Press Releases

With tax season here, it’s a good time to remind working residents to file for a refund through the Californian Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), an effective anti-poverty tool that puts cash back into the pockets of people who need it the most. If eligible, the upper range of the CalEITC can be between $240 and $2,982, depending on household size.

On top of the CalEITC refund, new this year is up to $1,000 more for families with at least one child under six years old. Income limits have also been raised for 2019 earnings.

“Research shows that too many people cannot cover an unexpected $400 expense,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco). “California’s strong economy enables us to give a modest income boost to working families. Whether the money is for bills, school supplies or savings, a refund can be life-changing, especially when combined with the federal EITC.”

As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, Ting also championed previous expansions of CalEITC during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 budget cycles. With the inclusion of workers between ages 18-24 and over age 65, plus gig economy workers, more Californians have become eligible for a refund.

For the 2018 tax season, 2.1 million Californians claimed the CalEITC tax credit, receiving nearly $400 million back. For this year’s tax season, the Franchise Tax Board expects that number to increase to 3 million with about $1 billion claimed between the CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit. Workers must file an income tax return in order to get the refund, even if they don’t owe any taxes. Every year, California leaves $2 billion of unclaimed state and federal EITC money on the table.

CalEITC began in 2015. 29 states and the District of Columbia have adopted a state EITC program to supplement the federal EITC. 

For more information or to find free tax assistance, please visit: www.CalEITC4me.org.

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AB 2978 Automates Record Clearance For Those Already Qualified For Relief Under Current Law

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Expanding the reach of landmark criminal justice reform successfully championed last year, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) unveiled AB 2978 today, providing broad post-conviction relief to people who have fully completed the terms of their sentence and rehabilitation.

AB 2978, sponsored by Californians for Safety and Justice and supported by district attorneys across party lines, would allow individuals with an eligible conviction dating back to 1973 to have their record automatically cleared when a person has fully completed the terms of their sentence. This proposal builds upon AB 1076, which Ting authored and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019; automatic records clearance, however, applies only to new cases beginning next year and beyond. AB 2978 seeks retroactivity.

“For me this is about fairness,” said Ting. “While I’m grateful my law from last year will help those arrested after Jan. 1, 2021, millions of Californians today are still living in a paper prison. Their records prevent them from getting jobs or housing. Let’s give people with past convictions the same clean slate that individuals in the future will be entitled to. Everybody deserves a second chance.”

Under current law, people can only have old convictions on their records cleared by petitioning courts through an arduous and often costly process. It can require hiring a lawyer to help identify records and file the necessary paperwork. Many are discouraged from doing it. According to a report by the Alliance for Safety and Justice, automatically clearing an old conviction after a person has completed their sentence is key to regaining family stability and economic security, which, in turn, is an integral part of a comprehensive public safety strategy. 

In California alone, eight million people are living with a past conviction or record that can lead them to face thousands of legal restrictions to jobs, housing, and other opportunities. That number grows to over 70 million when considering the entire country. Nationally, it is estimated that the United States loses over $87 billion in gross domestic product every year because of employment losses among people with a past conviction. 

“Millions of Californians who have completed their sentence, paid their debt, and remained crime-free for years still have old, stale convictions on their record,” said Jay Jordan, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice. ‘This leads to thousands of legal restrictions that block people from employment, housing, education, and other critical opportunities. These restrictions undermine public safety and the economic viability of communities across California. We must mean what we say when we call someone rehabilitated and stop denying their ability to earn stability and move forward in their lives.”

AB 2978 is expected to have its first committee hearing this Spring. Pennsylvania and Utah have both recently enacted automated records clearance legislation, while similar legislation is being considered in Michigan.

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(Sacramento) – To boost California’s legal cannabis market, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) introduced AB 2456, legislation to create a model ordinance that provides guidance to cities and counties wanting to set up such retailers in their jurisdictions. A regulated marketplace is critical for patients and consumers to access safe and tested products.

“We must do more to ensure the legal cannabis market thrives in California,” said Assemblymember Ting, author of AB 2456. “It can be tough for local governments to know where to begin when establishing a relatively new type of business in their communities. I hope my proposal can make the start-up process easier for them, so they can combat the underground market and begin benefitting from increased tax revenue.”

Despite the 2016 passage of Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act, market density today does not meet demand. California currently has a relatively low number of licensed cannabis retailers, given its population – one for every 35,000 adults over the age of 21. By comparison, the ratio is one licensed retailer for every 5,500 adults in Oregon and 4,200 adults in Colorado. AB 2456 tasks the Bureau of Cannabis Control with developing the model ordinance that cities and counties could adopt which, in turn, will spur access to regulated products. 

Celebrate Lunar New Year 2020 with State Treasurer Fiona Ma, State Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Phil Ting, Assemblymember David Chiu, and State Board of Equalization Chair Malia Cohen.

Free entertainment, snacks and tea will be provided.

Thursday, February 6, 2020
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Great Hall, Ronald M. George State Office Complex
455 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA  94102

More information here.

Sacramento – Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, released the statement below following Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2020 budget release:

“We have made tremendous progress in moving our state forward and ensuring our economic prosperity touches as many Californians as possible. I’m excited to see that the Governor wants to continue down the same path while also taking caution, especially regarding assumptions about whether some federal funding will come through. The Governor’s fiscal priorities are again similar to those outlined in our Assembly Budget Blueprint, Embracing Progress | Securing the Future, including:

• Strong reserves in the Rainy Day Fund and Resiliency Fund ($21 billion total);
• One-time investments, which ensure the State keeps a structural operating surplus in future years;
• More critical funding to expand affordable housing and prevent homelessness, while also addressing the current homeless crisis;
• Investments in early education, including preschool facilities; gearing more resources to low-performing students; and continuing to make improvements in special education;
• Improved access to comprehensive behavioral health programs for those with the greatest need, including homeless individuals;
• Expanded health care coverage, making undocumented seniors over the age of 65 eligible for Medi-Cal;
• Strengthened nutrition programs at food banks, schools and higher education campuses to prevent hunger;
• Better corrections programs that focus on rehabilitation, particularly by reducing youth recidivism; and moving toward the closure of one prison, implementing previous budget action to consolidate and reduce facilities; and,
• Comprehensive climate crisis readiness programs, preventing and preparing for natural disasters and other effects of global warming.

 I look forward to working with the Governor to craft another progressive, yet prudent fiscal plan that aims to benefit all Californians. Hearings will begin in a few weeks, giving the public opportunities to help us shape this proposal into a final state budget by the June 15^th deadline. Together, we will invest in California’s future while also ensuring that the progress made is protected with healthy financial reserves, in case of an economic downturn.”

For more information about the Assembly Budget Blueprint, Embracing Progress | Securing the Future, please click here.    

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California’s recycling program for bottles and cans is broken. As people find it more and more difficult to get their CRV deposits back, an increased amount of our recyclable waste is ending up in landfills. With California’s recycling rate dropping from 85% to 75%, the state can no longer put off solving this ever-growing crisis.

Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) today introduced a bill, AB 1840, which intends to reform the state’s Beverage Container Recycling Program. Action on the first day back in the new year signals that Ting is making this critical issue a priority by leading the efforts to resolve the state’s recycling troubles.

“We can no longer kick the proverbial can down the road,” said Ting. “If California is to continue its leadership on the environment, we must deal with this problem that’s been in front of us for years.”

Ting will be working with several partners to further develop the bill’s language and shape reforms the recycling program needs. AB 1840 builds upon the work of AB 54, Ting’s urgency measure that took effect in October, enabling the state to launch five mobile recycling programs in areas severely impacted by the closure of CRV redemption sites. AB 54 provided a temporary fix until the Legislature reconvened this month to work on a path toward saving California’s recycling system.

Legislative action this year is imperative, especially since rePlanet shuttered its remaining 284 California recycling centers last summer. rePlanet was once California’s largest recycling company, operating about 20% of the redemption centers in the state. But a significant decrease in the scrap value of aluminum and recycled plastics hampered their ability to stay open - even after the firm closed 191 centers in 2016 to cut costs. Exacerbating this problem are international market conditions, as countries around the world, most notably China, have imposed stricter standards on the types of waste materials they will purchase.

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The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announces grants totaling more than $1.6 million are being awarded to 39 corner stores, small businesses, community-based organizations and government entities throughout the state in the second round of the pilot Healthy Stores Refrigeration Grant Program.
 
This program funds energy-efficient refrigeration units in corner stores and small businesses in low-income neighborhoods or areas with low access to full-service grocery stores. The refrigeration units will stock California-grown produce, nuts and minimally processed foods. The goal is to improve access to healthy food choices for underserved communities while promoting California-grown agriculture. 
 
“We’re proud to support small businesses as they build the capacity to sell nutritious foods grown by California farmers in under-resourced neighborhoods,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. 
 
The 39 grantees include 28 small stores/businesses, 10 nonprofits and one county. The county and nonprofits will either provide refrigeration units and technical assistance to corner stores in their regions, or several of the nonprofits will sell produce directly in under-served areas. In all, refrigeration units will be provided to approximately 55 corner stores throughout the state. The majority of grantees are located in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Central Valley regions, though grant programs will reach more than 20 California counties. Find the complete list of recipients at the Healthy Stores Refrigeration Grant Program website .
 
“Your diet shouldn’t be determined by your address. But that’s what happens to people who live in a food desert where there are no grocery stores within a mile of their home. This second round of grants will ensure more Californians have access to healthy and nutritious foods – no matter where they live,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), who helped create the program and secure grant funding as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.
 
This program is managed by CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork, which is committed to helping all Californians access fresh, California-grown food. This concludes the final round of the pilot program.

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(Sacramento) – After another successful legislative year, several bills authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) will take effect on January 1, 2020. They include:

• Housing

AB 68:  Makes it faster and easier for homeowners to add an Accessory Dwelling Unit, or in-law unit, on their property to increase housing supply

AB 1486: Gives affordable housing projects priority to build on surplus government land

• Civil Liberties Protections

AB 1215: Protects civil liberties by putting a three-year moratorium on using error-prone facial recognition software in police body cameras

• More Equity in College Admissions

AB 697: Promotes fair admissions practices by requiring colleges to disclose whether they provide preferential treatment to students related to donors or alumni

• Clean Energy

AB 1208: Extends the ban on taxing solar power for another seven years

As with all urgency bills, Ting’s emergency recycling bill, AB 54, took immediate effect upon signature of the Governor in October. It allocates $5 million to start five mobile recycling programs in areas throughout the state impacted by the recent closure of CRV takeback sites.

In addition, two other proposals by Ting approved this year have later start dates:

September 2020: AB 61, which expands the state’s red flag gun law to allow school personnel, co-workers and employers to access a court process to obtain a Gun Violence Restraining Order, temporarily removing someone’s firearms if they pose a danger to themselves or others

January 1, 2021: AB 1076, which creates a process to automatically clear the records of certain offenders already eligible for relief so they can find jobs and housing

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