Endorsements – Page 15 – El Cerrito Democratic Club

March 8, 2016March 8, 2016

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

by Igor Tregub
VP-Membership

At the upcoming March 22 meeting, we will consider endorsements of the following legislation. I urge your vote to support all of these!

ABX2-9 (Asm. Thurmond) – Will expand eligibility for funding for a state tobacco use prevention program to include charter schools and require that all school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education receiving funding under the program adopt and enforce a tobacco-free campus policy. ABX2-9 info

AB2406 (Asm. Thurmond) – Will incentivize the creations of and provide standards for regulation of junior accessory dwelling units in municipalities as part of a strategy to address the housing crisis. AB 2406 info

AB 2756 (Asm. Thurmond, Williams) – Will make several changes to tighten enforcement actions governing oil and gas operations, and give local authorities additional jurisdiction to increase fines when violations are not cured. AB 2756 info

AB 2824 (Asm. Thurmond) – Will require Registrars of Voters whose elections systems have the technical capacity to do so to post on their websites starting on election night a downloadable spreadsheet-format detail file by precinct of totals for all races in the election. This is exactly the data stakeholders need in extremely close contests.

SB 1277 (Sen. Hancock): Declares that the transportation of coal through West Oakland would present a clear and present danger to the health and safety of Oakland residents as well as the workers handling the coal. This bill also prohibits the shipment of coal through any Oakland facility that has been paid for in part with state funds.

SB 1278 (Sen. Hancock): Would require an environmental impact review from any public agency authorized to approve any portion of a project relating to the shipment of coal through Oakland.

SB 1279 (Sen. Hancock):Would prohibit the use of public funds to build or operate any port that exports coal from California. Also applies to any port near disadvantaged communities.

SB 1280 (Sen. Hancock): Requires ports that ship bulk commodities and receive state funds to prohibit coal shipments or to fully mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with combustion of the coal. SB 1277-80 info

AB 700, DISCLOSE Act (Asm. Gomez, Levine) – Requires the top three funders of ballot measure ads to be shown clearly on the ads, and funders disclosed on ads to be the original sources of the contributions to the committee that paid for the ad. AB 700 info

AB 2002, Coastal Commission Lobbying Transparency Act (Asm. Stone, Atkins) – Would require those lobbying Coastal Commissioners to register as lobbyists and be subject to public disclosure laws. AB 2002 info

June 1, 2015June 4, 2015

ECDC Passes Minimum Wage Resolution-Message from the Club President

On Tuesday, May 26, 2015, the El Cerrito Democratic Club passed a resolution urging the El Cerrito City Council to enact a minimum wage ordinance with amounts and annual adjustments no lower than the than those set forth in the City of Richmond’s minimum wage ordinance by January 1, 2016.

Getting a minimum wage ordinance passed in El Cerrito is one of the Club’s strategic goals and passing a resolution was the first step.

Now it’s time to get the word out.

First stop, the El Cerrito City Council.

The President and Vice President will introducing the ordinance and kicking off the campaign at the June 2, 2015 City Council meeting.

We need Club members to show up and give their support.

Executive Board members will be at the following meetings speaking about the Club’s resolution to bring awareness to the issue to build momentum. Please join them if you can.

Tuesday, June 2-El Cerrito City Council Meeting-7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 3-Human Relations Commission 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 16-El Cerrito City Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 25, Economic Development Commission 7:30 p.m.
All meeting are at El Cerrito City Hall-10890 San Pablo Avenue

This is an important campaign workers and residents in the City of El Cerrito. Working households can’t survive on the current minimum wage and while struggling to afford the high cost of living in the Bay Area. A high minimum wage rate helps households become more economically stable, protects public safety/health, reduces employee turnover within businesses, improves job performance of employees and provides a boost for the local economy.

Things to consider:

Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour
California minimum wage is $9.00 per hour ($10 per hour by 2016)
Seven of 10 low wage occupations (service workers, waiters, retail sales, cashiers etc) are expected to see large job growth in the next 10 years
13.5 percent of El Cerrito households earn less than $25,000 per year
Most of the job industry within the City of El Cerrito are retail or service-oriented

Text of the Club’s min wage resolution is below:

WHEREAS, a person who works full time in the City of El Cerrito should earn enough to pay for his or her basic living expenses; and

WHEREAS, the cost of living in West Contra Costa County is significantly higher than the state average; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, Richmond became the first city in West Contra Costa County to pass a municipal minimum wage ordinance to help fill the gap between the California state minimum wage and our higher-than-average local cost of living;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the El Cerrito Democratic Club calls on the El Cerrito City Council to enact by January 1^st, 2016, a municipal minimum wage with amounts and annual adjustments no lower than those set forth in the City of Richmond’s Minimum Wage Ordinance.

Let’s build momentum and help build our local economy by supporting working households and families. Raise the minimum wage!

-Carla Hansen, ECDC President