Press Releases

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Assembly Leaders React to Passage of State BudgetAssemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, released the following statement about the State Legislature’s passage of the 2018-2019 budget for California.  An Assembly Budget Committee overview of the spending plan is available here. Ting’s statement is as follows:

This budget makes the right investments and reflects many of California’s values. Not only does it address our homeless crisis with unprecedented funding, it also devotes resources to our youth with a mission to end deep poverty for children, record per-pupil spending for K-12 education and no tuition hikes for UC & CSU students. In addition, we’re laying the foundation for universal health care and will continue fighting for increased access and coverage. And still, we are able to set aside a sizeable reserve. That’s a spending plan we can be proud of.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Hate crime reporting in California will improve under a law just signed by Governor Brown. AB 1985 from Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) sets minimum standards for hate crime policies adopted by local law enforcement agencies. Because California does not require agencies to have a hate crime policy, how such incidents are handled or reported can vary or be inconsistent throughout the state. This leads to inaccurate data. The new law comes on the heels of last month’s State Audit that found hate crimes are under-reported by 14%  in California due, in part, to outdated policies, if any existed at all.

 “We can’t stop the problem unless we know how big it is,” said Ting. “My bill requires law enforcement to use the same language and follow the same reporting procedures so that we can get an accurate picture of the prevalence of hate crimes in California. We live in a divided America these days, and a policy like this is important now more than ever.”

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Assembly Leaders Unveil Budget PrioritiesAssembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) are proud to say the Assembly budget plan has $17.1 billion in reserves – larger than the general funds of 34 states.

They agree with the Governor that now is the time to fill the rainy day fund – the brainchild of Assembly Democrats – ahead of schedule. In this $140 billion budget, they take another step by proposing a new state savings account. They are planning ahead to save even more money after we fill the rainy day fund.

"California’s healthy economy and job market give us an opportunity to improve the lives of those who aren’t seeing the benefits of these prosperous times. Our Assembly budget plan will help local leaders address the homeless crisis, put the state on the path to universal healthcare, and ensure higher education is accessible and affordable. It’s also a responsible spending plan that leaves our state with a sizable reserve in case of an economic downturn," said Ting.

“We are proud to say our budget plan has $17.1 billion in reserves – larger than the general funds of 34 states,” said Speaker Rendon. “Our plan also invests in California’s future. There are three primary categories of investments in the Assembly’s budget: healthcare, education and homelessness.”

Monday, May 21, 2018

Assemblymember Phil Ting Urges Lawmakers to Approve AB 2888Proposal is in response to mass school shooting in Parkland, FL

Under a bill by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), more people would be allowed to petition a court for a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO), which temporarily takes someone’s gun away if they pose a deadly threat to themselves and others. The California State Assembly approved AB 2888 today, which expands the list of people who can file for a GVRO to include school personnel, employers and co-workers. The vote on the floor was 48 to 25. Current state law allows immediate family members, roommates and law enforcement to file for a GVRO.

 “As we saw in the February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, teachers and administrators saw early signs that the suspected gunman, a student, could be a threat,” said Ting. “We want to give schools in California another tool to prevent more campus tragedies, and I’m happy to see my Assembly colleagues agree.” Multiple news stories cited that acquaintances of the alleged shooter reported warning signs and were worried about his access to guns.

Monday, May 21, 2018

Senator Wiener & Assemblymember Ting join Students, Legislators, Community Leaders to Announce New Bill to Prevent Gun Shows at the Cow Palace in Daly CityDaly City –  Today Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) joined students, elected officials, and gun violence prevention advocates to announce a new effort to ban gun and ammunition sales at the Cow Palace, a state-owned venue located in Daly City. The Cow Palace hosts gun shows a few times a year, most recently in April of this year. At that event, a group of high school students protested the gun show in hopes of ending gun sales in their community. Student leaders from that protest joined the announcement today, which took place at the Bayshore Community Center in Daly City.

Senate Bill 221 will ban the sale of guns and ammunition at the Cow Palace. There is an exemption for gun buyback programs run by law enforcement, which are essential programs for removing guns from the community. Gun shows are only a small number of the events held at the Cow Palace, and the speakers at today’s press conference expressed their support for the Cow Palace and their hopes that the event space will continue to serve as a vital part of the local and Bay Area community.

Friday, May 11, 2018

(Sacramento) -- Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, released the following statement about the May Revision of Governor Jerry Brown’s state budget proposal for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, which starts on July 1. The Assembly Budget Committee released a preliminary analysis of the proposal. Ting’s statement is as follows:

"With May Revise revenues higher than expected, our economy and job market are clearly healthy. In these times of prosperity, we need to make sure we bring all Californians along for the ride. I’m pleased to see the Governor prioritize emergency grants to local governments to address the state’s homeless crisis and look forward to working with the Administration to make sure the need is met.  However, more still needs to be done to expand health care to put us on the path towards universal coverage and ensure students have access to higher education that’s affordable, as prioritized by the Assembly. When we craft a spending plan that addresses these issues, we make our state stronger and build a brighter future with opportunity for all – while still saving for a rainy day. Whatever differences the governor and the Legislature have will get ironed out in the coming weeks. In the end, we will have a budget that moves California forward.”

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Record number of Californians Claim State Earned Income Tax CreditA record number of hard working individuals and families -- over 1.2 million -- have already claimed their earned CA Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), an effective anti-poverty program in the state with the highest poverty rate in the nation. These numbers have tripled from last year and are expected to continue to rise given the credit can be claimed after tax day through the end of the year.  

“Record numbers of Californians are benefitting from the Earned Income Tax Credit thanks to the outreach efforts of government agencies and advocates like CalEITC4Me,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). “That means more money in the pockets of working families and more money going into local stores and businesses.