Skip to main content

Bills to Boost Justice Data Collection and Automate Expungements Sail Through the Assembly

Publication: WitnessLA

On Wednesday, the California Assembly passed two bills that seek to bring equity to California’s criminal justice system.

AB 1076, a bill to automate the expungement process statewide, and AB 1331, a bill that would expand California’s collection of criminal justice system data.

...

AB 1076, by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco)–in partnership with SF District Attorney George Gascón–would automatically complete expungement and resentencing processes for people convicted of eligible low-level offenses (not violent or sexual crimes), as well as people whose arrests never resulted in convictions, as long as the statute of limitations has passed.

“Eight million California residents have criminal convictions on their records that hamper their ability to find work and housing, secure public benefits, or even get admitted to college,” according to Californians for Safety and Justice, the bill’s sponsor. “Millions more have old arrests on their record that never resulted in a conviction but remain as obstacles to employment. Nearly 90% of employers, 80% of landlords, and 60% of colleges screen applicants’ criminal records.”

Ting Proposals to Increase California’s Affordable Housing Supply Approved by State Assembly

Ting Proposals to Increase California’s Affordable Housing Supply Approved by State AssemblyThe California State Assembly paved the way for more housing units in the state by approving three proposals by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) before a key legislative deadline. Two bills (AB 68 & AB 69) encourage greater adoption of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), commonly known as “in-law units” or “granny flats,” while the third, AB 1486, gives priority to more affordable housing projects when surplus public land becomes available. 

“In a housing crunch like ours, all reasonable solutions should be on the table. I’m a big supporter of ADUs because they are one of the fastest ways to expand our affordable housing supply, but we need to do more to spur widespread adoption,” said Ting. “Regarding surplus land, I can’t think of a better use for property the government no longer needs than to build affordable housing on it.”

Ting’s ADU bills aim to make it even easier and faster for homeowners to build livable space on their properties by:

  • Speeding up the approval process to 60 days
  • Prohibiting restrictive local requirements pertaining to lot size and parking
  • Allowing more types of units, such as units in multi-family dwellings, to be approved with less bureaucratic review
  • Creating a Small Home Building Standards Code to make construction more cost-effective and safe

Assembly Approves Ting’s Groundbreaking Criminal Justice Reform Bill, Key to Re-Entry for Millions

Assembly Approves Ting’s Groundbreaking Criminal Justice Reform Bill, Key to Re-Entry for MillionsSacramento, CA – The California State Assembly opened the doors to employment, housing and educational opportunities for millions of Californians today by approving AB 1076, a clean slate effort by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco). The proposal uses technology to automate arrest and conviction relief for those already entitled to record clearance under existing law. The current system is too burdensome and expensive for most people to navigate, resulting in barriers to re-entering society.

“There’s a great cost to our economy and society when we shut out job-seeking workers looking for a better future,” said Ting. “Everybody deserves a second chance. We must use available technology to help people who have already paid their debt to society get back on their feet.”

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 system more fair and equitable, while also improving public safety through reduced recidivism.

Assembly Budget Chair & Speaker Statements on Final Assembly Budget Plan

Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, released the following statement about the 2019-20 Assembly Budget Plan, which was adopted today by the full committee. Ting’s statement is as follows:

Statements on Final Assembly Budget Plan"The Assembly Budget Plan continues investing in priorities that strive to make life better for all Californians. With this spending proposal, we renew focus on ending Great Recession Era cuts and put the state on a path that lifts up more Californians by increasing educational opportunities, expanding access to healthcare and strengthening social infrastructure – all while building robust reserves to sustain these investments in the event of an economic downturn. In times of unparalleled prosperity, there’s no reason we can’t help our most vulnerable residents. I applaud Governor Newsom for starting this process with a responsible, progressive vision for California, and I look forward to working with him and the Senate to deliver a balanced, on-time budget.”

A statement from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) is as follows:

Speaker Statement on Final Assembly Budget Plan

“I’m grateful for the hard work that’s gone into putting forth an Assembly budget package that focuses on the things that will keep California moving forward. Under this budget, we take care of needs, continue strengthening the foundation of early childhood education, and bring $1.5 billion in new, needed cost relief to our school districts, all while adding to our savings for the future. It’s a road map that broadly combines the vision of Governor Gavin Newsom and the ideals valued by the Assembly.”

California’s Move Toward e-Receipts Under Ting’s “Skip the Slip” Legislation Approved by State Assembly

In an effort to reduce waste and public health risks from paper receipts, the California State Assembly voted today to approve AB 161, a bill by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) that modernizes proofs of purchase. Starting in 2022, Skip the Slip legislation requires businesses to provide paper receipts only upon request. Two years later, they must allow customers to choose between no receipt, an e-receipt or a paper one. Paper receipts will always continue to be an option.

“Most of us don’t need a physical receipt for every transaction. It doesn’t make sense to kill so many trees and unnecessarily expose people to toxins for something we don’t often need,” said Ting.

According to Green America, up to 3 million trees and 9 billion gallons of water in the United States are used every year to create receipts. In recent years, paper receipts have not only included proof of the items purchased, but also coupons, promotions and surveys, making them unnecessarily long and ridiculed on the internet. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel even joked about it on his late night show a few weeks ago, saying paper receipts should not be tall enough to ride Space Mountain at Disneyland. See video clip below.

The public health impacts are especially alarming. The Ecology Center found 93% of receipts contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Bisphenol-S (BPS), which enable text to appear on the receipt. BPA and BPS are known endocrine disruptors and can cause developmental and neurological problems. These additives also mean paper receipts cannot be recycled.

“This policy will reduce the waste of unwanted paper and allow for customers to choose the receipt option that works best for them. It benefits the environment and reduces toxins exposure for workers and customers. Green America supports these goals and California’s leadership on this issue.” Beth Porter, Program Director, Green America.

During the legislative process, a few exemptions were added to AB 161:

  • Retailers and services grossing less than $2 million per year    
  • Businesses using BPA/BPS-free paper & printing only purchase information
  • Cash-only businesses
  • Health care providers

AB 161 allows for two warnings before a $25 per day, $300 per year fine can be imposed on businesses that don’t comply. Ting’s proposal now heads to the Senate for consideration. All bills must reach the Governor’s desk by September 13.

 

 

Ting Proposal to Require Recycled Content in Plastic CRV Bottles Passes State Assembly

Ting Proposal to Require Recycled Content in Plastic CRV Bottles Passes State AssemblySacramento – In a move to help reduce litter and boost demand for used plastic materials, the California State Assembly today approved AB 792, a proposal by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) that phases-in the minimum amount of recycled materials plastic beverage bottles must contain.

“We need to use less plastic. Otherwise, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050,” said Ting. “That’s a terrible cost to our environment if manufacturers are allowed to continue making new plastic every time they need a bottle. They should reuse what they’ve already made.”

On top of dwindling domestic demand for recycled plastic, China and other overseas markets stopped buying much of California’s recycled waste last year. Now a crisis is mounting, as recyclable plastic is stacking up in warehouses or going to landfills. The European Union (EU) has already set a goal of 25% recycled content in their plastic bottles by 2025 and 30% by 2030. AB 792 establishes the following timeframe for minimum recycled content in plastic beverage bottles:

  • January 2021   - 25% minimum content
  • January 2025   - 50% minimum content
  • January 2030   - 75% minimum content

A 100% minimum content requirement by 2035 was stricken during a committee hearing this month.  Still, the proposal represents a big step in the right direction, going further than the EU and reducing the need to continue making new plastic.

“Beverage producers like touting the recyclability of their plastic bottles. AB 792 compels them to put their money where their mouth is and buy the plastic back to make new bottles—closing the loop,” said Mark Murray, Executive Director of Californians Against Waste.

AB 792 now heads to the Senate for consideration. All bills must reach the Governor’s desk by September 13.

Tax on Uber, Lyft Rides Rolls Toward the Ballot

Publication: San Francisco Examiner

San Francisco voters should get a chance this November to impose a tax on passenger rides by companies like Uber and Lyft to help pay for improvements to street safety and public transit.

Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Aaron Peskin jointly introduced Tuesday a proposed November ballot measure, titled the “Traffic Congestion Mitigation Tax,” to impose a surcharge on ride hail rides of 3.25 percent or 1.5 percent, depending on the type of ride.

...

Assemblymember Phil Ting introduced legislation last year to authorize the tax measure and it was signed into law by then Governor Jerry Brown.

“San Francisco’s ability to move its people around safely in a growing economy is vital,” Ting said in a statement. “But the city’s current transportation revenue streams can’t keep up with the demand.”

California Lawmakers Reject Cannabis Tax Cut But Advance Bill Requiring More Pot Shops

Publication: Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers balked Thursday at cutting taxes on cannabis to help the foundering legal market, while they moved forward a proposal to require more cities to allow pot shops but reduced the number of new stores required.

Both bills were aimed at bolstering state-licensed cannabis sales and reducing the black market for the drug two years after Californians approved Proposition 64, which legalized its recreational use.

...

A second bill aimed at helping legal cannabis sales was advanced by the committee to the Assembly floor Thursday, but only after it was changed to reduce its effects on cities.

The measure would require cities to approve cannabis stores if a majority of their residents supported Proposition 64.

The measure by Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) originally would have required one cannabis store for every four bars and restaurants with liquor licenses or 10,000 residents, whichever is less.

The Assembly panel amended the bill Thursday to require one pot shop for every six liquor licenses or every 15,000 residents.

Washington Goes Slow on Self-Driving Cars, and States Don’t Mind

Publication: Roll Call

Electronic chimes sounded as the self-driving minibus halted its crawl through the parking lot of an upscale office park here. There was no obvious reason for the stop, so its operator made a note to report it, then used a touch screen to restart the shuttle’s test drive.

The bright red, 12-passenger vehicle, which maxes out at 12 mph and was designed by French firm EasyMile, is part of an effort to use autonomous technology to improve access to transit stations in the area. But first, as the unscheduled stop on a breezy April day showed, the shuttle needs extensive testing to make sure it’s safe for public roads.

...

Phil Ting, a Democratic member of the State Assembly from San Francisco who’s written laws related to autonomous vehicles, said he’s a big supporter of the technology, but doesn’t want it to be rushed to the public in a way that would jeopardize safety.

“There’s no question, long-term, that this technology is here to stay. It’s just a matter of when, not a matter of if,” he said in an interview off the Assembly floor in Sacramento. “We obviously don’t want the technology to be deployed before it’s 100 percent.”

California Might Triple the Number of Marijuana Shops Across State

Publication: Los Angeles Times

Escalating a feud with cities over marijuana, state lawmakers are pushing to require municipalities to lift bans on cannabis stores if voters there supported Proposition 64, the 2016 initiative that legalized sale of the drug for recreational use in California.

A bill moving through the Legislature would require those cities to permit at least one cannabis retailer for every four bars or restaurants with a liquor license or one for every 10,000 residents, whichever is fewer. Assembly Bill 1356 would mandate 2,200 new cannabis stores throughout the state, more than three times the 631 shops legally operating now, state officials estimate.

...

Democrats behind the new proposal note that while Proposition 64 was approved by voters in 388 out of California’s 540 cities and counties, two-thirds of local governments have outlawed cannabis shops.

“It’s unfortunate that the cities and the counties really haven’t fulfilled the will of the voters to provide legal access under Proposition 64,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), author of the measure.

The bill received a significant boost recently when 12 Democratic Assembly members voted in favor of it in a key policy committee. A panel that weighs the fiscal effect of bills is set to act on the measure on Thursday. Ting is hopeful it will get to the Assembly floor and eventually the governor’s desk.