This installment of the Signal Tribune’s monthly series covers actions taken and statements made by Long Beach and Signal Hill’s federal and state representatives throughout May.
Elected officials were involved in discussion and legislation surrounding environmentalism, gun control, online safety and more. The purpose of this ongoing series is to help the public stay abreast of their elected officials and hold them accountable before and beyond election day.
Robert Garcia – U.S. Representative for California’s 42nd Congressional District
- Bipartisan Bill Passes House: Garcia co-authored a bill that would cut down on unnecessary reports federal agencies are required to make to Congress, in an effort to boost efficiency. The bill was co-led by Republican lawmakers Senator James Lankford and Representative Glenn Grothman. This bill passed through the House earlier this month, and already passed through the senate in December 2023. It still needs to be signed by the president before it becomes law.
“As a former mayor, I know how often we produce outdated and useless government reports. It takes up time from hardworking government employees, which is why I worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass the Eliminate Useless Reports Act,” Garcia said in a public statement. “I will continue to advocate for common-sense reforms that promote fiscal responsibility and streamline processes within the federal government.”
- Green New Deal Bill: Garcia and Senator Elizabeth Warren re-introduced a new version of the BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which would allocate $500 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation to build and modernize public vehicles, rails and electric-powered transportation infrastructure.
“By making crucial investments into electrifying public transportation and implementing sustainable technologies, we can effectively tackle the climate crisis while building a well-paid workforce and green economy,” Garcia said in a public statement. “The BUILD GREEN Act allows communities nationwide to take the steps necessary to create a future that is cleaner and greener, paving the way for generations to come. The time to act is now.”
- Federal Funding for LA/LB Harbors: Garcia previously wrote a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers’ Director of the Office of Management and Budget asking for more money for the Port of Long Beach.
According to a press release from Garcia’s office, the Port of Long Beach doesn’t receive enough work from the Army Corps of Engineers when compared to the amount of taxes it contributes.
On May 14, Garcia’s office announced that the Army Corps of Engineers had allocated another $97 million in annual federal funding for the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors, bringing the total for both ports to $112,098,840.
“This announcement marks a significant milestone in the decades-long battle for equitable funding allocation for the benefit of our communities and national economy,” Garcia said. “As the former Mayor of Long Beach, I know firsthand how critical it is to invest in port infrastructure to maintain competitiveness, and that’s why we’ve worked to ensure that donor ports receive their fair share of funding for essential repair and replacement projects. This funding not only enhances the sustainability and efficiency of our local harbors, but also solidifies their role in international trade.”
- Transgender Rights in Peru: On May 15, Garcia made the following statement in response to Peru’s Health Ministry moving to classify transgender and gender non-binary people as “mentally ill”:
“Instead of working on real problems – democratic backsliding, illegal mining and logging, and worker exploitation – this extreme measure moves Peru backward. I’ll be working directly with the State Department to push back on this direct attack on LGBTQ+ Peruvians,” said Garcia, who is the first Peruvian American elected to congress.
- DHS Racism: Garcia and fellow congress member Dan Goldman sent a letter on May 17 to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asking for an update from the DHS on its efforts to combat racism and white nationalism within the agency.
The letter follows an investigative report released by HuffPost last month, which revealed through documents obtained using the Freedom of Information Act that Border Patrol agents joked about harming or killing migrant children and used racial slurs.
- Oversight Committee Hearing: During a hearing of the Oversight Committee, Garcia presented a photo of former president Donald Trump sleeping during his recent criminal trial, in which he was later convicted of a felony for 34 charges related to paying hush money to adult entertainer Stormy Daniels. Representative Lauren Boebert suggested that Trump may have been praying instead. Numerous media outlets have reported on Trump falling asleep during his trial.
Lena Gonzalez – California State Senator for the 33rd District
- Referendum Funding Transparency Act: On May 21, Gonzalez’s Senate Bill 1337, the Referendum Funding Transparency Act, was passed by the Senate. It still needs to be passed by the Assembly. The bill focuses on corporations that try to overturn existing law through petitions and referendums. SB 1337 would require petitions attempting to repeal a law to list its top three funders so people can more easily see what corporations may be behind a petition.
“Empowering voters to transparently see who funds efforts to overturn state laws is critical to protecting voters’ rights,” said Majority Leader Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “The referendum process was established to give voters a tool to counter the influence of greedy corporate interests. But the misleading tactics corporations use now create confusion and decrease transparency, undermining the referendum’s intended purpose, and its potential to uplift democracy for the people.”
- Latino & Indigenous Health Disparities Reduction Act: Gonzalez’s Senate Bill 1016 unanimously passed through the Senate on May 21. It still needs to be approved by the Assembly. This bill would require the State’s public health department to begin gathering health data specifically on Latino and Indigenous communities.
“Our diverse Latino and Indigenous communities deserve to be seen,” Gonzalez said in a public statement. “With SB 1016, the specific needs of these communities will be accurately represented in data collected by the state, enabling us to fund and prioritize resources to better support their health and wellbeing.”
- Ozone Safe Air Cleaners Bill: Gonzalez’s Senate Bill 1308 passed through the House Committee on Appropriations on May 20. It is now in front of the Assembly. This bill would require more stringent regulations on ozone emissions from indoor air purifiers. The state currently requires these machines to have an ozone emissions output of 0.05 parts per million, as required by federal law. SB 1308 would lower that threshold to 0.005 parts per million.
- Enhancing Family Planning Accessibility: On May 21, Gonzalez’s Senate Bill 1131 passed through the Committee on Appropriations, and is now in front of the Assembly. This bill would make it easier for medical providers to provide family planning services through Medi-Cal. For a medical provider to join the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) Program they have to attend a specific orientation. This bill would require that these orientations be held at least once a month and to also be offered online.
- Enhanced Firearm Safety Certifications Act: On May 16, Senate Bill 1253 passed through the Committee on Appropriations, before being read in front of the Assembly for the first time on May 22. It was sent to the Committee on Public Safety on May 28. The bill would require any gun owners moving to California from another state to gain a firearm safety certificate within 120 days of arriving. Under this bill, violations of this rule would be classified as a misdemeanor.
Nanette Díaz Barragán – U.S. representative for California’s 44th Congressional District
- Affordable Housing in North Long Beach: Barragán’s office secured a $500,000 federal grant for Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles, which will be building eight new townhouses in North Long Beach. Barragán’s office requested the funds from the House Committee on Appropriations last year. The townhouse will be built at the site of the former North Long Beach Library.
“I have had the opportunity to go on their build sites, to help build homes for communities in need, for families in need of housing, so when we saw this opportunity to bring more housing to Long Beach, we said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Barragán said in a public statement.
- Lead in Aviation Fuel: On May 15, Barragan asked the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michael Reagan, about the agencies’ work around the issue of regulating lead in aviation fuel. Reagan said the EPA was working alongside the Federal Aviation Administration to come up with possible regulations. Barragan asked that, as the process of creating regulations continued, a public hearing be held in Long Beach so that locals can share their concerns.
- Farm Bill Statement: Barragan spoke against the Farm Bill, led by House Republicans, which would make cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). When speaking before the House, Barragan said, “Many American families are on the brink. They rely on Snap to put food on the table. 86% of all SNAP benefits go to households that have children or households with older Americans or individuals with disabilities. […] Hungry Americans will be forced to choose between food to eat and necessities like electricity, running water or medication. It’s a cruel and inhumane choice we should not force on the American people.”
- Liquified Natural Gas: On May 7, Barragán co-signed a letter to President Joe Biden in support of his decision to halt liquified natural gas (LNG) exports to countries that are not part of the Free Trade Agreement, and urged the Department of Energy to review the standards it uses to determine whether these exports are in the public interest.
The letter claims that exporting liquified natural gas will increase its domestic price. It also asks that the DOE conduct environmental tests and publish the estimated greenhouse gas emissions for each export.
“We agree that now is the time to step back and examine the long-term impacts that additional U.S. LNG exports will have on American consumers, industries and the environment,” the letter reads.
Josh Lowenthal – U.S. Representative for California’s 69th Assembly District
- JPAC Summit: Lowenthal attended a summit meeting on May 15 for the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC). JPAC quoted Lowenthal as making the following statements in regards to the Legislative Emergency Trip he and other lawmakers made to Israel earlier in the year:
“For the first time ever I felt that the Israelis and leadership on Israel really understood the importance of Jews outside of Israel [after October 7].”
“From the minute you walk off the plane. There are pictures of hostages everywhere, it is so deeply personal. Everyone is deeply interconnected in some way.”
- Children on Social Media Platforms: Lowenthal’s Senate Bill 1308 passed through the Committee on the Judiciary on May 1, was approved by the Assembly on May 20 and read to the Senate for the first time on May 21 before being sent to the Committee on Rules. Senate Bill 1308 would set financial penalties for social media platforms that are found to harm children. If a court finds that a social media site is found to have failed to take appropriate precautions to protect children on its site or knowingly takes action that is detrimental to the well being of children, they would be forced to pay up to a $1 million per child ($5,000 per violation), or three times the damages suffered by the child. However, SB 1308 doesn’t provide an exact definition of what it means for a social media platform to harm a child, or specific steps social media platforms should take to protect underage users.
- PANS/PANDAS: AB 2105 was passed by the State Assembly on May 21, was sent to the Senate, and then assigned to the Committee on Rules. This bill aims to secure insurance coverage and expedite care for those suffering from Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).
“Early and expedient access to the treatments is crucial to the effective treatment of PANDAS and PANS. […] AB 2105 will ensure that individuals and families who are confronted with these disorders do not experience unnecessary delays in treatment that can lead to disastrous and tragic outcomes.”
- Drink Safety: Lowenthal’s AB 2402 was passed by the assembly on May 22. This bill would require the Alcohol and Beverage Control to add information on how to prevent roofying to its trainings offered to restaurant, bar and nightclub staff. After being read to the Senate for the first time, the bill was sent to the Committee on Rules.
“Increasing the training of employees at these institutions is a critical step in curbing the incidence of roofying and creating a safe and inclusive social environment,” said Lowenthal on May 22.
- Internet Privacy: Lowenthal’s AB 3048 was passed by the Assembly on May 22. The bill was read in front of the state senate for the first time the following day, and was assigned to the Committee on Rules. The bill would mandate browsers and devices to allow consumers to exercise their privacy preferences through “opt-out signals,” which enable consumers to choose not to sell or share their personal data when surfing the web.
“AB 3048 makes it easier for consumers to state their privacy preferences from the start by requiring web browsers to allow a user to exercise their opt-out rights at all businesses with which they interact online in a single step,” Lowenthal said the the Assembly. “[…] Most consumers are unaware of the amount of data that is harvested and disclosed by companies without their knowledge and that is used to leverage and influence their behaviors daily.”
