"Latinos and Indigenous Mesoamericans are vibrant and diverse communities, each with unique health needs," said Majority Leader Gonzalez. “Every Latino deserves to be seen, heard, and represented in our healthcare system, especially in the data that drives resource allocation. With the Latino and Indigenous Health Disparities Reduction Act our state is making significant strides toward health equity for all Californians. I am grateful to Governor Newsom for signing this bill into law, and also extend my heartfelt thanks to the many community advocates who have championed this cause and continue to fight tirelessly for health equity in our communities.”
“This law puts California on track to funding our obligation to pay for the safe cleanup and remediation of the oil operations in Long Beach. I am thankful to Mayor Richardson and our partners in Long Beach for helping advance this proactive legislation and to the Governor for signing it into law,” said Majority Leader Gonzalez.
Sacramento, Calif. – On September 22, 2024, The Climate Resilient Schools Act by Majority Leader Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) was vetoed by Governor Newsom for the second consecutive year after successfully passing the Legislature with a strong majority vote. The legislation would have created a roadmap for California school districts to access federal funding to upgrade school facilities amidst a changing climate and increasingly severe weather.
Our childhoods have unfolded in a California that is on fire.
We’ve lost school days. Our friends have lost homes. Our communities live in constant fear of destruction. As we navigate adolescence in a California fundamentally altered by climate change, our schools should be sanctuaries. But due to outdated infrastructure built for an era before climate change, they cannot keep us healthy when extreme weather strikes.
The passage of a landmark state law in 2022 to ban new drilling within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, child care centers and hospitals and establish new health protections for existing wells seemed to be the victory they sought. They never imagined it might take nearly another decade for it to take full effect.
“Students and their families deserve schools that offer a quality learning environment. With severe weather becoming more frequent in recent years due to climate change that also means updating our school facilities to handle these growing challenges,” said Senator Lena Gonzalez. “
Sacramento, California – El 19 de agosto de 2024, el Gobernador Newsom vetó el Proyecto de Ley del Senado (SB) 674, Ley de Transparencia y Reducción de la Contaminación en Refinerí
“This is a devastating blow to the years of hard work and advocacy by communities affected by refinery air pollution,” said Majority Leader Gonzalez (D – Long Beach). “Fenceline communities urgently need improved air monitoring, and it shouldn’t be this difficult to establish a system that provides them with the most basic necessities—transparency and information about the toxic chemicals being released into their neighborhoods. I am deeply disappointed by this outcome, but we cannot walk away from this issue. Our communities demand and deserve stronger protections.”
