Press release from the office of Assm. James C. Ramos:

Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino)and Yurok Tribal Chairman Joe James today issued the following statement upon learning of the governor’s veto of AB 273 which would have established additional requirements for social workers, probation officers, and juvenile courts when a child or non-minor dependent (NMD) is missing from foster care, including immediate notification requirements, hearing timelines, and due diligence reporting deadlines.

I am disappointed and saddened by the governor’s veto of AB 273. When foster children go missing, county practices are routinely out of compliance with both federal and state law, and the minimum California Department of Social Services guidance standards. This carelessness can lead to grave, life changing, even lethal consequences for children. The potential risk is magnified for Native American children in the system. It is long past due for us to do better by our children.

However, I am heartened by his direction to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) “to work with county partners to assess existing protocols and identify any needed improvements. With that information, CDSS will work with the author and stakeholders to inform additional guidance, training, or recommend statutory changes to protect all foster youth, especially tribal youth.”

I will work with the administration, the bill’s sponsors, the Alliance for Children’s Rights, California Tribal Families Coalition and Yurok Tribe and the Department, to ensure that local counties are consistently employing the best practices and protocols to locate, place, and stabilize missing foster children.

In July 2022, NBC reported that a Health and Human Services regional inspector are not complying with screening or reporting requirements when foster children are missing. That same news report stated, “In 36 states, the average number of days foster children were missing varied from seven to 46, and nine states reported that missing children disappeared for more than 50 days on average.” NBC also cited a National Foster Youth Institute estimate that 60 percent of child sex-trafficking victims have been in foster care or another part of the child welfare system.

Indian foster youth are even more vulnerable. Native American children enter the child welfare system at a rate that is 2.7 times their representation in the population, the highest of any racial group (AFDC 2020). National data shows that 85% of all missing Indigenous children over a 10-year period were endangered runaways. Nationally, American Indian or Alaska Native children had the highest rate of victimization at 14.8 per 1,000 children in the population of the same race or ethnicity.

It’s critical that we do all we can to support our missing foster youth, especially as we know that disproportionate numbers of these missing and vulnerable youth then become part of the grim statistics around child trafficking or in tribal communities, victims of our Missing and Murdered Indigenous People cases.

Yurok Tribal Chairman James stated:

We at the Yurok Tribe, in partnership with Tribal leaders, and communities of color who are also disproportionately impacted by the foster care system, know that our children are our most valuable resource and must be protected. While we are disappointed AB 273 was vetoed, we want to thank Assemblymember Ramos and the State legislature for their hard work and commitment to our children, and the children of many other under-represented poor people in California. In the spirit of addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and ending the pipeline from the foster care system to MMIP, we will continue to fight for our children’s safety and protection, and for their futures.

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Assemblymember James C. Ramos proudly represents the 45th Assembly district which includes the Cities of Fontana, Highland, Mentone, Redlands, Rialto and San Bernardino. He is the first and only California Native American serving in the state’s legislature. Ramos chairs the Assembly Committees on Rules.

Back on Aug. 31, 2023, the Outpost published a story about the sudden departure of Jeff Andreini, an executive with Crowley Wind Services who had led efforts to develop a port facility serving the offshore wind industry at the Port of Humboldt Bay.

We recently received a letter from a representative of Mr. Andreini. This letter expressed concern that our story might have led a reader to conclusions that the story never intended to convey.

We are happy to unambiguously assert the following:

· Jeff Andreini was not, and is not, involved in, nor was he responsible for, incidents of sex trafficking. 

· Jeff Andreini was not involved in, nor did he play a role in, the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

· Yurok Tribal Chairman Joe James was not referring to Jeff Andreini’s conduct when he wrote about that crisis in an Aug. 30 Times-Standard op-ed column, which called upon the Harbor District to reconsider its port development agreement with Crowley. 

We unequivocally retract anything within the Outpost’s Aug. 31, 2023, article that states or implies anything to the contrary. 

Cheers and laughter erupted as Rep. Barbara Lee pitched a $50 per hour federal minimum wage during a labor-hosted U.S. Senate candidate forum Sunday in Los Angeles.

Fellow Democrats and primary opponents, Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter supported half that, but still far more than the current $7.25 an hour, with Schiff advocating for $25, and Porter a $20 federal rate and a $25 in California, indexed to inflation.

The three were trying to woo 350 delegates of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, who will vote by Tuesday on whether, or who, to endorse in the March 5 primary.

But the person of the moment in California politics wasn’t in the room: Brand-new U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler, who took office last week after Gov. Gavin Newsom tapped her to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Butler won’t say yet if she will vie for a full six-year term next year, or in the simultaneous special election for the final two months of Feinstein’s term.

When asked Sunday if Butler should run, Lee, Porter and Schiff briefly congratulated the new senator. They said they looked forward to her tenure, but said that they were focused on winning the race and suggested they can do the job better.

But if Butler, a former labor leader, decides to run, she could have the inside track to securing a formidable ally in some of California’s historically powerful labor unions. And that could shift the dynamics in the already heated March primary, in which three big-name Democrats have already been campaigning for months.

Butler’s decision is one that some powerful groups in California are willing to wait for before deciding their endorsements.

The Service Employees International Union, with 700,000 members in California, and the 2-million-member California Labor Federation are closely watching Butler’s choice, according to union officials. The federation won’t make an endorsement until its Dec. 5 statewide convention — three days before the candidate filing deadline. And Oscar Lopez, political director of SEIU California, said members deserve the opportunity to hear from Butler first.

“I would imagine that Sen. Butler would decide … in short order,” said Arnulfo De La Cruz, president of SEIU Local 2015, a chapter that represents long-term caregivers, that Butler used to lead and that holds its annual convention Nov. 6-7. “We definitely don’t want to move forward without being able to capture potentially what could be the full list of candidates.”

Already, the primary field is crowded with the three labor-friendly Democrats, whose policy takes on worker issues are barely different from one another. “We have an embarrassment of riches here,” Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, leader of the California Labor Federation, said at its May candidate forum.

Butler, however, would be the only candidate to have lived and breathed union organizing. The longtime political consultant served as the president of both the SEIU California State Council — the political coordination arm of the union — and SEIU Local 2015.

Still, to mount a competitive campaign in the five months before the March 5 primary, Butler would have to quickly tap into her labor background for the millions of potential voters and millions more in campaign contributions labor has to offer.

She would face a series of challenges: The lack of name recognition, delays in fundraising, and her stint representing Uber against gig workers in 2019 that drew criticism from liberal organizations and commentators.

“She needs something to sling-shot her campaign if she ran,” said Wesley Hussey, professor of political science at California State University, Sacramento.

Labor support is already split, however: Schiff has received endorsements from a handful of statewide unions representing firefighters, operating engineers and electric, construction and transit workers, as well as local chapters. Lee and Porter also have the backing from union chapters within their districts. On Friday, Lee joined SEIU-UHW workers on their picket line against Kaiser Permanente.

Unions that have already endorsed likely won’t change course because they tend to “place their bets on horses that they have relied on in the past, that they feel have the best chance,” said Kim Nalder, professor of political science at California State University, Sacramento.

During the Sunday forum, Lee, Porter and Schiff repeatedly pledged not to take corporate campaign donations and vowed to crack down on corporate interests. Meanwhile, they touted their support for union jobs and labor-friendly policies. All three disagreed with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto of legislation last week that would have allowed striking workers to claim unemployment benefits.

Butler represented both corporations and labor. When asked whether Butler’s track record is “disqualifying,” none of the three Democrats offered a definitive answer, instead acknowledging that the voting record of any candidate should be scrutinized. But Butler, now in office, has a chance to “show Californians where she stands on this issue,” Porter said. “I think it’s important that we expect her to listen to all of her better angels on labor.”

With Sunday’s forum, which starts the National Union of Healthcare Workers’ endorsement process, the pool of undecided labor unions is shrinking.

Sal Rosselli, president of the healthcare workers union, told CalMatters on Thursday that Butler did not return his personal text or a separate invitation to appear at the forum. Because she didn’t announce her campaign by noon Sunday, she isn’t eligible for the endorsement. Members will have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to vote on the endorsement, which will be announced on Wednesday, Rosselli said.

“We are not going to delay it,” he said.

Butler’s spokesperson said she planned to be in Washington, D.C., during the event. She declined a CalMatters request for an interview last week, with the spokesperson repeating: “Politics can wait.”

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — which represents roughly 100,000 workers in California — plans to host a Oct. 15 forum featuring Lee, Porter and Schiff. It is unclear whether Butler has been asked, or is scheduled, to join.

‘Un-elected political insider’

While never having held elected office, Butler is an “un-elected political insider,” said Thad Kousser, professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego.

While leading SEIU in California, Butler was instrumental in the 2015 negotiations to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour — then the highest in the nation. The union threatened to mount a pricey ballot initiative campaign, eventually forcing then-Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers to enact legislation that means the statewide minimum wage will rise to $16 an hour in January.

Butler also advised Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign before becoming the president of EMILYs List in September 2021, helping the organization elect female Democrats advocating for abortion rights.

On Friday, Butler attended a previously scheduled fundraising luncheon for EMILYs List in New York. “I decided I wouldn’t let myself down by choosing to miss another opportunity to serve at my greatest potential,” Butler told the crowd, Politico reported. “To lead and deliver at my highest impact. To raise my voice to its highest volume on behalf of creating a better, stronger, more equitable future.”

While EMILYs List doesn’t plan to endorse in the Senate race until after the primary, Butler’s ties to the organization give her access to a “huge donor network,” said Hussey. Paired with grassroots support from labor unions, it could be “a strong combination” for fundraising, Hussey said.

SEIU California — where Butler used to be president — will gather input from union members and decide in the coming weeks who to endorse in the U.S. Senate race, De La Cruz of SEIU Local 2015 said.

De La Cruz, who used to work with Butler, praised the newly-appointed senator’s pro-labor record. “She has an uncanny ability to bring people from all different walks of life together,” he said.

But ultimately, he said his chapter will consider candidates’ track record on issues such as climate, immigration and benefits for caretaking workers, as well as their ability to raise money.

Gonzalez Fletcher acknowledged Friday that Butler’s track record in organizing “matters a lot.” But to win the labor federation endorsement, a candidate must secure at least two-thirds of delegate votes at the Dec. 5 convention, she said.

“Obviously, Senator Butler did come from organized labor. That definitely is something that is on her resume that isn’t on others,” she told CalMatters.

“But I think in the end, there’s a lot of questions about who would be the most effective, who would fight the hardest, who would push the most, who would be able to have that direct connection with our members.”

Starting late, but a leg up?

Compared to the three other Democrats, Butler would have several advantages, said Kent Wong, director of the University of California Los Angeles Labor Center.

She could receive a boost in name recognition as the first Black and openly lesbian person to serve in the Senate, and the 44-year-old would appeal to voters who were frustrated at Feinstein, who did not give up her seat until she was 90, he argued.

“In a short period of time, she will become a household name in the state of California,” Wong said.

Butler also does not have the “political baggage” Lee, Porter and Schiff have as members of Congress, Nalder said.

But time is running out on Butler to assemble a campaign staff and start raising money. Schiff, who reported last week he had a whopping $32 million in cash on hand, could boost his fundraising even more as he can now collect twice as much from each donor with the special election.

Even with a background in organized labor, it would take time for established Democratic donors to warm up to Butler or for her to build up grassroots support, Nalder said.

“The traditional political donor organizations and individuals won’t have had her on their radar until a minute ago,” she added. “Labor unions are helpful, but you need some big donors or lots of small donors, and California isn’t a state where you can do retail politics and knock on doors and do town halls and get elected to the U.S. Senate.”

Besides, labor unions are already in a good position, Hussey said.

“Labor is going to … get what they want for the most part with these candidates,” he said. “​​I think she needs labor more than them (needing her).”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Frank Dutra on October 2, 2023. Frank, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend, left us with a lifetime of cherished memories. He was 94 years old.

Frank was born to Antone and Rose Dutra in Alton, California, on February 27, 1929. He was raised on Humboldt Hill, where as a teenager he met his neighbor and future wife, Dorothy Mello. Their love story was nothing short of extraordinary. They married just two weeks after Dorothy graduated from high school and recently celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary together.

Throughout his life, Frank wore many hats with unwavering dedication and commitment. He worked as a mill worker, a dairyman, a school bus driver, and a truck driver. Together with Dorothy, he lived in Rio Dell, Arcata, Blue Lake, McKinleyville and Willow Creek. While living in Blue Lake they purchased a ranch and raised beef cattle during the 1960s.

It was during his time driving trucks for Arthur B. Siri that Frank’s entrepreneurial spirit shone through when he was given the opportunity to buy ten trucks. Over time, he and Dorothy grew the small trucking operation into the Dutra Trucking Company, expanding the fleet to over 200 of the iconic blue and white trucks that became an unforgettable part of the Humboldt County landscape. He was the first one at the shop each morning, ensuring every driver had what they needed to start their day. Frank knew every one of his employees by name and was known for his kindness and generosity to all. Frank also took great pride in being one of the founding fathers and directors of Humboldt Bank, which later became Umpqua Bank.

In 1964, Frank and Dorothy constructed their A-frame cabin in Trinity Village, where countless memories were made with family and friends. He and Dorothy embarked on numerous adventures together, traveling throughout the United States, including Alaska and Canada, in their motorhome, forming lifelong friendships along the way. In 1983 Frank and Dorothy joined the Outdoor Resort in Cathedral City, where they enjoyed spending the winters with friends and hosting family gatherings.

Frank will forever be remembered for his quick wit, fun sense of humor, and boundless generosity that endeared him to all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Frank was preceded in death by his mother, Rose Dutra; his father, Antone Dutra; his brother, Tony Dutra; his sisters, Albertina Cordiero and Mary Bianchi; and his son-in-law, Clint Hunter Sr.

Frank leaves behind a legacy of love and family. He is survived by his adoring wife of 75 years, Dorothy Dutra; his daughters, Susan Hunter, Diane Parker (Rich), and Vicki Long (Mike); his grandchildren, Clint Hunter (Misty), Dennis Hunter, Michelle Hunter, Jessica Parker, Kacey Bridgeman (Dan), Tara Laux (David), Kial Baker (Luke), and Ryan Long (Jenna); and 15 great- grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly.

A service to honor and celebrate Frank’s life will be held at St. Mary’s Church in Arcata on October 15, 2023, at 12:30 p.m., with a reception to follow at Baywood Golf & Country Club. In lieu of gifts, the family kindly requests that you consider donating to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Frank’s memory.

Frank Dutra touched our lives in profound ways, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and enduring memories. He will be deeply missed but forever remembered in our hearts.

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“All I Know Is That I Know Nothing.”

— attributed to Socrates by Plato

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The question put to LoCO followers a little more than a week ago was, “To Which Religion Do You Most Adhere?” There was an impressive response: 3,604 readers registered their religious adherence. Here’s the breakdown:

We had, of course, the usual “Buddhism (and/or Atheism) isn’t a religion”…”Yes it is”…”No it isn’t”…back and forth in the comments, and (without mentioning names) a predictable volley of Xtian pros and cons. (You can read it all here — POLL! Faith in Humboldt: To Which Religion Do You Most Adhere? — if you have the patience.) What struck me was the decent showing for the “Atheist-Other-Whatever” camp, i.e. people who don’t adhere to one of the traditional religions. That’s 41% of us.

LoCO respondents seem to be a bit of an outlier compared to the rest of the country. In 2020, the Pew Center, the one that conducts regular polls on these (and many other) matters, estimated that 64% of Americans were Christian (the LoCO poll has only 35% Christian) and that “nones” accounted for 30% compared to our 41%, if you accept the label “none” for our Atheist-Other-Whatever camp.

The times they are a-changing. Pew notes that “Since the 1990s, large numbers of Americans have left Christianity to join the growing ranks of U.S. adults who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” Note Pew conflates “atheism” and “agnosticism.” The LoCO poll wisely didn’t include “agnostic” in its choices of religion; logically, we’re all agnostics. However fervently you believe in your own brand of religion, however dogmatically you insist, “I know there’s a God,” (or, for that matter, “I know there isn’t a God”), you can’t, in all honestly know beyond all doubt. If for no other reason (there are many) that your brain has a limited capacity for knowledge — eighty-six billion neurons sounds like a lot, but it’s not limitless. We can’t know everything.

It would help if we could clarify what we really mean when we say “I know.” “I know my Redeemer liveth” has a whole different meaning from, “I know I’m conscious, even though I may be a brain in a vat.” Maybe Protestants and Catholics, Hindus and Moslems, Moslems and Jews would then get on a little better with each other. (In my dreams.)

FWIW, I’d probably identify as an atheist if I had the foggiest idea what theists mean when they talk about “God.” (To be an atheist implies you have at least some clue what it is you’re rejecting.) I take comfort in what religious scholar Karen Armstrong wrote on this: “Some of the most eminent Jewish, Christian, and Muslim theologians and mystics insisted that God was not an objective fact, was not another being, and was not an unseen reality like the atom, whose existence could be empirically demonstrated. Some went so far as to say that it was better to say that God did not exist, because our notion of existence was too limited to apply to God.”

Sounds about right.

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At the end of last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation to end special treatment for oil and gas companies seeking to develop facilities along the California coast while simultaneously bolstering offshore wind development efforts.

Senate Bill 704, introduced by state Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine), removes a 1970s-era loophole – the “industrial override” provision of the California Coastal Act – that allows oil and gas companies to develop facilities in the coastal zone, including new or expanded refineries and petrochemical plants, without having to comply with state resource protection policies, as long as certain requirements are met. 

What exactly does this mean for Humboldt?

Humboldt Bay has approximately 1,200 acres zoned for Coastal-Dependent Industrial uses — meaning, any industry built in those areas must be somehow dependent on the sea. Planning for CDI uses was done in the 1970s, when demand for land to accommodate sea-dependent businesses was much higher than it is now. The Humboldt Bay Area Plan, a component of the county’s Local Coastal Program, includes marine oil terminals and offshore oil service or supply bases as “principal uses allowed” on CDI lands. 

SB 704 prohibits “new or expanded oil and gas development from being considered a Coastal-Dependent Industrial facility,” and would only permit those developments if they are determined to be “consistent with all applicable provisions of the act,” according to the text of the bill. Under SB 704, new or expanded oil and gas facilities will have to comply with policies outlined in Chapter 3 of the Coastal Act to be permitted, in line with “virtually all other coastal development.”

The new law would make it very, very difficult for oil and gas developers to build such facilities around Humboldt Bay, Jennifer Kalt, executive director of the Humboldt Waterkeeper, formerly the Humboldt Baykeeper, told the Outpost.

“If the federal government wanted to sell oil or gas leases here, we could much more easily block any kind of support facilities [that would be built] around Humboldt Bay or on the Samoa Peninsula now that this law has been signed,” Kalt said. “This is a huge milestone.”

Conversely, SB 704 encourages port development that contributes to offshore wind energy deployment. 

“Existing ports, including the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, should be encouraged … to pursue development that contributes to the construction and deployment of offshore wind energy generation facilities, consistent with the policies of this division,” the bill states. 

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a letter of support for SB 704 back in May. The letter encourages the California Coastal Commission to “look toward a decarbonized energy future including offshore wind generation.”

“I want to thank Senator Min and everybody who helped move this bill forward,” Mike Wilson, Humboldt County’s Third District Supervisor and Coastal Commissioner, told the Outpost. “This new law removes one more way for oil companies to potentially exploit our beautiful and productive coastline.”

More information on SB 704 can be found here.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• California’s Aging Electrical Infrastructure Presents Hurdle for Offshore Wind Development on the North Coast

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Press release from Senator McGuire’s Office:

Sacramento, CA — Senate President Designee Mike McGuire’s groundbreaking legislation to expedite offshore wind development to help meet the Golden State’s long-term electricity demand and nation-leading climate goals has been signed into law by Governor Newsom.

“Today’s action by Governor Newsom ensures California will move with speed and precision to deploy offshore wind. The signing of SB 286 shows the Golden State is serious about bringing on desperately needed new renewable power generation and meeting the state’s nation-leading climate goals and energy needs. This bill will expedite the state-side offshore wind permitting process eliminating a staggering 5 years off of the permitting timeline all while protecting California’s coastal environment and storied fishing fleet. The quicker we get offshore wind infrastructure built off the Golden State’s Coast, the faster we’ll get family sustaining jobs propped up and moving,” McGuire said.

SB 286 – the Offshore Wind Expediting Act – will accelerate the offshore wind permitting process through the State Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission. At the same time, it will ensure environmental safeguards will remain in place, California’s storied fishing fleet interests are protected, and will advance resources that benefit communities and develop family-sustaining jobs through career training programs.

In addition to desperately needed streamlining, for the first time, SB 286 mandates state agencies and key stakeholders come together to collaborate and develop the long-term game plan to deploy offshore wind infrastructure off of the California coast.

SB 286 requires the Coastal Commission to bring the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Lands Commission, the Ocean Protection Council, representatives from the commercial fishing industry, representatives from the offshore wind industry, federal agencies, labor, Native American tribes and other community leaders together over the next two years. This working group will create a statewide standard to ensure offshore wind development is expedited and will develop data-driven strategies to avoid and minimize impacts to ocean fisheries and to the maximum extent possible, mitigate for unavoidable impacts.

SB 286 was signed by Governor Newsom today and will become law January 1, 2024.