California lawmakers sent a gender-affirming licensing bill to Gavin Newsom. Will he sign it?
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
SENATE SENDS GENDER-AFFIRMING BILL TO NEWSOM’S DESK
While many state legislatures are passing bills to restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender people, California lawmakers last week gave the green light for a bill to expedite licensing for specialists in the field.
AB 2442 passed out of the Senate last week on a party line vote, with Democrats voting for it and all but two Republicans voting against. Sens. Marie Alvarado-Gil and Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh didn’t vote. No Republican spoke against the bill when it appeared on the Senate floor.
The bill now sits on the desk of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom has been a longtime ally of the LGBTQ community, though there have been some bumps in the road along the way, including last year when he vetoed a bill that would have required judges to consider whether a parent is gender-affirming when determining custody of a transgender child, meaning they accept and support their child’s gender identity.
More than half the country has enacted laws to restrict access to gender-affirming care, particularly for minors, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a LGBTQ advocacy group that tracks such efforts.
“California has always been a beacon of hope for those seeking essential health care services, whether it’s reproductive health or gender-affirming care. As MAGA-led legislatures across the country attack the transgender community and restrict the care they desperately need, this bill enables California to step up and meet the needs of those traveling here for the services banned in their states,” said bill author Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur in a statement.
The bill is supported by Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, whose facilities provide gender-affirming care.
“We hope to see AB 2442 signed into law so we can better meet the needs of (transgender, gender diverse and intersex) individuals by ensuring the health care provider workforce is equipped with providers across California that are trained and prepared to provide comprehensive and equitable gender-affirming care to those who seek it in our state,” said President and CEO Jodi Hicks in a statement.
We may be waiting a little bit to know whether AB 2442 will become law, though. Newsom has until the end of September to either sign or veto it.
CALIFORNIA LEADS IN SALES TAX
Via David Lightman...
Add another tax to the California list of the nation’s higher taxes–a new study finds that 13 of the nation’s cities with the highest total sales taxes are in the state.
Modesto ranked 25th and Sacramento is tied with Riverside, Chula Vista, San Bernardino and Buffalo, New York, for 29th, according to a new study by the Tax Foundation, a Washington research group. Stockton was 20th.
The state’s cities with the highest sales taxes were Long Beach, Oakland and Fremont, which tied for third with Chicago. Numbers one and two were Seattle and Tacoma, Washington.
The study listed 122 major cities, and found Portland, Oregon, and Anchorage at the bottom with no sales taxes.
Among the California rankings: Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, tied for 11th; San Jose, 14; Santa Ana, 15; San Francisco, 36; Fresno, 44; Bakersfield, 63 and San Diego, Irvine, Fontana and Moreno Valley, tied for 74th with Salt Lake City and Toledo, Ohio.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“This merger will leave Californians with fewer choices over where to shop — and for workers in this industry, where to work. We are in court today to prevent this unlawful attempt by Kroger and Albertsons to merge their operations and reduce competition in the marketplace.”
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in a statement discussing the multistate lawsuit to block the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger, which went to trial on Monday.
Best of The Bee:
Sacramento’s Camp Resolution residents don’t know where to go as city clears camp. ‘I will die,’ via Hannah Poukish.
Sacramento police detain people as city sweeps Camp Resolution, via Theresa Clift and Hannah Poukish.
California tribes are urging the rejection of this casino project proposal. Here’s why, via Emma Hall.
