Physicians in the California Legislature are divided over a bill that would exempt doctors from a requirement that they report all suspected cases of domestic violence to law enforcement agencies. They would still be required to report suspected child abuse and elder abuse. Photo by Alicia Jucevic for CalMatters.
Should doctors be required by law to notify police immediately if they suspect a patient is the victim of domestic violence?
That question divided three physicians holding seats in the California Assembly when it came up for a vote this week.
Under current law, health care providers face misdemeanor charges if they don’t report suspected abuse to police, even if patients don’t want the police involved.
In recent years some advocates for domestic violence survivors say the mandatory reporting requirements have kept victims from seeking treatment. Advocates say victims fear that if police are called, they will get charged, their children will be taken from them or, in the case of undocumented immigrants, their families will be at risk of deportation.
“We have seen the ways in which the medical mandated reporting requirements for all violent injuries have kept survivors from seeking necessary health care in the first place, made survivors feel like they could never return to health care after they learned of the requirements, or made them feel like they could not share the reason for or the extent of certain injuries or health issues with their provider,” the bill’s author, Democratic Assemblymember Tina McKinnor of Inglewood, told the Assembly Public Safety Committee last month.
McKinnor’s bill would require doctors and other health care providers to report to police only violence that requires treatment to save the patient’s life. In other suspected cases of abuse, if the patient doesn’t want to report the crime, the health care provider would be required to instead refer the patient to victim-advocate services. The bill still requires doctors to report suspected child and elder abuse.
McKinnor introduced a similar bill last year. It died in the state Senate after passing the Assembly. On Monday, this year’s bill barely made it through the full Assembly. A bill needs 41 votes to pass on the floor. This one had 42.
Democratic Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, a former Fresno emergency room physician, was one of the 42 lawmakers, all Democrats, who voted for the bill.He told CalMatters on Thursday he voted to support the latest bill because it would require doctors to report life-threatening injuries. The previous bill, which he didn’t vote for, didn’t have that requirement.“I didn’t want to lose that, as we should focus on those who have the greatest risk to life,” he said. “And I believe that this is a good, measured approach.”
Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula speaks to another lawmaker during the Assembly floor session at the Capitol in Sacramento on May 16, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters.
The other Assembly physician to vote for the bill was Assemblymember Akilah Weber of La Mesa, an obstetrician/gynecologist. She didn’t respond to CalMatters’ interview requests.
Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a family doctor from Bakersfield, was among the three Democratic Assemblymembers who voted “no,” along with 12 Republicans.
She told CalMatters Thursday she believes her fellow physicians regularly stop abuse from continuing when they make police reports. She’s worried families will suffer if doctors are no longer required to report.
“I worry about family structures,” she said. “I worry about the environment that children grow up in should perpetrators not be held accountable, because sometimes it’s that one piece that breaks open that circle of violence in homes.”
Twenty-three bipartisan members of the Assembly didn’t cast votes on McKinnor’s bill. Not voting counts the same as voting “no.”
Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a Delano Democrat on the Assembly Floor during session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on July 13, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters.
As CalMatters reported, lawmakers regularly decline to vote to avoid going on record against a controversial bill.
The bill now moves to the Senate. Last year’s bill died after passing the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services press release:
Public Health staff have been in contact with at least 109 people who were exposed to measles after an individual with the virus visited two Eureka locations late last week and is asking anyone who thinks they may have been exposed, but has not been contacted, to call 707-268-2182.
Through interviews, vaccine records and in some cases immunity testing, the majority of those who were known to be exposed are likely immune to measles, and 10 individuals were given the post-exposure prophylaxis vaccine which can be given up to 72 hours after exposure.
On Friday, May 10, the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services issued a news release informing the community that individuals who visited the Days Inn by Wyndham, 270 Fifth St. in Eureka from Thursday, May 9, at 2 p.m. through Friday, May 10, at 3 a.m. or the Providence St. Joseph Hospital Emergency Department, 2700 Dolbeer St. in Eureka Friday, May 10, between 2:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. may have been exposed to measles.
If you were inside of either of these locations during the times mentioned and have not been in contact with Public Health staff, please call 707-268-2182, whether or not you are experiencing symptoms. A Public Health nurse will evaluate your possible exposure, help determine your immunity status, and provide additional information.
Anyone who contracted the virus after last week’s exposure would start to be contagious anywhere from early Friday morning through May 31. If you think you may have measles, contact your primary care provider or Public Health. Do not physically go into a medical facility. According to the California Department of Public Health, measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. The virus can live for up to one hour in an airspace after the infected person leaves the area, and other people who breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses or mouths can become infected.
It can take anywhere from 7 to 21 days to develop symptoms after exposure to measles, and symptoms usually begin with a fever that lasts for a couple of days, followed by a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis (pink eye) and a rash. The rash typically appears first on the face, along the hairline and behind the ears and then affects the rest of the body. Infected people are usually contagious from about four days before their rash starts to four days afterward. Children under 5 years old and people who are pregnant or have compromised immune systems are at highest risk for severe disease and complications from measles.
Measles is a vaccine-preventable illness. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective at preventing illness. For more information about the vaccine, contact your primary care provider and visit cdc.gov/measles/vaccination.html.
Most children and young adults’ digital vaccination records are available through the California Department of Public Health’s Digital Vaccine Record: myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov.
Remember these signs? Time to read them again, we’re afraid
Well, friends, the party is over. After years of those in the know enjoying worry-free parking all across town, the City of Eureka made the bummer announcement Thursday that parking enforcement “will resume in the coming months.”
Yup. The tickets are coming. You’ve been warned. Full release from the City of Eureka below:
The City of Eureka is pleased to announce that revised on-street parking signage has been completed
and wide-scale parking enforcement will resume in the coming months. To ensure smooth and
orderly parking throughout the City, a new full-time Parking Enforcement Officer has been hired and
will begin implementing the improved on-street parking time limits. Downtown/Old Town residents
and visitors are urged to be mindful of parking regulations as parking violations will be actively
monitored. Key points to remember include:
• Pay Attention to Signage: Always read and follow the posted parking signs to avoid violations.
• Stay Within Marked Spaces: Ensure your vehicle is parked within the designated lines to maximize
space and prevent inconvenience to others.
• Adhere to Time Limits: Observe the time restrictions on parking spots to allow fair use for
everyone.
• Red Zones: New state requirements restrict parking within 20ft of the approach side of marked
and unmarked crosswalks, regardless of whether adjacent curbs are painted red. The City is in
the process of repainting the Old Town area to reflect the new requirements and will address
other areas in the future. Parking in any area with red curb is a violation and subject to citation.
Please ensure that your vehicle is parked entirely outside of any red zone.
Restarting enforcement of on-street parking regulations is the first of several changes coming to our
parking enforcement program. Addition changes include new ways of tracking timed parking in City lots,
a system that allows visitors to pay for timed parking using their smartphone and employee parking
permits. These changes are intended to create a more convenient and efficient parking payment system
for residents and visitors.
The City of Eureka is committed to creating a pleasant and accessible environment for all who visit and
work in Old Town. By cooperating with the parking regulations, you can help achieve this goal.
Short-term rental (STR) operators in inland areas of unincorporated Humboldt County can now apply for STR permits.
On March 5, 2024, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors adopted the Short-Term Rental Ordinance requiring short-term rental operators to obtain permits for their STRs.
Existing operators have until Monday, June 3 to apply for a STR permit to receive exceptions from both neighborhood concentration and the Cap. Neighborhood concentration and the Cap regulate the maximum amount of STRs allowed within specific areas of the county. Applications received after June 3 will be treated as new operations subject to these regulations.
STR permits are not yet open for operators in the coastal zone as the Coastal Short-Term Rental Ordinance is awaiting certification from the California Coastal Commission.
Permit applications will be accepted via the county’s online permit processing system, known as the Accela Citizen Access Customer Portal. To learn more on how to use Accela and find support resources on how to apply for a short-term rental planning permit, please visit the county’s Online Permit Management webpage.
Planning & Building Department staff are available at the department’s front counter, located at 3015 H St. in Eureka, to help community members who require additional assistance or who are unable to submit their permit applications online. There is a publicly accessible computer terminal in the lobby for customers to submit their applications, if needed.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On 5/15/2024, at about 6:00 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the Kimtu Beach area of Willow Creek, CA. for the report of a possible drowning.
According to witnesses, an adult male was swimming in the Trinity River at that location when he showed signs of distress before disappearing below the water and had not been observed to resurface. Upon the arrival of first responders, another member of the missing man’s party was found to be stranded on a rock and unable to return to shore.
Deputies began obtaining necessary information and conducting search and rescue efforts from the shore as members of the H.C.S.O. Special Services Division also responded with a boat to begin an on the water search. Additionally, members of the Willow Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Hoopa Volunteer Fire Department, Hawkins Bar Volunteer Fire Department, Willow Creek/Hoopa Ambulance, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter also responded to assist with rescue efforts. Upon arrival of the U.S.C.G. helicopter, the male subject who was stranded on a rock was able to be rescued by the helicopter crew.
These agencies continued search efforts into the late evening, but were unable to locate the missing man, who has been identified as 23-year-old Jeshua Wilkinson of Arcata. Jeshua is described as being of Hawaiian descent, 5 foot 9 inches tall, approximately 160 pounds, short black hair, brown eyes, and last seen wearing black shorts. The H.C.S.O. and partner agencies, including a California Highway Patrol helicopter, are currently continuing search efforts in the area in an attempt to locate and recover Jeshua.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.
From the office of U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman:
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) shared the news that three recipients in California’s Second Congressional District have been awarded a total of $120,000 through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
About the Projects
California Film Institute 1001 LOOTENS PL # 220 SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901-3112 $30,000 Grants for Arts Projects - Media Arts Purpose: To support the Mill Valley Film Festival and related community programming.
Marin Shakespeare Company 144 GARDEN AVE SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903-4220 $20,000 Grants for Arts Projects - Theater Purpose: To support the development and production of a new, original theater work by the Returned Citizens Theatre Troupe.
NCRT, Inc. 300 5TH ST EUREKA, CA 95501-0306 $30,000 Grants for Arts Projects - Theater Purpose: To support the development and North Coast Repertory Theatre’s regional touring production of “Wusatoumuduk,” a new play in the Wiyot language.
Playhouse Arts 1251 9TH ST ARCATA, CA 95521-5701 $40,000 Grants for Arts Projects - Local Arts Agencies Purpose: To support arts education workshops and artist residencies in rural schools.
About the Funding As part of the application review process, the NEA works with panelists with relevant knowledge and experience who reviewed the applications and rated them in accordance with published review criteria. Recommendations were then presented to the National Council on the Arts. The council made its recommendations to the NEA Chair, who then made the final decision on all grant awards. Learn more about the grant review process or volunteer to be a panelist.
Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation’s arts and cultural ecosystem. It is the National Endowment for the Arts’ largest grants program for organizations, with matching grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.
Grants for Arts Projects supports an expansive range of projects of varying sizes and scope across artistic disciplines with a focus on agency priorities: opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, the integration of the arts with strategies that promote the health and well-being of people and communities, and the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector, including the efforts of nationwide and field-specific service organizations.
Shortly after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16th Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a
reported garage on fire at the 3400 block of Oregon Street in Eureka. HBF responded
with three engines, one ladder truck, and one Battalion Chief. Additionally, two volunteer
Fire Support personnel responded and provided traffic control.
The first arriving unit, Engine 8113, arrived on scene and reported a fully-involved
detached garage structure with possible extension to the nearby house. The engine
company secured their own water supply from an adjoining fire hydrant and quickly
applied water to the fire with a heavy stream nozzle. The next arriving unit, Engine 8112,
assumed search and conducted a primary search of the house to ensure all occupants were
out and safe. The fire was knocked down within a few minutes of the first arriving units.
With the fire attack crews transitioning to an overhaul phase to ensure the fire was
completely extinguished. Engine 8115 arrived on scene and assisted Engine 8113 with
the extinguishment assignment. There was no extension or damage to the house and all
occupants were accounted for. No civilians or firefighters were injured during the
incident.
Following complete extinguishment of the fire, HBF investigators investigated the fire
and determined it to be accidental due to improper extinguishment of smoking materials.
PG&E responded and secured the utility hazards to the detached garage.
The total estimated value of the structure saved is $70,000, with fire and smoke damage
estimated to be $50,000.Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank City Ambulance, Samoa Peninsula Fire, Arcata
Fire, and PG&E for their assistance on this incident, and in providing station coverage.
Humboldt Bay Fire would like to remind everyone to properly extinguish and dispose of
smoking materials, and to make sure they are “dead out!”
