Press Releases

Proposal 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.

Daly 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.

(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.”

A 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.

Berkeley, California – Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) held a press conference this morning to show how one solution to the California housing crisis is available in our own homes and backyards. Standing in front of a backyard cottage in Berkeley, Skinner and Ting presented their respective bills, SB 1469 and AB 2890, to encourage the creation of Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADUs) and Junior ADUs (JADUs) as a cost-effective and efficient way to expand housing supply.

“Our neighborhoods are full of empty-nesters with room to spare and families for whom a little rental income could help make ends meet,” said Senator Skinner. “My bill, SB 1469, makes it even easier for those households to add a second or third small unit.”

“ADUs are one of the fastest ways to increase our housing supply here in the Bay Area where the rental market is tight,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), author of AB 2890. “We need to eliminate as much of the remaining red tape as possible to spur widespread adoption.”

SACRAMENTO–Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno), chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa), chair of the Health Committee, and Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), chair of the Budget Committee, are pleased to announce a $1 billion investment to fund significant improvements in California’s health care system through the Assembly’s budget proposal.

By approving these actions prior to the May Revision—among the first major budget actions this year—Assembly Democrats are showing that improving the health care system is one of its key priorities. 

“Building on the 6 months’ work of the Assembly’s Select Committee on Health Care Delivery Systems and Universal Coverage, this funding package will be a major step forward in California taking the lead to expand coverage, increase access, address workforce capacity issues, improve accountability and transparency and make health care more affordable for the middle class,” said Arambula.

For Immediate Release:  April 2, 2018 - Contact: Nannette Miranda (916) 319-2019 - Nannette.Miranda@asm.ca.gov

Larkin Street Youth Services Receives $2.5 million State Grant To Help Homeless Teens & Young Adults

(San Francisco) – Larkin Street Youth Services will be able to house more homeless teens and young adults in the City, thanks to a new $2.5 million state grant. On any given night, more than 1,300 youth in San Francisco don’t have a safe place to call home. That stunning number inspired Assembly Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) to champion the effort last year to secure $10 million in state funding for the new Homeless Youth Emergency Services and Housing Program, which aims to provide rental assistance, transitional or supportive housing to those under 25 years old.

“It’s unacceptable to have so many kids on the streets,” said Ting. “Larkin Street has a proven track record of guiding clients toward productive lives. That’s a good investment to make, and I’m proud to have fought for this new funding.”

More Californians are eligible for a state tax refund under the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), which was expanded for the 2017 tax year and beyond. Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, fought to expand the program through the state budget process last year. Research shows that EITCs are an effective anti-poverty tool for many struggling families.

“When working families live paycheck to paycheck, they struggle to build and focus on the future. This modest boost in income can be life-changing,” said Ting. “The previous income limits were too low, and I’m glad the Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature agreed with me that more Californians should benefit.”

(SACRAMENTO) – Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D – Orange County), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, joined with Assemblymember Philip Ting (D – San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Asia/California Trade and Investment Promotion (ACTIP) convened an informational hearing to examine trade and investment activities between California and the People's Republic of China.

(Sacramento, CA) – During the State Assembly’s Woman of the Year celebration at the State Capitol today, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) honored attorney Joan Messing Graff for her half-century-long fight for equality and economic justice in the workplace.