From Asm. Jones-Sawyer
AD 59 News for You
 


AD 59 News for You

Dear friends,

Welcome to 2022! I hope the year began safely for you and your family and that this year brings you happiness, good health, and prosperity.

As the new legislative term begins, I am pleased to have five of my previous bills become law as of January 1, 2022. More on that below.

As we continue to deal with COVID and its variants, I implore you to get vaccinated, boosted, and tested. The COVID virus combined with the flu season can place many at-risk for health complications and hospitalization. Please use the link below to find a testing and vaccination site near you.

As always, my office is here to serve your needs with state programs, services, and departments including the DMV and EDD.

Thank you for your continued support and I hope you have a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Signature

REGGIE JONES-SAWYER
Representative, Assembly District 59
Chair, Public Safety Committee

 

District News

Education Opportunities

The new SoLa Technology and Entrepreneurship Center is opening for after school programs on January 31 and will offer students free after school programming from 4 -7:30 p.m. daily with a focus on graphic design, video game design, eSports, digital production/animation, robotics, entrepreneurship, live entertainment event production and more!

All classes are FREE! Transportation from select area middle and high schools is available. Check the website for a list of participating schools in South Los Angeles. All classes begin January 31.

For details on the various programs offered and sign-up information, please visit www.solaican.org/tech-center

American Red Cross

On December 21, 2021, I hosted a blood drive at my district office with the help of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Chapter. The event successfully took in donors of blood and plasma yielding dozens of life saving units. If you want to donate and help replenish low supplies, visit Los Angeles Region | California | American Red Cross

 

Legislation

Celebrating Freedom

Two recent bills of mine involve two different types of freedoms - historic and academic.

AB 1655 would make June 19 of each year, known as Juneteenth, a state holiday commemorating the day slaves in Texas finally were told they were free after the South surrendered two years earlier and President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Declaration.

AB 295 would set the stage for Free College for Californians by creating a working group of experts, students, and stakeholders to determine a pathway to a no cost education. This bill has passed through two committees and is headed to the Assembly floor vote.

Both bills have passed through committees.

New 2022 Laws

In 2021, I continued my work to ensure equality and fairness under the law for everyone and strove to reform the status quo mentality that engulfs law enforcement agencies with progressive policies aimed at modernizing police departments and prison guards divisions. Public safety and community equity remain high priorities for me in 2022.

I am proud to have had six bills of mine signed into law by Governor Newsom in 2021; all of which have taken effect as of January 1, 2022. They include:

AB 89 (PEACE Act): This bill raises the minimum age for peace officers to 21. This bill also requires California Community Colleges, in collaboration with stakeholders, to develop a modern policing degree program and submit a report on the recommendations to the Legislature outlining a plan to implement the program on or before June 1, 2023.

AB 483 (CA Science Center Museum Officers): This bill grants peace officer status to security and safety officers at the California Science Center, and clarifies that these officers must complete the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) basic training course.

AB 599 (Public School Accountability): This bill aligns the way schools are identified for inspections by county offices of education with the schools identified in the state's new system of support, by replacing references to the outdated Academic Performance Index (API) with the current accountability measures used under the Local Control Funding Formula.

AB 750 (False Police Reporting): This bill clarifies that a peace officer is responsible for knowingly making, or causing to be made, a material false statement in a report, whether or not they were the author of the report.

AB 1275 (Administrative Testimony Standards): This bill improves accountability for those who sell or provide minors with alcohol, by no longer require the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to produce a non-decoy minor, who purchased an alcoholic beverage, to testify at the administrative hearing against the responsible licensee.

AB 1347 (Bail Premiums Elimination): This bill eliminates the commercial bail bond industry's practice of charging consumers excessive premiums through "renewal fees" and allows harmed consumers to collect damages for any violation suffered under these practices. This bill would also make these prohibitions applicable to immigration bonds on or after July 1, 2022.

MLK Day Celebration

I was honored to have been asked to write and recite a prayer on the floor of the Assembly on Friday, January 14, 2022 to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Below is that prayer:

Lord,

We gather in this chamber to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a warrior of love and truth. Dr. King, through his actions and life's work, has shown us the essence of humanity - striving towards unconditional love for one another, working to change unjust laws, and serving those most in need.

Service to others was a hallmark of Dr. King, an attribute he obtained from your teachings. Let us, as a body of public servants, never lose sight of our duty to represent and serve our constituencies, and the greater good of all, with compassion, empathy, and a commitment to better the lives of our brothers and sisters.

Give us the strength of character to continue the work of Dr. King by being charitable, humble, and respectful towards all.

Let our actions inspire many to serve others as the good Dr. King has inspired millions to put aside self-interest and strive to be good and generous humans.

As Dr. King said before, "The time is always right, to do what is right."

Amen.

View a video of the prayer here.

 

Here to Help

COVID Updates

With recent surges in COVID cases, it is imperative that those who remain unvaccinated seriously consider taking action to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their community.

If you need to schedule a test, or are looking for vaccination sites, please use the link below to find locations near you.

LA County COVID-19 Vaccine - LA County Department of Public Health

Affordable Healthcare

Covered California is a free service to help individuals and families find, apply for, and obtain affordable healthcare insurance. Financial assistance is available as well. It takes minutes to sign up and get the insurance you need at a price you can afford.

The enrollment period has been extended through January 31, 2022. Visit Covered California™ | The Official Site of California's Health Insurance Marketplace today!


 

 
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