(SACRAMENTO, CA)— Yesterday, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D- Coachella) successfully passed an additional five measures from the California State Assembly.
These latest legislative triumphs cover a spectrum of topics, ranging from farmworker housing, workforce development, access to healthcare along with methods to improve water and air quality. The following list of Garcia bills will now advance to the Senate:
AB 891, California Communities Environmental Health Screening (E. Garcia, 2017)
The CalEnviroScreen is a mapping tool designed to pinpoint areas within that state that are most affected by pollution. The California Environmental Protection Agency utilizes this environmental, health, and socioeconomic information to produce scores and determine areas of need among census tracts. These scores help qualify areas for funding set aside for disadvantaged communities.
“Unfortunately, the current CalEnviroScreen is not able to access environmental data from the California-Mexico border region. This leaves a major gap in our ability to track pollution and accurately identify communities most in need of investment,” explained Assemblymember Garcia. “The goal of AB 891 is to eliminate this blind spot by broadening the scope of the CalEnviroScreen. Capturing this critical pollution data will knock down barriers and increase access to opportunities for environmentally disadvantaged communities along the border.”
The legislation will require the California Air Resources Board to incorporate the entirety of the California-Mexico border region in environmental health screenings; including factors such as air quality, vehicle emissions at border crossings, complete traffic density data within 150 meters of the border and the quality of cross border waterways.
“I applaud Assemblymember Garcia’s consistent strides to address environmental disparities statewide. In his first term, Garcia passed legislation to update the CalEnviroScreen and assess barriers to attaining pertinent pollution data,” stated Luis Olmedo, Executive Director of Comité Civico Del Valle, an organization based in Imperial County. “Imperial County which extends the Calexico/Mexicali border is plagued by numerous respiratory diseases and child asthma rates that are 3 to 4 times higher than the national average. We need AB 891 to accurately portray our local air and water quality.”
“This bill will build upon our previous policy efforts to ensure equity while driving California investments into the vulnerable populations that need it the most; communities like those in Imperial County, who face the bleak public health consequences of border proximity every day,” advocated Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia.
AB 474, Hazardous Waste: Spent Brine Solutions (E. Garcia, 2017)
“AB 474 is a district bill, sponsored by the Coachella Valley Water District that will permit a cost-effective and environmentally beneficial means of treating the waste products resulting from meeting the clean drinking water standards in areas affected by concentrations of Arsenic, Chromium 6 and potentially other undesirable minerals in the future. This legislation would exempt from Hazardous Waste Control Law, spent brine solutions that are byproducts of the treatment of groundwater to meet California drinking water standards,” said Assemblymember Garcia, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife.
AB 571, Low-Income Housing Farmworker Housing Assistance (E. Garcia, 2017)
"This bill makes important improvements to the State Tax Credit program that supports farm worker housing. It is much needed to eliminate some of the most deplorable housing and build safe, decent affordable apartments as replacements for the hard -working farm workers of the Coachella and Imperial valleys. These contributors to our local economy should have decent dwellings in which to raise their families. Many thanks to Assembly member Garcia for fixing this important program," stated Julie Bornstein, Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition.
AB 839, Native American Healthcare Access Act (E. Garcia, 2017)
AB 839 would allow Native American Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations to seek direct reimbursement from the federal government for Medi-Cal Targeted Case Management (TCM) services.
Lisa Elgin, California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. (CRIHB) Board Chair applauds this legislation and the Assemblymember for his, “support and stalwart efforts to always include Tribes in public policy and lift our collective voices in a respectful government-to-government relationship with the State of California.”
CRIHB is a nonprofit agency, incorporated in 1969 and sanctioned by 33 federally recognized Tribes in California to provide health care services and technical assistance through a network of 17 Tribal clinics to approximately 28,000 members.
“To care for our American Indian population in rural areas, it is important to strive to provide comprehensive services that will meet their healthcare needs, case management is an important part of this work,” stated Desiree Franco, a representative from the Torres-Martinez Tribe, member of CRIHB located within the 56th Assembly District.
AB 1111, Breaking Barriers to Employment (E. Garcia, 2017)
AB 1111 will establish a competitive grant program to provide workforce assistance for individuals facing the most hurdles to employment, such as; veterans, low- and un-skilled workers, out-of-school youth, formerly the incarcerated, single moms and others looking to escape poverty. The objective is to leverage community based organizations to create training, apprenticeship and employment opportunities.
Bob Lanter, Executive Director of the California Workforce Association, said that barriers exist for both the unemployed and for businesses. “AB 1111 will help the over twenty percent of Californians who live in poverty, covering those without jobs as well as those with jobs who still struggle to get by. The bill will also help businesses fill their skilled job openings by opening up the talent pool to all Californians.” said Lanter.
“AB 1111 offers a unique opportunity for California to meaningfully address the training and employment challenges facing disadvantaged youth and adults and to expand access to well-paying jobs and careers. Targeting effective workforce development and job placement assistance to these groups will maximize education and employment outcomes throughout the state, boost our economy, and secure a future of shared prosperity,” shared Angela Glover Blackwell, CEO of PolicyLink, a national research and action institute dedicated to advancing economic and social equity.
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Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) serves as the chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. He represents the 56th district, which comprises the cities and communities of Blythe, Brawley, Bermuda Dunes, Calexico, Calipatria, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Oasis, North Shore, Salton Sea, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Westmorland
