By Lynn La

Advocates for another health-related proposal — extending  paid sick leave from three days to seven days — rallied on Tuesday in Los Angeles, reports CalMatters’ politics and California Divide intern Rya Jetha.

“Seven days is fair, and we’re going to continue to push for even more than seven days later, after this,” said Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Long Beach Democrat and author of Senate Bill 616.

Long Beach, Calif. – On Tuesday, July 18, 2023, Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) announced $23 Million in funds dedicated to projects throughout the Long Beach and Southeast Los Angeles region to help address some of the most pressing needs in the community and advance social, educational and economic opportunities through the arts. The projects receiving funding will provide a wide array of benefits to community members including recreational activities for seniors, historic preservation, arts programming for local artists and youth, supportive services for those experiencing homelessness or at risk of being homeless, and much more. 

“It brings me great joy to announce these local investments for our community,” said Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “The funds build on the progress we’ve made through responsible budgeting to advance a better quality of life for all Californians and ensure that we provide the services and resources needed most here in the Long Beach and Southeast Los Angeles region. I look forward to seeing the transformative impact that these projects will have in the near future, and I thank all of our local groups and government leadership who helped advocate for these funds for Senate District 33.”

Sacramento, Calif. – On Monday, July 10, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that will enhance California’s job training pipeline, community benefits, and jobs standards in state and federal infrastructure programs. The Governor was joined by the joint authors of Senate Bill (SB) 150: Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), and Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley).

“California is maximizing state and federal dollars to build the climate-ready and robust infrastructure we need to protect and prepare our communities for the future. As we build this infrastructure, California is going above and beyond federal job standards to ensure that historically disadvantaged communities can benefit from these projects,” said Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “SB 150, which was signed into law today, will ensure equitable access to career opportunities and good-paying jobs for our workers in the green economy now and for years to come. I am thankful to Governor Newsom for signing the bill and to my colleagues in the Legislature for supporting the measure. I am proud of the step our state has taken today to strengthen our commitment to our working families, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have for communities across the state.”