Angelus News | January 26, 2024 | Vol. 9 No. 2

ages. The state had already provided
coverage to those under 26 years old
and for immigrants over 50. This law
is expected to cost $4 billion annually,
but a new bill has already been
introduced attempting to repeal it. The
move brings California closer to its
goal of providing health care coverage
to all of its residents.
SB 616: California Democrat Sen.
Lena Gonzales initiated this bill that
would guarantee eligible workers in
the state receive at least five days of
paid sick leave. After five days, employers
can control how many more days
the employee could accrue. The new
law increased the minimum number
of sick days from the three that were
approved in 2015. “Too many folks are
still having to choose between skipping
a day’s pay and taking care of themselves
or their family members when
they get sick,” Newsom said.
SB 848: Under this new law, an employee
would be granted up to five days
of leave for a “reproductive loss,” which
includes miscarriages, in vitro fertilization,
or failed adoption or surrogacy.
The bill, sponsored by state Democrat
Sen. Susan Rubio, would apply to both
parents.
HOUSING
SB 4: It’s no secret that California
has continually fallen short in creating
housing for its growing population,
especially affordable housing. Several
bills were passed in the latest legislative
session meant to spur housing construction
by removing some of the red
tape. SB 4, dubbed the “Yes in God’s
Backyard” bill, is one of those laws,
allowing religious institutions, colleges,
and universities to build affordable
housing on their land without having
to go through lengthy rezoning processes
and environmental reviews.
A church, for example, could have
unused land that it could develop for
affordable housing, and would have
the ability to build the project “by
right” — without needing a discretionary
approval process.
The bill does have restrictions on affordable
housing — requiring a 55-year
commitment for rentals and a 45-year
commitment on owned units — and
distance from industrial or refinery
sites.
“The era of saying no to housing is
coming to an end,” said state Democrat
Sen. Scott Wiener, who authored
the bill. “We’ve been planting seeds
for years to get California to a brighter
housing future.”
A pro-abortion rally in downtown
Los Angeles on May 14,
2022. | SHUTTERSTOCK
LGBT
California continues to introduce
policies for those who identify as
“LGBT” that Newsom said “will help
protect vulnerable youth, promote
acceptance, and create more supportive
environments in our schools and
communities.”
AB 5: Dubbed the “Safe and Supportive
Schools Act,” state Democrat
Assemblyman Rick Zbur authored this
bill, which would require the California
Board of Education to develop an
online training curriculum to support
LGBT cultural competency training
for teachers and other certificated
employees, starting with the 2025–26
school year. At least one hour of
training would be required annually for
teachers of students in grades 7-12.
SB 760: Introduced by state Democrat
Sen. Josh Newman, this law would
require schools to provide at least one
gender-neutral bathroom by July 1,
2026. The law applies to all public
and private schools with students in
grades 1-12. The bill does not apply to
transitional kindergarten or kindergarten
classes.
MISCELLANEOUS
SB 2: Controversial, and already challenged
in court, the law would prohibit
someone from carrying a firearm into
specific locations, including places of
worship, schools, and other “sensitive
areas.” The law, authored by state
Democrat Sen. Anthony Portantino,
would also amend several requirements
to allow a person to carry a concealed
firearm. A federal appeals court
had allowed for the law to go into effect
on Jan. 1, but a special appellate panel
blocked it on Jan. 6 until the case can
be heard again in April. Beyond the
law, Newsom has previously called for
the U.S. Constitution to be amended
to include gun safety measures.
AB 645: Introduced by state Democrat
Assembly Members Laura Friedman
and Phil Ting, this bill allows
six California cities — including Los
Angeles, Glendale, and Long Beach
— to install “speed cameras” near
schools or areas where high-velocity
incidents have occurred. Drivers will
receive a warning in the first 60 days of
installing the cameras and then fines
ranging from $50-$500 will be assessed
depending on how far over the speed
limit. The law is a pilot program that
will last until Jan. 1, 2032.
January 26, 2024 • ANGELUS • 17