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Prioritizing disaster resilience and response in his first full day as California’s 40th governor, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday met with emergency responders at the State Operations Center and toured a high-risk fire area.
“It’s not a coincidence that my first full day as governor is focused on emergency preparedness. It’s deliberate, it reflects intentionality, and it speaks to the priority that I place on emergency preparedness, response and recovery,” said Newsom.
While standing beside his emergency management and response team, Gov. Newsom announced a series of actions aimed at protecting Californians from the growing threat of wildfires and other natural disasters.
Spurred by recent fires where many elderly, low-income and socially-isolated individuals found themselves without the means to escape, Newsom signed an executive order that directs state agencies to consider risk management through an added socioeconomic lens.
It asks agencies to identify geographic areas with populations that are particularly at risk during natural disasters.
Paired with traditional natural risk factors, this data paints a more accurate assessment of the real human risk and can help guide preventative action to help prevent loss of life – especially for vulnerable groups.
The second executive order modernizes the way the state contracts for technology systems, and the order’s first application will be fire detection.
Instead of government prescribing specific technology solutions – something government doesn’t always do well – this Innovation Procurement Sprint allows an agency to specify to the private sector what problems it is trying to solve.
And it allows agencies to convene outside experts to source innovative solutions and systems. In fire detection technology, this new process comes with the goal of having cutting-edge technology in the hands of emergency responders by next fire season.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signs executive orders on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, as (from left to right) California Military Department Adjutant General David Baldwin, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Thomas Porter and California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley look on. Photo credit: Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
At the event, Gov. Newsom also announced that he has joined with governors Kate Brown of Oregon and Jay Inslee of Washington in requesting President Donald Trump double the federal government’s financial investment in managing federal forestlands in California, Washington and Oregon.
The governor will invest in a five-year, $1 billion forest management plan in his next budget and the state has already invested $111.3 million in forest health since 2017. But the U.S. Forest Service has seen its budget cut by more than $2 billion since 2016, reducing the agency’s capacity to manage federal forestland in California.
This letter emphasized that the western states’ significant state-level efforts will not be as effective without a substantial increase to wildland management by our federal partners.
On Tuesday Gov. Newsom also announced the administration’s leadership team on emergency and natural disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
His administration will establish a senior advisor on emergency preparedness and management within the Governor’s Office to directly coordinate with administration officials across agencies and departments, as well as federal, state and local officials and public safety experts.
The position will be filled by respected Capitol staffer Rhys D.J. Williams, who previously served as chief of staff in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
With an emphasis on continuity and expertise, Gov. Newsom will also retain and reappoint Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci, California Military Department Adjutant General David Baldwin and California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley in their current positions.
Newsom will also appoint as director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, Thomas Porter, currently serving as acting director.
Williams will serve as senior advisor for emergency preparedness and management within the Governor’s Office. Williams has served in senior leadership positions for two California Senate Presidents (Steinberg and Perata) since immigrating to the United States in 2009. Most recently, Williams was the chief of staff to then-Lt. Gov. Newsom.
Ghilarducci was appointed the director of Cal OES in July 2013 by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., having previously served as secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency under Governor Brown. He has also served as deputy director of Cal OES under Gov. Gray Davis, where he oversaw statewide emergency operations, planning and training.
Porter is currently serving as acting director at Cal Fire, where he will continue to serve as the appointed director. Porter began his career with Cal Fire in 1999 and has held multiple responsibilities, including vegetation management, pre-fire programs, and fuel management grant programs. Porter was promoted to Southern Region chief in 2015, and later to chief of strategic planning.
Stanley, appointed by Gov. Brown in February 2018, will continue his service as the leader of the largest state law enforcement agency in the nation. Stanley is the first African-American to hold the rank of commissioner in the history of the CHP. Stanley has served the people of California within the CHP since 1982 – and has held every available rank from Officer to Commissioner.
Baldwin was appointed the Adjutant General of California in April 2011, where he is responsible for the operation of the State Military Department. Gen. Baldwin enlisted in the California Army National Guard in 1982 and his military assignments have included rifle platoon leader, operations officer and executive officer. He has held command posts on deployments to the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Newly introduced legislation seeks to make background checks universal for all firearm sales.
On Tuesday, Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05), Congressman Pete King (NY-02), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler (NY-10), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), House Judiciary Subcommittee Chairwoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18), Congresswomen Robin Kelly (IL-02), Congressman Fred Upton (MI-06), Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06), and Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced the introduction of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019.
The 10 bipartisan, original coauthors introduced this legislation on the eighth anniversary of the Tucson shooting where 6 were killed and 13 were wounded by gunfire, including former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
Bill text is available here.
“Since the inception of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force after the shooting at Sandy Hook, we have been working across the aisle to help prevent gun violence. Today we take a decisive step forward to help save lives right away. As a gun owner, hunter and supporter of the Second Amendment, I am honored to join with Democratic and Republican colleagues to introduce my universal background checks bill that will help keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them,” said Chairman Thompson. “From the public polling to the ballot box, the American people have spoken up and demanded action to help end the tragedy of gun violence that far too many in our country face every day. We will continue our fight and we will deliver.”
“There is no single law that can put an end to mass shootings or gun violence, but there are certainly proactive steps we can take to keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill. When background checks are used, they keep guns out of the hands of people we all agree shouldn’t have guns,” said Congressman King. “As government officials it is our responsibility to protect our citizens, and when it comes to gun violence we must do more. The overwhelming majority of Americans want to see action, and we owe it to the victims and their families to prevent such tragedies from occurring again. I am proud to be the lead Republican sponsor of this legislation.”
“The background check requirement for firearms sales in current federal law is riddled with loopholes that make it far too easy for dangerous people to get guns. It is time we expand these checks to include all gun sales,” said Chairman Nadler. “The American people overwhelmingly support universal background checks which will make us safer from gun violence, and I am proud to cosponsor this critical legislation.”
“Background checks are a proven, effective measure in keeping our communities safe,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “This common-sense legislation protects the constitutional rights of law abiding Americans while seeking to prevent felons, domestic abusers and the dangerously mentally ill from lawfully purchasing a firearm. Congress owes our nation’s families and children bipartisan gun safety reform, and the introduction of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 brings us closer towards fulfilling that obligation.”
“Everyone agrees our schools, movie theaters shopping malls, streets and communities need to be safer. But we need a comprehensive approach that goes beyond just arming more people with more guns to make this happen. One way that we can come closer to ending the scourge of gun violence is ensuring that guns do not get into the wrong hands to begin with,” said Chairwoman Jackson Lee. “This is why I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation and I commend all of my colleagues for their tireless work on this important initiative.”
“Serving in the military, I held my fellow soldiers as the last breath went out of them. Our students, teachers, parishioners, mothers, fathers or any other civilian should never have to confront this tragedy,” said Congressman Mast. “As Members of Congress, we weren’t sent to Washington to do just what’s easy — we were sent here to take action and that's exactly what this bill is: a unified effort to save lives."
“For too long, Congress has ignored the gun violence epidemic that claims American lives each and every day. With H.R. 8, Congressional Democrats are taking a commonsense, bipartisan and broadly-supported step forward toward a future where no mother has to bury her child because of gun violence,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “We know that background checks work to reduce gun violence and gun violence deaths. As we continue working to prevent gun violence, we know that good gun safety policies must be coupled with investment and re-investment in our communities so young people pick up hammers and computer skills, instead of guns and bullets.”
“This common-sense, bipartisan bill will help keep our communities safe from gun violence by expanding existing background checks and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals,” said Congressman Upton. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we continue to tackle unacceptable gun violence in a bipartisan manner.”
"Seven years ago, gun violence ripped my son away from me. For my family and the 96 American families who lose a loved one to gun violence every single day, background checks are long overdue,” said Congresswoman McBath. “I am proud to co-sponsor this bill as a necessary step to making our schools, movie theaters, and public spaces safer for our families."
“During my tenure in Congress, I have always supported reasonable laws that protect Second Amendment rights while ensuring that felons, fugitives, domestic abusers and those who have been found to be a danger to themselves or others do not have access to guns,” said Congressman Smith. “This common-sense legislation would further this end by strengthening protections against unlawful gun purchases — closing the ‘private sale loophole’ and listing all those prohibited from buying a firearm in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.”
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was established after the tragedy at Sandy Hook and has grown to a membership of more than 165.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County’s newest Superior Court judge took her seat on the bench on Monday.
Shanda Harry took her oath of office from Judge Stephen Hedstrom, who she will succeed on the bench, as the county’s other current and retired judges and many well wishers and her family looked on in an afternoon ceremony in Department 2.
Harry won the seat in November after a nearly year-long campaign that saw her beat the sitting district attorney in a runoff while continuing to hold down her job as a deputy county counsel.
Current and former judges joined in giving Harry a warm welcome to her new job, advising her both of the hard work – and the satisfaction in the profession – that is to come.
Judge Michael Lunas, flanked by his fellow judges – Andrew Blum, David Markham and Hedstrom – presided over the ceremony.
Lunas asked Harry’s young daughter, Ophelia – sitting with her father David Rose, grandparents and other family members in the jury box – if she was proud of her mom. “Uh huh,” she replied.
Lunas also introduced Hedstrom, “whose refusal to undergo a fourth term has brought us here today.” Hedstrom announced in late 2017 that he did not intend to seek a fourth term, thus setting the stage for the judicial race.
He also acknowledged the court staff, who he commended for their efforts and who the judges would assure Harry would be an important asset to her in the years ahead.
“Shanda, welcome, welcome to the bench,” said Lunas.
Lunas said Harry is the first woman elected to the Lake County Superior Court bench.
At the same time, she is the second woman to be elected judge in the county’s history, as Lake County News has reported. Betty Irwin ran a successful write-in campaign in 1982 to win a seat on the justice court. Since then, the justice courts have been consolidated into the Superior Court, but until Harry, no woman had won in a Superior Court race.
While lauding her accomplishment, he said that, tomorrow, she will be just another judge who happens to be a woman.
He also had high praise for Hedstrom, who he called “a stalwart of the court and of public service in Lake County,” who has served 18 years on the bench and many years in the District Attorney’s Office.
When Lunas was sworn in six years ago, Hedstrom asked him, “Do you realize what you’ve done? You’ve requested to become a Superior Court judge and your request has been granted by the voters of Lake County. The people are entrusting you with their property, their children, their lifestyles and their very freedoms. This is going to be the most challenging job you will ever have.”
Lunas told Harry that the job will be stressful, challenging, agonizing, humbling and sleep-depriving. It’s the hardest job a person can have, but he said she will love it.
He said it’s also a very collegial bench, and the senior judges are here to help her. “Your success is the bench’s success.”
Judge Markham passed on to her a framed quote from Justice Learned Hand that, by local tradition, goes to the newest judge on the bench. It’s been just 11 months since Markham was sworn in after being appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown. He said he thinks he set the record for holding onto it for the shortest amount of time.
Each of the sitting judges took turns welcoming Harry to their ranks and congratulating her for her successful pursuit of the seat.
They were also joined by retired judges Richard Freeborn, David Herrick, Arthur Mann and Richard Martin, who similarly offered congratulations and shared words of wisdom.
Herrick said Harry will need patience and persistence. He said conditions are much different now than when he took the bench 24 years ago, noting the rise of self-represented litigants.
Mann said he was pleased to see Harry coming on as a new judge, and said all of the judges are here to help her. He said being a judge is the greatest job ever imagined.
Freeborn emphasized respect, noting that it was important to offer it to the worst or scallywag before her or the most inept attorney. “Treat everyone with respect and you’ll find at the end of the day that you’ll get the same in return, it keeps things working smooth.”
“I’m proud to see you here,” said Judge Martin.
He recalled Harry always being professional and prepared in her appearances in his courtroom.
“You will do just great and you’ll love it,” he said.
“We’re all pleased to have Shanda here,” said Blum. He added, “I haven’t the slightest doubt she will prove an excellent superior court judge.”
He offered an important piece of advice: “Sometimes there’s no right answer.”
Markham said that when she starts on Tuesday, it will be a little overwhelming. “But just remember you’re not alone. You have a lot of people that are always willing to help you.”
Hedstrom said it was truly an historic day but not for the reasons people might think.
He said he had received a text while he was shaving earlier in the day and was startled to see it was from retired Judge Robert Crone, who Hedstrom said isn’t one to adopt new technology very quickly. He said Crone could not attend but sent his heartfelt congratulations.
Hedstrom echoed the sentiments of other judges in welcoming Harry.
He told her that the heavy weight of making important decisions in case after case is made easier to bear when considering voters’ trust and confidence in her to exercise good judgment.
“So simply trust yourself,” he told her.
After thorough consideration of evidence and law, every decision follows a simple formula: “You simply do what is right based upon the best interests of the public, no more, no less,” he said.
He then came down from the bench to administer the oath to Harry, who signed the oath and was helped into her robes by her parents, Richard and Wynona Harry.
Harry then joined the other judges on the bench and Hedstrom said, “I’m outta here,” and went to sit beside the retired judges.
In her brief remarks from the bench, Harry thanked everyone for the support.
“It’s been incredible,” she said of the experience of becoming a judge.
Then, she got to say for the first time, “Court is adjourned.”
Harry will be at work on the bench beginning on Tuesday morning, when she’ll start to hear dozens of cases.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
The commission will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
On the agenda is the swearing-in of newly appointed planning commissioner, Jeri Driver.
The Lakeport City Council on Dec. 18 selected Driver as a new commissioner, as Lake County News has reported.
Driver brings to the commission knowledge from her current and past jobs. She now works for the Lake County Community Development Department as a technician in the Code Enforcement Division, a job that requires her to understand planning and zoning, land use, design and county codes.
She also previously worked for the Hidden Valley Lake Association as an environmental control coordinator, a role in which she fulfilled a number of planning and code enforcement duties.
On Wednesday the commission also will hold its election for officers for the new calendar year.
A project the commission will consider is an application for a use permit for a residential use and short-term rental of a residence at 302 N. Main St. to a transient guest.
In other business, the commission will discuss and consider a change in its regular meeting time and discuss the goals and work program that it shares with the Lakeport Planning Department.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is implementing a new tool to assist with alerting residents of the need to evacuate.
Lt. Corey Paulich said the new tool is a siren tone on sheriff’s patrol vehicles that will only be used in the event of an evacuation.
The “hi-lo” siren often used in Europe is an unfamiliar sound in California.
If Lake County residents hear this siren they will know an emergency is under way and they need to evacuate, Paulich said.
He said the idea was brought forward by Napa County Sheriff John Robertson and has been adopted in Napa County as well as Sonoma and Solano counties.
A demonstration of the hi-lo siren is featured in the video above.
The sheriff’s office encourages residents to sign up to receive alerts through the LakeCoAlerts system, which can be done at the sheriff’s office Web site.
Gov. Newsom's health care proposals are a central pillar of his broader "California for All" agenda.
As he laid out in his inaugural speech, the governor believes that the California Dream should be accessible to everyone – not just a privileged few.
Over his first year in office, he will work with the Legislature and all levels of government to find bold and innovative solutions to confront the cost and affordability crisis that California families are facing.
The rising costs of health care and prescription drugs are chief among those concerns, as California families continue to struggle with rising health care costs. Those buying on the individual market will see an average 9 percent rise in health care costs this year, according to Covered California.
American families have seen their prescription drug costs nearly double since the year 2000, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and prescription drug pricing is one of the largest drivers of rising health care costs.
Just last week, a Reuters report found 30 drug makers that did business with the state of California planned to raise their prices in January. Gov. Newsom's health care proposal takes those costs head on.
On Monday, Gov. Newsom signed first-in-the-nation executive order that creates the nation’s biggest single-purchaser system for drugs and will allow all Californians – including private employers -- to sit together at the bargaining table across from big drug companies when negotiating prescription drug prices.
In his first budget, he will propose expanding financial help that makes it cheaper for families and individuals to buy health coverage and reinforce the Affordable Care Act after recent federal attacks.
Gov. Newsom's proposal would also bring the state closer toward the goal of health care for all by making it the first state in history to expand Medi-Cal coverage to all eligible undocumented young adults.
He also signed an executive order to establish a California Surgeon General who will be tasked with addressing the root causes of California health challenges and inequities.
“No state has more at stake on the issue of health care. California must lead,” said Governor Newsom. "We will use our market power and our moral power to demand fairer prices for prescription drugs. And we will continue to move closer to ensuring health care for every Californian.”
Governor Newsom signed the executive orders and letter and laid out his health care actions today on Facebook Live.
As part of his California for All health care plan, the Governor proposes the following:
Creating the largest-scale single-purchaser system for prescription drugs
Gov. Newsom signed an executive order to fight the rising prices of prescription drugs by strengthening the state’s bargaining power when negotiating drug prices.
Today, public and private purchasers of prescription drugs for Medi-Cal, California’s largest purchaser of pharmaceutical services, are fragmented, left to negotiate against drug companies alone.
The negotiation for pricing and purchasing of prescription drugs under Medi-Cal will now be conducted by the Department of Health Care Services on behalf of all 13 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries, as opposed to only two million currently.
Further, the executive order directs state agencies to purchase prescription drugs together, as opposed to negotiating with drug companies one by one, and charts the path to enable all Californians, including private purchasers, to join forces with public purchasers.
These reforms will mean that instead of facing big drug companies alone, Californians – including budget-constrained government agencies and struggling small businesses – can sit together at the bargaining table across from drug companies when negotiating for life-saving and life-preserving prescription drugs. By working together, we can effectively contain costs and make prescription drugs more affordable for all.
Making California the first state to cover undocumented young adults through Medi-Cal
Two years ago, California took an important step toward health care for all by covering undocumented youth under the state’s Medi-Cal program.
In his budget, Gov. Newsom will propose California take another major step toward universal coverage, by extending Medi-Cal eligibility to undocumented young adults who otherwise meet the program’s eligibility requirements.
It will make California the first state in the nation to cover young undocumented adults through a state Medicaid program.
The Affordable Care Act allows most young adults to stay on their parents' health plan until age 26. The governor believes undocumented young adults should not have to worry about losing their health coverage when they turn 19.
Expanding Obamacare financial help for families and reinforcing the Affordable Care Act after federal attacks
After a series of federal government attacks on the Affordable Care Act, Gov. Newsom announced that his first budget will reinforce the law and expand Obamacare subsidies that help individuals and families afford health care coverage.
His budget proposes increasing the size of the subsidies for families who already receive it, and it would make California the first state to make subsidies available to middle income families.
Right now, individuals earning more than $48,000 a year or a family of four earning more than $98,000 don't qualify for financial help to afford their premiums. The governor's budget will provide financial assistance to individuals earning up to $72,840 and families of four earning up to $150,600.
California will be the first state in the nation to offer subsidies to individuals and families with income between 400 and 600 percent of the federal poverty level.
To pay for increased financial help for families, the budget proposes fighting back against the federal government's attempts to destroy the Affordable Care Act by reinstating the individual mandate at the state level.
A UCLA study recently predicted that the rate of uninsured Californians would increase without state action to counteract the federal government's move, a development that would increase health care premiums across the state even further – even for families on private insurance.
Calls on the federal government to empower California to truly innovate
Gov. Newsom has long said California should be the national leader in health care innovation. However, instead of cultivating and rewarding good ideas, current federal law hinders truly transformative innovation, such as a single-payer health care system.
Gov. Newsom sent a letter on Monday to President Trump and Congressional leaders calling on the federal government to lift these limitations and, instead, empower states like California to enact transformative change that would allow California to develop a single-payer health system to achieve universal coverage, contain costs, and promote quality and affordability.
Establishing the California surgeon general to focus on root causes
Gov. Newsom signed an executive order to establish a California surgeon general, who will lead all Californians in addressing the root causes of serious health conditions, such as adverse childhood experiences and the social determinants of health.
The overwhelming scientific consensus is that there are early signals and causes of many serious health conditions.
The surgeon general will marshal the insights and energy of medical professionals, public health experts, public servants, and everyday Californians to address health inequity as early as possible in all Californians' lives.