Press Releases

Assemblymember Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (APIAA) and local community groups today celebrated the distribution of $14.2 million in Stop AAPI Hate grants to combat the rising number of attacks targeting this community. The initiative is part of last year’s historic $166.5 million API Equity Budget dedicated to providing resources and services to victims, while also strengthening violence prevention programs.

Amid a rise in racist attacks across the country targeting the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the Newsom Administration – in partnership with the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs and the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus – announced the distribution of $14 million in grant funds to qualified organizations to provide direct services and support to victims of hate incidents and to facilitate hate incident prevention measures.

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement opposing Assembly Bill 2179, which partially extends California’s COVID-19 eviction moratorium and rent relief program and which preempts local eviction moratoria in some cities (including San Francisco and 70% of Los Angeles County) but not others:

“On Friday, legislation went into print that winds down California’s rent relief program, allowing no new applications after March 31. Moreover, after March 31, California’s statewide eviction moratorium will only apply to renters who have already applied for rent relief. Others will no longer have state eviction protections relating to COVID-19.

Today, the California State Assembly introduced SB 118, in response to a recent court ruling regarding student populations at public universities and colleges. The bill gives higher education leaders 18 months to address CEQA-related issues before decisions impacting enrollment growth can be issued. Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) issued the following joint statement:

Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) released the following statement regarding the state supreme court’s ruling:

“As a Cal alum, I know personally how life changing it can be to attend UC Berkeley. I’m disappointed in the California Supreme Court’s decision to deny Cal’s request for a stay. I’m also angry on behalf of the thousands of students who had their hearts set on attending the country’s most prestigious public university and now may not be admitted through no fault of their own. I have been in contact with UC leadership, and the Legislature is exploring a variety of options.”

As we emerge from the pandemic and reopen our doors, I want to invite you to my first in-person Town Hall since 2019. This will be an outdoor event. I look forward to coming together with you to share my legislative priorities, describe the new laws that have gone into effect and hear your input on California’s future. As Chair of the California State Assembly Budget Committee, I also want to share how the Legislature and Governor are planning to spend the over $20 billion surplus. To read about the COVID-19 protocols for this event or to RSVP, click here.

San Francisco – Jaywalking is arbitrarily enforced throughout California with tickets disproportionately given to people of color and individuals of modest means. In a continued effort to seek fairness and prevent potentially escalating police stops for jaywalking, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) reintroduced a proposal to change the way pedestrians can be cited for crossing a street outside of an intersection. AB 2147, The Freedom To Walk Act, would decriminalize jaywalking when the roadway is safe to cross.

 “Whether it’s someone’s life or the hundreds of dollars in fines, the cost is too much for a relatively minor infraction. It’s time to reconsider how we use our law enforcement resources and whether our jaywalking laws really do protect pedestrians, especially when we are trying to encourage people to get out of their cars and walk more for health and environmental reasons,” said Ting at a San Francisco press conference.

The California State Library, in partnership with the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA), is pleased to announce the availability of $10 million in grant funding for ethnic media outlets and organizations, especially those that serve communities that are historically vulnerable to hate incidents and hate crimes because of their ethnic, racial, religious, gender/gender expression, sexual orientation, or other identities.

SAN FRANCISCO – To help address the increased number of hate crimes and incidents targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) introduced AB 1947, which would require all California law enforcement agencies to adopt an updated hate crimes policy. The protocols should include how authorities recognize, report and respond to hate crimes, bringing consistency to responses victims receive and the information being collected.

“Unbelievably, California does not require law enforcement agencies to have a hate crimes policy. As we see the AAPI community facing a major surge in violence and harassment solely based on their race, we must have consistent enforcement of hate crime laws and accurate data collection,” said Ting who also championed a $166 million budget package last year to help stop AAPI hate.

Building upon California’s efforts to scale down the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D- San Francisco) today introduced AB 1817/The Safer Clothes and Textiles Act, banning the use of these harmful chemicals in fabrics. Clothing, footwear, bedding, drapes and upholstery are some of the common everyday products treated with PFAS to repel water and stains.

“California has already enacted a series of laws to protect consumers and the environment from the hazardous impacts of PFAS, including a bill I successfully championed just last year prohibiting its use in paper-based food packaging. These efforts center on the premise that prevention is the best cure, and my bill would extend this same logic to the textile industry to reduce the harm these substances can cause,” said Ting. “There are safer alternatives manufacturers can use.”