the purchase of vehicles manufactured by companies that don’t want to help us achieve our state’s public health and climate goals,” said Ting. “You’re either with us, or you’re not helping to save people’s lives and the planet.”

A recent California Air Resources Board report found the state has reduced GHG emissions overall, except in the transportation sector, which accounts for nearly 40% of the pollution. Then-Governor Jerry Brown issued an Executive Order last year, calling for five million zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) to hit the road by 2030. AB 40 adds the goal of ten million ZEVs by 2035. But, California still has a long way to go. As of August 6, 2019, there were only 626,000 clean cars estimated on its roads. AB 40 also limits rebates to ZEVs, making hybrids no longer eligible for CVRP, while requiring a higher rebate for longer range ZEVs. These changes would make CVRP more efficient in promoting California’s clean air goals.

Ting will continue work on AB 40 through the fall recess, as automakers consider joining the California agreement for more fuel efficient vehicles. The Legislature reconvenes in January, when the proposal would await a committee hearing.

#   #   #   #   #