latimes--2020-02-28--11 rescued, 5 missing after panga boat 'dump-and-run,' Del Mar authorities say

Eleven people were sent to a hospital and potentially five others are unaccounted for after apparently being dumped from a panga boat off the coast of Del Mar on Friday morning , authorities said .
Emergency responders were called to the scene about 4:30 a.m. after people on Sixth Street in Del Mar “ heard people yelling for help in the water , ” said San Diego County Sheriff ’ s Lt. Steve Bodine .
Del Mar Fire Chief Mike Stein told reporters at the scene that 11 people who were rescued from the water are being treated for minor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were about 16 people in a panga coming up from Mexico , so that ’ s the number that we ’ re going off of , ” he said .
“ So we ’ ve got approximately five that are unaccounted for .
We don ’ t know if they made it to shore or not , so we ’ re presuming that they could still be in the water.
” The search is ongoing , he said .
Stein said the incident could be “ a dump-and-run , where the panga doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ ll have people swim off the coast and then they head back south.
” “ We ’ ve had a lot of panga boats that have reached our shores here in Southern California , specifically this area of the coast , ” he said .

More than a dozen people have been located after apparently being dumped from a panga boat before dawn Friday off the coast of Del Mar, authorities said.
Emergency responders were called to the scene about 4:30 a.m. after passersby “heard people yelling for help in the water,” San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Bodine said.
Del Mar Fire Chief Mike Stein told reporters at the scene that 11 people were rescued from the water and taken to a hospital to be treated for minor hypothermia.
Two others who had been on the boat were found later on land, Beth Murray, a senior management analyst for the city of Del Mar, said.
Rescue crews are still searching for one to three others believed to have been aboard, she said.
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All the people on the boat are thought to be Mexican migrants, officials said.
Stein said the incident could be “a dump-and-run, where the panga doesn’t actually make it to shore, they’ll have people swim off the coast and then they head back south.”
“We’ve had a lot of panga boats that have reached our shores here in Southern California, specifically this area of the coast,” he said.
Authorities from the U.S. Coast Guard and Border Patrol are still searching for the boat.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department at (760) 940-4300.


latimes--2020-02-28--Intense search underway in California for others exposed to coronavirus patient

Health officials in Northern California are searching for people who might have come in contact with a woman who is believed to be country ’ s first novel coronavirus patient who did not recently travel outside the country or come in contact with someone who did .
Authorities said her case might indicate that the virus is already spreading within the local community , a significant leap , making it essential that they quickly find anyone who might have been exposed to her .
The Solano County woman was hospitalized more than a week ago but was not tested for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screening criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which include both symptoms of the virus and either a recent history of travel to China or close contact with another coronavirus patient .
In response , Solano County declared a local emergency Thursday because of the virus .
“ We are taking this situation seriously and are taking steps necessary to protect the health and safety of Solano County residents , ” Dr. Bela Matyas , the county ’ s health officer , said in a statement .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved from containment to mitigation .
We are investigating potential exposures and ensuring that proper evaluation and care are provided if they become sick.
” Before she was transferred to UC Davis , the woman was hospitalized for three days at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville , Aimee Brewer , president of Northbay Healthcare Group , said in a statement .
She was transported by ambulance to the UC Davis facility in Sacramento once her condition worsened , Brewer said .
“ As for the patient ’ s care in NorthBay VacaValley Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fit the existing CDC criteria for COVID-19 , and therefore a test was not immediately administered , ” she said .
After learning of the diagnosis , the hospital “ launched a meticulous tracing ” of anyone who might have been in contact with her , Brewer said .
The hospital remains open and is operating normally .
UC Davis officials said the woman arrived on Feb. 19 but was not tested until Sunday .
The hospital said that precautions had been put in place because of caregivers ’ concerns about her condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of employees had been asked to stay home and monitor their temperature .
Sacramento County Director of Health Services Peter Beileson said the woman had been transferred to the hospital under virus containment protocols , but additional measures , such as isolation in a negative pressure room , which prevents air from escaping , were now in place .
Beileson said he did not expect additional cases of the virus based on those in contact with the patient in Sacramento , where she is receiving treatment , but did expect more cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The woman was “ in her community ” for a number of days before accessing care , California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said .
Investigators are now working to identify and locate anyone who may have come in contact with the woman .
The CDC has sent 10 staffers to help trace her contacts .
Some hospital workers who came in contact with her are now at home and being monitored .
Sacramento County health officials said that dozens of people might be quarantined at home based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis spokesman Steve Telliano disputed that the number could be higher than 70 , but refused to say if more or fewer people were quarantined .
Three UC Davis students are under 14-day isolation as one awaits test results after showing mild coronavirus symptoms , officials said Thursday .
The students are roommates at Kearney Hall , UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May said .
One student has been off campus since Tuesday and has been tested for COVID-19 .
The other two have not shown any symptoms and have therefore not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since Wednesday night as a precaution .
Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman said officials know the source of the possible exposure for the student who might have the virus , but could not disclose that information because of privacy rules .
A total of 33 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in California , and five have since left the state , Newsom said .
Of the confirmed cases , 24 were either evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship or returned on repatriation flights from Wuhan , China , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said more than 8,400 people are being monitored in 49 local jurisdictions .
The state is “ doing those protocols and monitoring as it relates to more traditional commercial flights that came in from points of concern and potential points of contact , particularly in Asia , ” he said .

Alex Wigglesworth, Colleen Shalby, Anita Chabria

A Solano County resident who is the first confirmed case of the COVID-19 coronavirus that was “community acquired” is being held in isolation while undergoing treatment at the UC Davis Medical Center.
California recorded a new case of the coronavirus Friday in Santa Clara County, heightening concerns that the disease is spreading in the United States.
Health officials in Santa Clara County said the new patient had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected person.
For the record: A previous version of this post misspelled the last name of the director of health services in Sacramento County. His name is Peter Beilenson, not Beilson.
The individual is an older adult, a woman with chronic health conditions who was hospitalized for a respiratory illness, officials said at a news conference Friday. Her physician contacted the public health department this week to discuss the case and request testing for the novel coronavirus. The department is working to identify contacts and understand the extent of exposure.
“This new case indicates that there is evidence of community transmission but the extent is still not clear,” said Dr. Sara Cody, health officer for Santa Clara County and director of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. “I understand this may be concerning to hear, but this is what we have been preparing for. Now we need to start taking additional actions to slow down the spread of the disease.”
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Friday night, Washington state health officials announced two new coronavirus cases Friday night, a woman who had recently traveled to South Korea and a high school student whose school will be closed and sanitized.
The new cases comes as officials in Northern California are searching for people who might have come in contact with a Solano County woman who is believed to be the country’s first novel coronavirus patient who did not recently travel outside the U.S. or come in contact with someone who did.
Authorities said her case might indicate that the virus is already spreading within the local community, a significant leap, making it essential that they quickly find anyone who might have been exposed to her.
The woman was hospitalized more than a week ago but was not tested for several days because she did not fit screening criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which include both symptoms of the virus and either a recent history of travel to China or close contact with another coronavirus patient.
“It is important to recognize that we have moved from containment to mitigation,” Dr. Bela Matyas, the county’s health officer, said in a statement. “We are investigating potential exposures and ensuring that proper evaluation and care are provided if they become sick.”
Before she was transferred to UC Davis, the woman was hospitalized for three days at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, Aimee Brewer, president of NorthBay Healthcare Group, said in a statement.
She was taken by ambulance to the UC Davis facility in Sacramento once her condition worsened, Brewer said.
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“As for the patient’s care in NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, at no time did the patient fit the existing CDC criteria for COVID-19, and therefore a test was not immediately administered,” she said.
After learning of the diagnosis, the hospital “launched a meticulous tracing” of anyone who might have been in contact with her, Brewer said. The hospital remains open and is operating normally.
UC Davis officials said the woman arrived on Feb. 19 but was not tested until Sunday . The hospital said that precautions had been put in place because of caregivers’ concerns about her condition and that a “small number” of employees had been asked to stay home and monitor their temperature.
Sacramento County Director of Health Services Peter Beilenson said the woman had been transferred to the hospital under virus containment protocols, but additional measures, such as isolation in a negative pressure room, which prevents air from escaping, were now in place.
Beilenson said he did not expect additional cases of the virus based on those in contact with the patient in Sacramento, where she is receiving treatment, but did expect more cases in Solano County, where she is from.
The woman was “in her community” for a number of days before accessing care, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said.
Investigators are now working to identify and locate anyone who may have come in contact with the woman. The CDC has sent 10 staffers to help trace her contacts, officials said.
“Contact tracing is super important because it can help reduce transmission,” said Dr. Brandon Brown, an associate professor at the UC Riverside School of Medicine’s Center for Healthy Communities. “The worst-case scenario is that outside of close contacts — family, friends and coworkers — there were other people exposed to the virus in places where this person visited.”
The tracing will likely start with the infected patient’s family and coworkers, who would be isolated and tested, and then move out to those who might have come in casual contact with her in places she’s visited within the past two weeks, which is believed to be the incubation period of the virus.
In order to identify individuals who came into contact with the woman at the hospital, Northbay VacaValley officials sifted through medical records to see which clinicians entered her room. Additionally, three days’ worth of security footage from 8 p.m. Feb. 15 to mid-morning Feb. 19 were scoured to ensure that all visitors and non-clinicians – like workers who brought in food trays or refilled bathroom supplies – were tallied.
Sacramento County health officials said that dozens of people might be quarantined at home based on having contact with the woman. UC Davis spokesman Steve Telliano disputed that the number could be higher than 70 but refused to say if more or fewer people were quarantined.
Steve Huddleston, vice president of public affairs of NorthBay Healthcare, said that the quarantine affected dozens connected to the hospital.
Huddleston said that the hospital staff is comprised of about a couple hundred. Those employees who have been home, due to quarantine or unrelated matters, have been backfilled.
On Friday afternoon, Makayla Lara, 20, sipped iced green tea on the porch of a Starbucks that’s a short walk from Northbay VacaValley Hospital, the first medical facility to care for the first community-based case of the coronavirus in the United States. (The woman is now under treatment at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.)
“I don’t think people are super freaked out,” said Lara, a nursing student at Solano Community College. “I don’t think it’s anything to be afraid of. Just take like the necessary precautions that you do with any virus. If you are sick, don’t go out. Wash your hands, you know.”
At the Lowe’s homes improvement store in Vacaville, the shelves have been stripped of protective masks and hand sanitizer for weeks.
Employees said customers have been buying them by the case and they fly off the shelves as soon as new supplies arrive. The employees did not have authority to speak on behalf of the store and asked to remain unnamed.
Customer Teresa Del Rio, 48, said she’s not worried about the spread of the virus at this point because she’s a nurse and knows how to avoid risks of transmission. But she’s worried about the healthcare providers who cared for the patient at a local hospital who was later confirmed to have the virus.
“The only anxiety is that I don’t think people are being proactive enough knowing that the patient exposed a bunch of nurses who probably went out into the community,” said Del Rio, who works at a different medical facility. “I think they needed to be more proactive with their testing.”
From Northbay VacaValley Hospital, it’s easy to spot planes landing to the south at Travis Air Force Base, the federal facility that accepted some of the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China — the epicenter of the outbreak.
According to the Washington Post, a whistleblower reported that the Department of Health and Human Services sent a crew of workers to the base without the adequate protective gear or proper training on viral outbreaks.
Beilenson, Sacramento County‘s director of health services, said “definitely we will have more cases here.”
“You shed virus before you are symptomatic so it’s already out of the bag in a lot of ways,” Beilenson said. “It’s going to spread; it’s just going to spread.”
Beilenson said most people that contract the virus – more than 80% – will have mild or no symptoms, but still be able to pass COVID-19 to others.
On Thursday night, the CDC revised its testing guidelines to allow for more people to be tested for the coronavirus. Previously, only people with flu-like symptoms and a travel history to China or close contact with someone who traveled to China.
Now, doctors can order coronavirus tests for anyone with flu-like symptoms who has recently traveled to China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea. In an even bigger change, Patients hospitalized with fever and pneumonia and no travel history could be tested by doctors.
The change is widely interpreted to be a response to the UC Davis patient, who had no travel history. It took several days for the CDC to allow testing of the patient, who was severely ill.
Beilenson said new community cases were more likely in Solano than Sacramento, “predominately because the UC Davis case came ensconced (in protective measures). If it would happen anywhere it would happen in Solano County,” he said.
Three UC Davis students are under 14-day isolation as one awaits test results after showing mild coronavirus symptoms, officials said.
The students are roommates at Kearney Hall, UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May said.
One student has been off campus since Tuesday and has been tested for COVID-19. The student is in isolation at their home, UC Davis spokeswoman Melissa Lutz Blouin said Friday.
The other two have not shown any symptoms and have therefore not been tested, but they have been isolated since Wednesday night as a precaution. They were moved to a vacant on-campus apartment and are in self-isolation for 14 days, the time symptoms would appear if they had a virus.
Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman said officials know the source of the possible exposure for the student who might have the virus, but could not disclose that information because of privacy rules.
When the university first learned about the exposure, officials alerted all students, faculty and staff. Housing and dining services personnel also have increased cleaning rounds at those campus facilities, disinfecting doorknobs, tables and other areas with lots of student contact.
UC Davis is following the direction of the Yolo County Public Health Department in its response to the incident.
Just outside the Kearney Hall dorm at the university, freshman Dominic Alvarez sat on a concrete bench casually texting friends on Friday. He was unfazed about reports of the students who were reportedly exposed to the coronavirus.
“Me and friends, we’re not gullible,” said Alvarez, a mechanical engineering student from Los Angeles. “We’re keeping up with the medical news. For young healthy adults with healthy immune systems, it’s just like the flu. Older people have to worry, and younger kids, though.”
Another student parking his bike outside the dorm was more concerned. The student, who asked only to be identified by his nickname “Vac,” was wearing a protective mask over his mouth and nose and black medical gloves on his hands.
“I’m super worried,” said Vac, 21, an environmental engineering student. “We’re in classes every day with other students who may have been exposed.”
Vac is from northern China and has been in constant contact with his family. He says they are fine but that he, along with many other foreign students from all over Asia, are concerned for their loved ones.
“They’re hearing from families and friends who say it’s scary out there, because that’s exactly how it’s been in China and Japan for the past month,” he said.
There will now be eight public health labs capable of coronavirus testing in California in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and Tulare, said Charity Dean, deputy director of the California Department of Public Health.
On Friday night, Solano County formally announced two cases — but both patients appear to have contracted the virus through foreign travel. They had previously been counted as coronavirus patients.
One patient had been on the Diamond Princess cruise ship when an outbreak occurred and had been housed at Travis Air Force Base, according to the county. A second resident — who was also housed at Travis — was tested positive by Japanese officials.
Times staff writer Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report, as did AP.


latimes--2020-02-28--Harvey Weinstein conviction could pave the way for more sexual assault prosecutions

The morning after Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape , a dozen women who have accused the fallen movie mogul of sexual misconduct stood on the steps of L.A. City Hall and spoke of the dawn of a new era .
Actress Caitlin Dulany told reporters that on Monday , in the first few hours after Weinstein was handcuffed and taken into custody , she saw a little girl running around in the grocery store .
“ You will have a different world because of what happened today , ” Dulany said she imagined telling the girl .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will never be the same.
” Dulany ’ s hopefulness in the aftermath of the historic verdict is more than justified , according to legal experts and advocates for survivors of sexual assault .
Though the Weinstein conviction is no panacea for the pervasiveness of sexual abuse in society , they say , it expands the possibilities for which sex crimes can be successfully tried in a court of law .
And it could embolden prosecutors to take on complex rape cases that they would have previously been reluctant to file .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rethink the idea that sex crime cases are too difficult to prosecute , ” said Debra Katz , a civil rights and employment lawyer who has represented several women who have spoken out about Weinstein .
“ This shows that juries have an ability to discern complicated facts , and they reached this result even though there was a lot of smoke and mirrors from the defense team.
” Prosecutors wield an enormous amount of influence over which cases make it to a courtroom .
And district attorney offices across the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because most are seen as unwinnable .
Out of every 1,000 allegations of rape , 13 cases will get referred to a prosecutor and seven will lead to a felony conviction , according to the Rape , Abuse and Incest National Network .
“ Rape cases are difficult because as a society , we hold misconceptions about what rape looks like , what rape trauma looks like , and how someone is supposed to act after being raped , ” said Kristen Gibbons Feden , who successfully prosecuted Bill Cosby as an assistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misconceptions sometimes guide the rules and laws being made and how the verdicts are rendered by a judge or jury , ” Manhattan Dist .
Atty .
Cyrus R. Vance Jr. was criticized for deciding not to press forcible touching charges against Weinstein in 2015 , when a 22-year-old Italian model accused the producer of groping her at the Tribeca Film Center .
Vance was under immense political pressure to indict Weinstein when he finally did so in 2018 .
“ This is a new day , ” Vance said after the verdict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the survivor reports within an hour , within a year or perhaps never .
It ’ s rape despite the complicated dynamics of power and consent after an assault .
It ’ s rape even if there is no physical evidence.
” Weinstein ’ s Manhattan trial was rife with complexities that might have prompted a blanket acquittal .
The two women whose accounts led to his New York charges — Jessica Mann and Mimi Haley — both engaged in consensual sex with the Miramax co-founder after he allegedly assaulted them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the women were using Weinstein to leverage professional gains .
Prosecutors pushed back against the idea that staying in touch with an alleged abuser means that the abuse didn ’ t happen .
They called to the stand forensic psychiatrist Barbara Ziv , who debunked myths around how a rape victim might behave after an assault .
Based on their decision , jurors seemed to take those sentiments to heart , even though they chose to acquit Weinstein of the two more serious counts of predatory sexual assault .
Due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , prosecutors usually don ’ t pursue rape cases unless there is clear evidence of physical force , said Wendy Murphy , professor of sexual violence law at New England Law in Boston and a former sex crimes prosecutor .
“ It ’ s hard to assess whether someone used the kind of force sufficient to overcome another person ’ s will , ” Murphy said .
So sexual misconduct that takes place in professional settings , where abusers are more likely to wield their figurative power against victims rather than actual weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the counts Weinstein was found guilty of — rape in the third degree — requires a lack of consent , but not use of force .
The conviction signals that jurors understood that Weinstein ’ s methods of coercion still rose to the standards of rape .
“ Women will compare their own circumstances to the narrative they ’ ve read about Weinstein , and they will be more willing to call the police , ” Murphy said .
Advocates contend that the Weinstein verdict goes a step beyond the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s rape trial .
In that case , Katz said , it was easier for jurors to sift through the issues of consent presented by the defense because Cosby drugged his victims before assaulting them .
“ What Weinstein did was a more difficult thing for jurors to wrap their head around , and yet the jury still understood it was rape , ” Katz said .
“ It ’ s a product of the education that has taken place as a result of the # MeToo movement.
” Colby Bruno , senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center , said she hopes that through the Weinstein trial , prosecutors will see that rape cases have a better chance of succeeding when a jury hears from more than one accuser .
Though the Weinstein charges were based on the accusations of Haley and Mann , six women in all testified in the movie mogul ’ s trial .
“ I want to see police and prosecutors look harder for other victims , ” Bruno said .
“ There ’ s strength in numbers.
” The Silence Breakers , a group that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 women who have publicly accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct , sought to embody that strength as they stood side-by-side outside L.A. City Hall on Tuesday .
“ This was never about Harvey .
This was about what we as a society will tolerate , ” actress and trauma specialist Louise Godbold told reporters .
“ And the message is clear : Your power and money will not protect you .
”

On the morning after Harvey Weinstein’s conviction in Manhattan, actress Rosanna Arquette stands with 11 other women who have accused the producer of sexual assault at a press conference at Los Angeles City Hall.
The morning after Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape, a dozen women who have accused the fallen movie mogul of sexual misconduct stood on the steps of L.A. City Hall and spoke of the dawn of a new era.
Actress Caitlin Dulany told reporters that on Monday, in the first few hours after Weinstein was handcuffed and taken into custody, she saw a little girl running around in the grocery store.
“You will have a different world because of what happened today,” Dulany said she imagined telling the girl. “It will not be the same. It will never be the same.”
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Dulany’s hopefulness in the aftermath of the historic verdict is more than justified, according to legal experts and advocates for survivors of sexual assault.
Though the Weinstein conviction is no panacea for the pervasiveness of sexual abuse in society, they say, it expands the possibilities for which sex crimes can be successfully tried in a court of law. And it could embolden prosecutors to take on complex rape cases that they would have previously been reluctant to file.
“I think this verdict will encourage prosecutors to rethink the idea that sex crime cases are too difficult to prosecute,” said Debra Katz, a civil rights and employment lawyer who has represented several women who have spoken out about Weinstein. “This shows that juries have an ability to discern complicated facts, and they reached this result even though there was a lot of smoke and mirrors from the defense team.”
Prosecutors wield an enormous amount of influence over which cases make it to a courtroom. And district attorney offices across the U.S. take on relatively few sexual assault cases because most are seen as unwinnable.
Out of every 1,000 allegations of rape, 13 cases will get referred to a prosecutor and seven will lead to a felony conviction, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
“Rape cases are difficult because as a society, we hold misconceptions about what rape looks like, what rape trauma looks like, and how someone is supposed to act after being raped,” said Kristen Gibbons Feden, who successfully prosecuted Bill Cosby as an assistant district attorney in Pennsylvania. “Those misconceptions sometimes guide the rules and laws being made and how the verdicts are rendered by a judge or jury.”
Advertisement
Manhattan Dist. Atty. Cyrus R. Vance Jr. was criticized for deciding not to press forcible touching charges against Weinstein in 2015, when a 22-year-old Italian model accused the producer of groping her at the Tribeca Film Center. Vance was under immense political pressure to indict Weinstein when he finally did so in 2018.
“This is a new day,” Vance said after the verdict was announced. “Rape is rape whether the survivor reports within an hour, within a year or perhaps never. It’s rape despite the complicated dynamics of power and consent after an assault. It’s rape even if there is no physical evidence.”
Weinstein’s Manhattan trial was rife with complexities that might have prompted a blanket acquittal. The two women whose accounts led to his New York charges — Jessica Mann and Mimi Haley — both engaged in consensual sex with the Miramax co-founder after he allegedly assaulted them. Weinstein’s defense team also argued that the women were using Weinstein to leverage professional gains.
Prosecutors pushed back against the idea that staying in touch with an alleged abuser means that the abuse didn’t happen. They called to the stand forensic psychiatrist Barbara Ziv, who debunked myths around how a rape victim might behave after an assault.
Based on their decision, jurors seemed to take those sentiments to heart, even though they chose to acquit Weinstein of the two more serious counts of predatory sexual assault.
Due to the public’s still-evolving understanding of consent, prosecutors usually don’t pursue rape cases unless there is clear evidence of physical force, said Wendy Murphy, professor of sexual violence law at New England Law in Boston and a former sex crimes prosecutor.
“It’s hard to assess whether someone used the kind of force sufficient to overcome another person’s will,” Murphy said.
So sexual misconduct that takes place in professional settings, where abusers are more likely to wield their figurative power against victims rather than actual weapons, is customarily handled through civil litigation.
One of the counts Weinstein was found guilty of — rape in the third degree — requires a lack of consent, but not use of force. The conviction signals that jurors understood that Weinstein’s methods of coercion still rose to the standards of rape.
“Women will compare their own circumstances to the narrative they’ve read about Weinstein, and they will be more willing to call the police,” Murphy said.
Advocates contend that the Weinstein verdict goes a step beyond the cultural progress marked by Bill Cosby’s rape trial. In that case, Katz said, it was easier for jurors to sift through the issues of consent presented by the defense because Cosby drugged his victims before assaulting them.
“What Weinstein did was a more difficult thing for jurors to wrap their head around, and yet the jury still understood it was rape,” Katz said. “It’s a product of the education that has taken place as a result of the #MeToo movement.”
Colby Bruno, senior legal counsel at the Victim Rights Law Center, said she hopes that through the Weinstein trial, prosecutors will see that rape cases have a better chance of succeeding when a jury hears from more than one accuser. Though the Weinstein charges were based on the accusations of Haley and Mann, six women in all testified in the movie mogul’s trial.
“I want to see police and prosecutors look harder for other victims,” Bruno said. “There’s strength in numbers.”
The Silence Breakers, a group that represents a fraction of the more than 90 women who have publicly accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, sought to embody that strength as they stood side-by-side outside L.A. City Hall on Tuesday.
“This was never about Harvey. This was about what we as a society will tolerate,” actress and trauma specialist Louise Godbold told reporters. “And the message is clear: Your power and money will not protect you.”


latimes--2020-02-28--High school cancels active-shooter drill with sound of gunfire after receiving a complaint

San Marino High School was ready for its active-shooter drill Friday morning .
City police officers planned to fire blank cartridges over 11 minutes to familiarize students with the sound of gunfire .
Staff would teach students about a protection strategy called “ run , hide , fight ” in the event of a shooting emergency .
But the American Civil Liberties Union intervened and asked Principal Issaic Gates to stop the drill , concerned that it could be too traumatic for teenagers .
On Thursday , the San Marino school district canceled it .
“ We of course were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but certainly one where they were going to be shooting guns , ” said Sylvia Torres-Guillén , director of education equity for the ACLU of California .
“ Our objective is to ensure that youth are in schools that are sanctuaries of learning and not places where they ’ re inflicted with trauma.
” Schools across California and the nation are increasingly practicing active-shooter drills in the face of gun violence on campus .
At least 16 states , including California , now require or encourage schools to carry out active-shooter drills , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of schools nationwide conducted a drill in the 2014-15 school year , according to the National Center for Education Statistics .
But there is growing backlash among mental health professionals , some school safety experts and others about the graphic nature of live drills , which sometimes include fake gunfire and simulations of violent attacks that use teachers and students as actors .
Such events can provoke unnecessary anxiety and cause mental health harm without providing clear safety benefits , they say .
In a recent report by the gun control advocacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the nation ’ s two largest teachers unions , the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Assn.
, the organizations voiced opposition to such drills because of their anxiety-producing effect on some children and staff .
Melissa Reeves , former president of the National Assn .
of School Psychologists , said in the report that “ what these drills can really do is potentially trigger either past trauma or trigger such a significant physiological reaction that it actually ends up scaring the individuals instead of better preparing them to respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , San Marino High , a 1,050-student campus in one of the county ’ s most affluent neighborhoods , conducted a simulation drill that involved a police presence , mock shooter and students trapped in a stairwell .
After the drill Alex Cherniss , who was the school district ’ s superintendent at the time , said in a recorded television interview : “ This is not something we want to do .
It is something we have to do.
” Gates , the San Marino High principal , said Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to cancel Friday ’ s drill .
He acknowledged that the thinking on drills had evolved in recent years — and district staff had already been discussing alternative formats and ways to engage the broader community .
“ The design of the drill , while we thought it was safe , if we receive new information , we ’ re going to implement it , ” he said .
The gunfire portion of the drill was to have included three officers stationed at two on-campus parking lots firing about 15 rounds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 minutes , said San Marino Police Sgt .
Tim Tebbetts .
“ It ’ s really to acclimate people to what gunfire would sound like in a safe environment .
...
It ’ s so they don ’ t panic , ” Tebbetts said .
The drill would also have included a PowerPoint presentation and teacher-led discussion with students about how they might run , hide or fight , and a schoolwide assembly with the local police and fire departments , superintendent and counselors .
Gates said students were notified in advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drill .
He said he had been informing the school community about the planned drill since the beginning of the school year , through informal conversations , PTSA meetings , assemblies , weekly communications with parents , and other efforts .
He said the drill was not a simulation , like the one two years ago , but an exercise to increase their “ situational awareness.
” “ The idea is to prepare , not scare , kids , ” he said .
Gates said he had heard some concerns from parents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cancellation of the drill was from the ACLU .
While he recognized that the drill could cause anxiety and trauma , he defended it as a necessity .
“ Unfortunately I have to recognize that this is the new normal , ” he said .
“ How do we best prepare our kids for this ?
” Amber Nuuvali , chief communications officer for the San Marino Unified School District , said that the district will focus now on planning a communitywide event on preparing for an active shooter , and on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ STOP School Violence Program .

San Marino High School was ready for its active-shooter drill Friday morning. City police officers planned to fire blank cartridges over 11 minutes to familiarize students with the sound of gunfire. Staff would teach students about a protection strategy called “run, hide, fight” in the event of a shooting emergency.
But the American Civil Liberties Union intervened and asked Principal Issaic Gates to stop the drill, concerned that it could be too traumatic for teenagers. On Thursday, the San Marino school district canceled it.
“We of course were deeply concerned with any active-shooter drill, but certainly one where they were going to be shooting guns,” said Sylvia Torres-Guillén, director of education equity for the ACLU of California. “Our objective is to ensure that youth are in schools that are sanctuaries of learning and not places where they’re inflicted with trauma.”
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Schools across California and the nation are increasingly practicing active-shooter drills in the face of gun violence on campus. At least 16 states, including California, now require or encourage schools to carry out active-shooter drills, according to one analysis, and 95% of schools nationwide conducted a drill in the 2014-15 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
But there is growing backlash among mental health professionals, some school safety experts and others about the graphic nature of live drills, which sometimes include fake gunfire and simulations of violent attacks that use teachers and students as actors. Such events can provoke unnecessary anxiety and cause mental health harm without providing clear safety benefits, they say.
In a recent report by the gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and the nation’s two largest teachers unions, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Assn., the organizations voiced opposition to such drills because of their anxiety-producing effect on some children and staff.
Melissa Reeves, former president of the National Assn. of School Psychologists, said in the report that “what these drills can really do is potentially trigger either past trauma or trigger such a significant physiological reaction that it actually ends up scaring the individuals instead of better preparing them to respond in these kinds of situations.”
Two years ago, San Marino High, a 1,050-student campus in one of the county’s most affluent neighborhoods, conducted a simulation drill that involved a police presence, mock shooter and students trapped in a stairwell. After the drill Alex Cherniss, who was the school district’s superintendent at the time, said in a recorded television interview: “This is not something we want to do. It is something we have to do.”
Gates, the San Marino High principal, said Thursday that the ACLU complaint contributed to his decision to cancel Friday’s drill. He acknowledged that the thinking on drills had evolved in recent years — and district staff had already been discussing alternative formats and ways to engage the broader community.
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“The design of the drill, while we thought it was safe, if we receive new information, we’re going to implement it,” he said.
The gunfire portion of the drill was to have included three officers stationed at two on-campus parking lots firing about 15 rounds of blank cartridges into the ground for about 11 minutes, said San Marino Police Sgt. Tim Tebbetts.
“It’s really to acclimate people to what gunfire would sound like in a safe environment. ... It’s so they don’t panic,” Tebbetts said.
The drill would also have included a PowerPoint presentation and teacher-led discussion with students about how they might run, hide or fight, and a schoolwide assembly with the local police and fire departments, superintendent and counselors.
Gates said students were notified in advance that they would hear gunfire during the drill. He said he had been informing the school community about the planned drill since the beginning of the school year, through informal conversations, PTSA meetings, assemblies, weekly communications with parents, and other efforts. He said the drill was not a simulation, like the one two years ago, but an exercise to increase their “situational awareness.”
“The idea is to prepare, not scare, kids,” he said.
Gates said he had heard some concerns from parents, but the only complaint he received requesting a cancellation of the drill was from the ACLU. While he recognized that the drill could cause anxiety and trauma, he defended it as a necessity.
“Unfortunately I have to recognize that this is the new normal,” he said. “How do we best prepare our kids for this?”
Amber Nuuvali, chief communications officer for the San Marino Unified School District, said that the district will focus now on planning a communitywide event on preparing for an active shooter, and on applying for a federal grant under the STOP School Violence Program.


latimes--2020-02-28--In South L.A., a veteran Democrat finds himself facing candidates on his left

Over a political career spanning three decades , Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has forged a reputation as a loyal Democrat , an ally of organized labor and a longtime champion of police reform .
Now , as he seeks to rejoin the Los Angeles City Council for a single term , the veteran politician is facing opponents who are , in many ways , running to his left — sometimes considerably so .
One of the candidates in the race , community activist Channing Martinez , is calling for a 50 % reduction in the Los Angeles Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go toward affordable housing and other services .
Martinez and another contender , former city Commissioner Aura Vasquez , say they would push Metro to make bus and train trips completely free , boosting ridership and cutting emissions .
Vasquez , Martinez and two other candidates want the city to impose a 2,500-foot buffer between oil drilling sites and homes .
Ridley-Thomas ’ opposition to that idea shows the district needs “ someone with a fresh perspective , ” said Grace Yoo , a lawyer waging her second bid for the seat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the status quo is usually conservative , ” she said .
Ridley-Thomas , 65 , bristles at the idea that he is in any way conservative , pointing to his voting record , policy initiatives and endorsements .
Many of the positions taken by his rivals are unrealistic , he said , and show that they don ’ t understand how government works .
“ Having been at five different debates … I am abundantly clear about their lack of knowledge , just basic working knowledge , of how the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who faces term limits this year .
Ridley-Thomas warned that a citywide buffer around oil wells could be financially reckless , exposing taxpayers to expensive legal payouts .
He argued that the LAPD needs the staffing it has , in part to continue providing community policing .
And he said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority can not afford to eliminate bus and train fares entirely — and should instead look at making rides free for students .
Ridley-Thomas and rivals are seeking to succeed Councilman Herb Wesson , a veteran politician who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now running for Ridley-Thomas ’ seat , has spent nearly 15 years representing the 10th District , which stretches from Koreatown to Crenshaw Boulevard and takes in such neighborhoods as West Adams and Mid-City .
By many measures , Ridley-Thomas is the front-runner , far outpacing his rivals in fundraising and institutional support .
He ’ s backed by the county Democratic Party and an array of elected officials , including U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
A resident of Leimert Park , he was elected to the City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were captured on video beating motorist Rodney King .
In office , he fought for more rigorous oversight of the LAPD and pushed for the departure of then-Police Chief Daryl Gates .
After a stint in the state Legislature , Ridley-Thomas joined the Board of Supervisors , working to reopen Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook , which had been shut down following years of mismanagement , and bring light rail to Crenshaw Boulevard and LAX .
He also championed initiatives to fight homelessness , including Measure H , which pays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other services .
Under the city ’ s term limit law , Ridley-Thomas is eligible for only one more four-year term — which has fueled speculation that he will run for mayor in 2022 .
While Ridley-Thomas has campaigned on his endorsements from high-profile Democrats , Vasquez is emphasizing her support from left-leaning activists , including the environmental group Sunrise Movement Los Angeles and Our Revolution L.A. Vasquez , 41 , is running as an environmental activist , saying the city needs to move to 100 % renewable energy .
A former commissioner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she pushed for the city to phase out three gas-fired power plants .
On the campaign trail , she has promised to seek a big hike in L.A. 's hourly minimum wage , taking it to $ 20 by 2025 .
Vasquez , an immigrant from Colombia , said she understands the struggles of district residents , including those who are undocumented .
“ What ’ s really being a progressive today , if it ’ s not standing for the underdog and people that work hard ?
” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was 3 years old when Ridley-Thomas first took office .
Since 2014 , he has been a paid staffer with the Bus Riders Union , which has fought for better bus service and against fare hikes .
As a community organizer , Martinez is pushing for the removal of police patrols from Metro buses and train stations , a move aimed at ending harassment of black passengers .
As a candidate , the 32-year-old has defended his proposal to slash LAPD staffing , saying other reforms — body cameras , oversight panels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black Angelenos .
“ The only way to make them accountable is to cut their budget , ” he said .
Martinez , 32 , said that , if elected , he also would work to ensure that 50 % of all new housing is set aside as affordable for low-income households .
Yoo , 48 , is a lawyer who spent much of her career in the nonprofit arena .
For nearly a decade , she was in charge of the L.A. office of the Korean American Coalition , a group dedicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yoo came to the U.S. from South Korea when she was 3 and did not speak English when she entered kindergarten .
In recent years , she made the transition from nonprofit executive to City Hall activist , waging lawsuits over the plans for chopping down shade trees , redrawing council districts and construction of a 27-story apartment tower in Koreatown .
Yoo failed in her effort to overturn the council district boundaries .
But city officials backed down on their plan to cut down a stretch of street trees in Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the Koreatown tower , with a judge striking down city approval of the project .
“ I stand up and will fight for the regular citizen who needs a little help , ” she said .
“ Because most people don ’ t have the time , bandwidth or expertise to make it happen.
” Yoo , Vasquez and Martinez have called for a rent freeze on market-rate apartments , though they have differed on the details .
Ridley-Thomas , in turn , has spoken in favor of resurrecting redevelopment agencies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production of affordable housing .
Vasquez and Yoo also favor an increase in the size of the City Council , saying such a move would make the city more responsive .
Ridley-Thomas opposes the idea , saying that would wind up “ bloating ” the city bureaucracy .
“ The people do not wish to have government expanded , ” he said .
Rivals of Ridley-Thomas have hit him over his donations from real estate developers and fossil-fuel interests .
He , in turn , said his opponents have shown they don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the county and joint agencies such as Metro .
Vasquez , for example , has sought to link Ridley-Thomas to the problems surrounding Proposition HHH , a bond measure to build homeless housing .
County supervisors have no responsibility for HHH , which was a city ballot initiative .
At one campaign event , the candidates were asked how they would stay in touch with residents .
Martinez responded by promising to spend 90 % of his time in the community and 10 % at City Hall .
“ I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 10 hours in City Hall going through papers , ” he said .
“ If you ’ re not there , ” Ridley-Thomas shot back , “ somebody else will eat your lunch and drink your milk.
” Also on the ballot is Melvin Snell , an activist who has spent $ 19.57 on his campaign , according to city reports .

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas is one of five candidates seeking to succeed City Councilman Herb Wesson in Tuesday’s election.
Over a political career spanning three decades, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has forged a reputation as a loyal Democrat, an ally of organized labor and a longtime champion of police reform.
Now, as he seeks to rejoin the Los Angeles City Council for a single term, the veteran politician is facing opponents who are, in many ways, running to his left — sometimes considerably so.
One of the candidates in the race, community activist Channing Martinez, is calling for a 50% reduction in the Los Angeles Police Department budget, saying the savings should go toward affordable housing and other services. Martinez and another contender, former city Commissioner Aura Vasquez, say they would push Metro to make bus and train trips completely free, boosting ridership and cutting emissions.
Vasquez, Martinez and two other candidates want the city to impose a 2,500-foot buffer between oil drilling sites and homes. Ridley-Thomas’ opposition to that idea shows the district needs “someone with a fresh perspective,” said Grace Yoo, a lawyer waging her second bid for the seat.
“He’s the status quo, and the status quo is usually conservative,” she said.
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Ridley-Thomas, 65, bristles at the idea that he is in any way conservative, pointing to his voting record, policy initiatives and endorsements. Many of the positions taken by his rivals are unrealistic, he said, and show that they don’t understand how government works.
“Having been at five different debates … I am abundantly clear about their lack of knowledge, just basic working knowledge, of how the city functions,” said the county supervisor, who faces term limits this year.
Ridley-Thomas warned that a citywide buffer around oil wells could be financially reckless, exposing taxpayers to expensive legal payouts. He argued that the LAPD needs the staffing it has, in part to continue providing community policing. And he said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority cannot afford to eliminate bus and train fares entirely — and should instead look at making rides free for students.
Los Angeles City Council candidate Channing Martinez says he wants to cut the LAPD budget in half, moving the savings into affordable housing and other services. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Money and endorsements
Ridley-Thomas and rivals are seeking to succeed Councilman Herb Wesson, a veteran politician who has also reached term limits. Wesson, now running for Ridley-Thomas’ seat, has spent nearly 15 years representing the 10th District, which stretches from Koreatown to Crenshaw Boulevard and takes in such neighborhoods as West Adams and Mid-City.
By many measures, Ridley-Thomas is the front-runner, far outpacing his rivals in fundraising and institutional support. He’s backed by the county Democratic Party and an array of elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
A resident of Leimert Park, he was elected to the City Council in 1991, months after police were captured on video beating motorist Rodney King. In office, he fought for more rigorous oversight of the LAPD and pushed for the departure of then-Police Chief Daryl Gates.
After a stint in the state Legislature, Ridley-Thomas joined the Board of Supervisors, working to reopen Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook, which had been shut down following years of mismanagement, and bring light rail to Crenshaw Boulevard and LAX. He also championed initiatives to fight homelessness, including Measure H, which pays for rent subsidies, shelter beds and other services.
Under the city’s term limit law, Ridley-Thomas is eligible for only one more four-year term — which has fueled speculation that he will run for mayor in 2022.
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While Ridley-Thomas has campaigned on his endorsements from high-profile Democrats, Vasquez is emphasizing her support from left-leaning activists, including the environmental group Sunrise Movement Los Angeles and Our Revolution L.A.
‘Standing for the underdog’
Vasquez, 41, is running as an environmental activist, saying the city needs to move to 100% renewable energy. A former commissioner at the Department of Water and Power, she pushed for the city to phase out three gas-fired power plants. On the campaign trail, she has promised to seek a big hike in L.A.’s hourly minimum wage, taking it to $20 by 2025.
Former DWP Commissioner Aura Vasquez, now running for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council, says she’s “standing for the underdog.” (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Vasquez, an immigrant from Colombia, said she understands the struggles of district residents, including those who are undocumented.
“What’s really being a progressive today, if it’s not standing for the underdog and people that work hard?” she said.
Martinez, who lives in Leimert Park, was 3 years old when Ridley-Thomas first took office. Since 2014, he has been a paid staffer with the Bus Riders Union, which has fought for better bus service and against fare hikes.
As a community organizer, Martinez is pushing for the removal of police patrols from Metro buses and train stations, a move aimed at ending harassment of black passengers. As a candidate, the 32-year-old has defended his proposal to slash LAPD staffing, saying other reforms — body cameras, oversight panels — have not kept police from killing black Angelenos.
“The only way to make them accountable is to cut their budget,” he said.
Martinez, 32, said that, if elected, he also would work to ensure that 50% of all new housing is set aside as affordable for low-income households.
Fighting City Hall
Yoo, 48, is a lawyer who spent much of her career in the nonprofit arena. For nearly a decade, she was in charge of the L.A. office of the Korean American Coalition, a group dedicated to increasing civic engagement among Korean Americans.
Yoo came to the U.S. from South Korea when she was 3 and did not speak English when she entered kindergarten. In recent years, she made the transition from nonprofit executive to City Hall activist, waging lawsuits over the plans for chopping down shade trees, redrawing council districts and construction of a 27-story apartment tower in Koreatown.
Los Angeles City Council candidate Grace Yoo greets members of the audience after a candidate forum in January. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Yoo failed in her effort to overturn the council district boundaries. But city officials backed down on their plan to cut down a stretch of street trees in Hollywood. And she prevailed in her fight against the Koreatown tower, with a judge striking down city approval of the project.
“I stand up and will fight for the regular citizen who needs a little help,” she said. “Because most people don’t have the time, bandwidth or expertise to make it happen.”
Yoo, Vasquez and Martinez have called for a rent freeze on market-rate apartments, though they have differed on the details. Ridley-Thomas, in turn, has spoken in favor of resurrecting redevelopment agencies, saying such a move would increase the production of affordable housing.
Vasquez and Yoo also favor an increase in the size of the City Council, saying such a move would make the city more responsive. Ridley-Thomas opposes the idea, saying that would wind up “bloating” the city bureaucracy.
“The people do not wish to have government expanded,” he said.
Rivals of Ridley-Thomas have hit him over his donations from real estate developers and fossil-fuel interests. He, in turn, said his opponents have shown they don’t know the difference between the city, the county and joint agencies such as Metro.
Vasquez, for example, has sought to link Ridley-Thomas to the problems surrounding Proposition HHH, a bond measure to build homeless housing. County supervisors have no responsibility for HHH, which was a city ballot initiative.
At one campaign event, the candidates were asked how they would stay in touch with residents. Martinez responded by promising to spend 90% of his time in the community and 10% at City Hall. “I don’t want to spend five, eight, 10 hours in City Hall going through papers,” he said.
“If you’re not there,” Ridley-Thomas shot back, “somebody else will eat your lunch and drink your milk.”
Also on the ballot is Melvin Snell, an activist who has spent $19.57 on his campaign, according to city reports.


latimes--2020-02-28--A flood of proposed changes to California's AB 5 awaits state lawmakers

Critics of California ’ s new law limiting the use of independent contractors don ’ t just want legislators to take a second look at a handful of fiercely debated provisions .
They want a series of potential do-overs — some to make small revisions to the law and others that would go as far as repeal it .
Those efforts , many of which began long before Assembly Bill 5 was signed last year by Gov .
Gavin Newsom , signal a second consecutive year of sharp focus on labor law in Sacramento .
Public interest is especially high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies prepare to ask voters to rewrite AB 5 to give special treatment to their industry .
In all , 34 separate pieces of legislation related to AB 5 were introduced in the Legislature in the last seven weeks .
Most of the bills would expand the list of occupations not required to be considered an employee of a business and exempt from mandatory payroll taxes and workplace benefits .
Two of the bills would exempt pharmacists from AB 5 .
Other proposals would amend the law to make clear that marriage therapists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be considered employees under the law .
“ Some are professionally organized , some are genuine , ” Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez ( D-San Diego ) , the author of AB 5 , said about efforts to retool the law ’ s provisions .
“ If there are situations that need to be addressed , I want to understand them .
I take this seriously.
” Designed to clarify the effects of a 2018 California Supreme Court ruling , the law went into effect last month .
Some business owners are already complying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least a half-dozen legal challenges to AB 5 have been filed , and most are pending .
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction last month to ensure the law would not apply to some truckers .
More recently , a state judge sided with the San Diego city attorney in agreeing that Instacart , a company that offers grocery delivery , is likely misclassifying some workers as independent contractors .
Gonzalez , whose unrelenting defense of the law has made her a cause célèbre on both sides of the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to revise AB 5 .
The proposal would remove the law ’ s limit on the number of projects that a freelance writer or photographer could accept in a calendar year , instead tying the person ’ s status as a non-employee to whether a contract sets the amount and time of payment .
The proposal , Assembly Bill 1850 , also requires that contractors be allowed to work for multiple companies and bans them from working on-site for any business .
“ Labor law is complicated , ” Gonzalez said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s an easy solution.
” A sizable amount of the debate over AB 5 has focused on whether the law is protecting worker rights or limiting their freedom .
Supporters , led by organized labor and advocates for low-income Californians , argue that the state Supreme Court ruling highlighted the growing problem of worker misclassification .
They contend too many low-wage workers must fend for themselves in obtaining health and safety benefits that should be provided by an employer .
Opponents have insisted the new law is overly restrictive in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Independent contractors are being hurt by this anti-worker law and some have lost their ability to earn a living , ” Senate GOP Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) said in a statement .
Grove has introduced a bill to repeal AB 5 and replace it with a looser standard .
Rethinking the broader outlines of AB 5 is the focus , too , of one of the only bills on the subject introduced by a Democrat .
Senate Bill 1039 by state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani ( D-Stockton ) proposes a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to employee and independent contractor .
“ There are individuals who don ’ t fit neatly into a category , ” Galgiani said .
“ How do we accommodate those kinds of workers and give them both protections and flexibility ?
There should be a way to accomplish both.
” But the politics of making major revisions to the law are likely to be complicated .
On Thursday , one vocal Republican critic insisted AB 5 should be suspended until further notice .
Assemblyman Kevin Kiley ( R-Rocklin ) , the author of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use a parliamentary procedure to force an early vote on his proposal .
“ This is a motion on behalf of countless Californians , ” he said in brief remarks on the Assembly floor .
The effort was quickly blocked by Democrats , though not before Kiley and a handful of GOP legislators argued with Democratic leaders — unsuccessfully — over the house ’ s rules .
Gonzalez said she believes that most of the bills introduced in the Legislature are “ designed for political purposes to prove a point on issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” She said her effort to loosen the independent contractor limits on freelance writers could be followed by additional changes for musicians and others .
A key source of debate is whether both the state Supreme Court ruling and the resulting AB 5 were an overdue remedy to lax enforcement of California labor law .
Gonzalez said she is frustrated with the lack of information provided by Newsom ’ s top labor officials on how AB 5 will be interpreted and how many complaints about unpaid wages and benefits will be investigated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuels critics of the law who say it is hurting various sectors of the state ’ s economy .
“ I don ’ t know what they ’ re doing , ” Gonzalez said of state labor officials .
“ And it ’ s hard to alleviate people ’ s concerns.
” Actions to change AB 5 aren ’ t confined to lawmakers or regulators .
Three app-based companies — Uber , Lyft and DoorDash — have been gathering voter signatures to rewrite the law with a statewide ballot measure in November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer after legislators refused to specifically exclude the companies ’ drivers from being classified as employees .
Their proposed ballot measure would allow drivers to remain as independent contractors while also offering them new job-related benefits .
Labor unions have insisted those benefits are too meager and have vowed to fight the measure should it qualify for the ballot .
Lawmakers from both major parties have acknowledged that the 2018 court ruling would have changed the state ’ s labor law even if AB 5 had not been enacted .
Many also say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absent legislation , it would have failed to take into account some of the unique aspects of the California economy .
Gonzalez said the intent has never been to end the use of independent contractors .
“ It ’ s the most significant labor reform law we ’ ve had in decades , ” she said .
“ It is big .
And there are a lot of different situations .
”

Dozens of supporters of Assembly Bill 5 rally at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 28, 2019. Thirty-four pieces of legislation have been introduced this year to modify one or more provisions of AB 5, which became law in January.
Critics of California’s new law limiting the use of independent contractors don’t just want legislators to take a second look at a handful of fiercely debated provisions. They want a series of potential do-overs — some to make small revisions to the law and others that would go as far as repeal it.
Those efforts, many of which began long before Assembly Bill 5 was signed last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom, signal a second consecutive year of sharp focus on labor law in Sacramento. Public interest is especially high this time, as some app-based technology companies prepare to ask voters to rewrite AB 5 to give special treatment to their industry.
In all, 34 separate pieces of legislation related to AB 5 were introduced in the Legislature in the last seven weeks. Most of the bills would expand the list of occupations not required to be considered an employee of a business and exempt from mandatory payroll taxes and workplace benefits.
Two of the bills would exempt pharmacists from AB 5. Other proposals would amend the law to make clear that marriage therapists, youth sports referees and loggers should not be considered employees under the law.
“Some are professionally organized, some are genuine,” Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), the author of AB 5, said about efforts to retool the law’s provisions. “If there are situations that need to be addressed, I want to understand them. I take this seriously.”
Designed to clarify the effects of a 2018 California Supreme Court ruling, the law went into effect last month. Some business owners are already complying with its provisions. Others are resisting. At least a half-dozen legal challenges to AB 5 have been filed, and most are pending.
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction last month to ensure the law would not apply to some truckers. More recently, a state judge sided with the San Diego city attorney in agreeing that Instacart, a company that offers grocery delivery, is likely misclassifying some workers as independent contractors.
Advertisement
Gonzalez, whose unrelenting defense of the law has made her a cause célèbre on both sides of the debate, introduced her own effort on Thursday to revise AB 5. The proposal would remove the law’s limit on the number of projects that a freelance writer or photographer could accept in a calendar year, instead tying the person’s status as a non-employee to whether a contract sets the amount and time of payment. The proposal, Assembly Bill 1850, also requires that contractors be allowed to work for multiple companies and bans them from working on-site for any business.
“Labor law is complicated,” Gonzalez said. “I’m not trying to pretend there’s an easy solution.”
A sizable amount of the debate over AB 5 has focused on whether the law is protecting worker rights or limiting their freedom. Supporters, led by organized labor and advocates for low-income Californians, argue that the state Supreme Court ruling highlighted the growing problem of worker misclassification. They contend too many low-wage workers must fend for themselves in obtaining health and safety benefits that should be provided by an employer.
Opponents have insisted the new law is overly restrictive in a world of occasional, self-directed work.
“Independent contractors are being hurt by this anti-worker law and some have lost their ability to earn a living,” Senate GOP Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) said in a statement. Grove has introduced a bill to repeal AB 5 and replace it with a looser standard.
Rethinking the broader outlines of AB 5 is the focus, too, of one of the only bills on the subject introduced by a Democrat. Senate Bill 1039 by state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) proposes a “third classification of workers” in addition to employee and independent contractor.
“There are individuals who don’t fit neatly into a category,” Galgiani said. “How do we accommodate those kinds of workers and give them both protections and flexibility? There should be a way to accomplish both.”
But the politics of making major revisions to the law are likely to be complicated. On Thursday, one vocal Republican critic insisted AB 5 should be suspended until further notice. Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin), the author of a bill to do that, attempted to use a parliamentary procedure to force an early vote on his proposal.
“This is a motion on behalf of countless Californians,” he said in brief remarks on the Assembly floor. The effort was quickly blocked by Democrats, though not before Kiley and a handful of GOP legislators argued with Democratic leaders — unsuccessfully — over the house’s rules.
Advertisement
Gonzalez said she believes that most of the bills introduced in the Legislature are “designed for political purposes to prove a point on issues [lawmakers] know very little about.” She said her effort to loosen the independent contractor limits on freelance writers could be followed by additional changes for musicians and others.
A key source of debate is whether both the state Supreme Court ruling and the resulting AB 5 were an overdue remedy to lax enforcement of California labor law. Gonzalez said she is frustrated with the lack of information provided by Newsom’s top labor officials on how AB 5 will be interpreted and how many complaints about unpaid wages and benefits will be investigated.
The silence, she said, only fuels critics of the law who say it is hurting various sectors of the state’s economy.
“I don’t know what they’re doing,” Gonzalez said of state labor officials. “And it’s hard to alleviate people’s concerns.”
Actions to change AB 5 aren’t confined to lawmakers or regulators. Three app-based companies — Uber, Lyft and DoorDash — have been gathering voter signatures to rewrite the law with a statewide ballot measure in November. Their $100-million campaign was launched last summer after legislators refused to specifically exclude the companies’ drivers from being classified as employees. Their proposed ballot measure would allow drivers to remain as independent contractors while also offering them new job-related benefits. Labor unions have insisted those benefits are too meager and have vowed to fight the measure should it qualify for the ballot.
Lawmakers from both major parties have acknowledged that the 2018 court ruling would have changed the state’s labor law even if AB 5 had not been enacted. Many also say the ruling was so broad that, absent legislation, it would have failed to take into account some of the unique aspects of the California economy. Gonzalez said the intent has never been to end the use of independent contractors.
“It’s the most significant labor reform law we’ve had in decades,” she said. “It is big. And there are a lot of different situations.”


latimes--2020-02-28--In red California, Democrats struggle to win young voters amid a 'sea of gray hairs'

There wasn ’ t a lot of youth to be found at an event called “ Turning Out the Youth Vote ” this month at Sierra College .
Senior citizens outnumbered students 3 to 1 .
One gray-haired woman said she had tried , and failed , to post something about the event on , “ believe it or not , Instagram.
” The decidedly blue-leaning room roared with annoyance when Dallas Thrift , a pro-Trump 18-year-old in a Space Force hat , yelled , “ How many illegal immigrants do you think voted in the last election ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sandwiches , which the vaunted youths raided before ducking out .
In the hallway , several young women stopped a 19-year-old art student clutching a cold cut .
“ Where ’ d you get that sandwich ?
!
” one asked .
“ Oh , there ’ s a youth voter thing going on in there , ” he said .
Welcome to young voter outreach in conservative Placer County .
In the weeks leading up to what could be California ’ s most important primary election in decades , volunteers with Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like this , hoping to beat the odds and woo desperately needed young voters in a place that has voted for a GOP presidential candidate in every election since 1980 .
“ We can turn this county blue if we focus on young people , ” said Rosemary Dukelow , voter outreach coordinator for the Placer County Democratic Party .
The party “ basically ignored them over the years .
If you look at our Democratic clubs , it ’ s a sea of gray hairs.
” Even in America ’ s largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as political petri dishes for the kind of suburban and rural places in battleground states where Democrats need to squeeze out as many votes , including young ones , as they can .
A land of transplants from everywhere in the U.S. , California has no shortage of places that could be surrogates for parts of Wisconsin , Ohio , Pennsylvania and other states that could help decide who wins the White House .
And if you can ’ t energize enough young people here , you ’ ll probably struggle to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California as a blue state .
We ’ re not a blue state .
What California is is shades of blue and many communities of red , ” said Mindy Romero , director of the California Civic Engagement Project at USC .
“ A candidate that can appeal to young people sincerely and effectively has the potential to really increase their numbers or bring young people into the electorate and reset the vote a little bit.
” Millennials and the younger Generation Z overwhelmingly disapprove of President Trump .
They also are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than previous generations , according to the Pew Research Center .
But they are more unlikely to vote than any other age group .
People ages 18 to 24 consistently vote at a rate 15 to 25 percentage points lower than the overall population , according to a Times analysis of census data .
Placer County , which stretches from the northeastern suburbs of Sacramento to the Nevada border at Lake Tahoe , increasingly is an outlier in diverse , blue California .
It is represented in the California Legislature by five Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doug LaMalfa of Richvale and Tom McClintock of Elk Grove .
Some 41 % of the county ’ s registered voters are Republicans ; in California , 24 % are .
The county also is 72 % white , compared with 37 % for the state .
Its median age of 42 is about five years older than the state median .
For the last 25 years , county election officials have aggressively tried to register young people by running a high school outreach program in which speakers from every qualified political party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who then are given voter registration cards .
More than 50,000 students have registered , said Ryan Ronco , the Placer County clerk , recorder and registrar of voters .
“ It ’ s easier for them to identify with someone five years older than them than someone 35 years older than them , ” said Landon Wolf , the 29-year-old chairman of the Placer County Young Republicans .
“ We make it a priority to have younger people in those rooms.
” Often , at the end of presentations , more students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
Over breakfast at the railroad-themed Pacific Street Cafe in Roseville , Dukelow said with a sigh that “ the Republicans do a great job ” in the high schools .
“ We really need to up our game , ” said Dukelow , a retired librarian .
“ They have young presenters .
You can tell they ’ re professional communicators .
We ’ ve got older ladies like me.
” Although young people nationwide are more liberal , there are more 18- to 24-year-old Republicans than Democrats in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Independents outnumber both .
Membership in the Democratic Party in Placer County has surged by 29 % since 2014 .
But reaching young voters , Dukelow said , continues to vex .
“ They age out , ” she said .
“ They ’ re going to get a job or go away to school , and then we have to recruit a whole bunch of new young Democrats.
” Back at Sierra College , Thrift said he registered with the ultraconservative American Independent Party on campus , at a table run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ they actually do a lot.
” Thrift , from Granite Bay , will cast his first ballot this year , for Trump .
He said that while he feels lucky to live in a red county , his voice is drowned out in California .
“ Right now , if you ’ re a white , straight male , you ’ re pretty much the most persecuted person right now , ” Thrift said .
“ I ’ m going to do everything I can to push for the 2nd Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration and build the wall.
” Young Democrats tried in recent years to start clubs in Placer and neighboring El Dorado County , but “ they flopped , ” said Daniel Stephenson , executive vice chair of the El Dorado County Democratic Party ’ s Central Committee .
In 2017 , Stephenson , 31 , co-founded the Sierra Foothills Young Democrats , whose membership stretches across mountainous Placer , Amador and El Dorado counties .
It is a “ a continual struggle ” to keep it going , with members sometimes driving more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diamond Springs resident said .
Lately , they mostly do conference calls .
Stephenson got involved with the party as a college student , volunteering with the Obama campaign .
He said he quickly became a go-to person for everything youth-related .
Stephenson , who is Asian American , said he often is surrounded by “ a bunch of old white people.
” He now volunteers for Elizabeth Warren ’ s campaign and would be happy with a Bernie Sanders nomination , too .
He believes liberal Democrats are more likely than moderates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Older Democrats here , he said , criticize him as too progressive and divisive when he tells them some candidates are better than others .
He has tried to warn them that “ our generation doesn ’ t care about party ; they ’ re not necessarily ‘ blue no matter who.
’ ” He said he has also sparred with the California Young Democrats , the official young-voter arm of the state party .
He feels like they ignore his region because “ we are a flyover district.
” “ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create your own activists , your own volunteers ; you have to get your own money , ” Stephenson said .
“ They set the bar , and we get a metaphorical pat on the head.
” Josh Lewis , 19 , from the minuscule Amador County town of Pine Grove , co-founded the group with Stephenson .
Now studying political science at UC Berkeley , he was a liberal teen in a high school where his classmates spoke out about the 2nd Amendment and wore red Make America Great Again hats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say I was from ‘ Calabama , ’ ” said Lewis , who was elected last year as a Democratic Party delegate for the 5th State Assembly District , which includes Amador , Placer , El Dorado and other rural counties .
“ Something we hear a lot from Democratic leaders in rural areas is that there ’ s a massive push to get youth involved , ” Lewis said .
“ But I ’ m disappointed by the party ’ s support for people who don ’ t represent youth interests.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Sanders in the March 3 primary , said that young people want bold plans for debt-free education and affordable healthcare but that “ the party establishment in rural areas is a little hesitant to push for these ideas.
” “ The hill I will die on is we don ’ t win seats in these rural areas that have been occupied by Republicans by being moderate , ” he said .
In Loomis , a town of 6,800 people straddling Interstate 80 , a group of young activists at Del Oro High @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority than party politics .
Sitting in the lush courtyard of the High-Hand Nursery , Kevin Malaekeh , 17 ; Jack Galloway , 16 ; and Jake McCullough , 17 , said they formed an environmental club after the deadly 2018 Camp fire .
Smoke from the blaze in Paradise , 86 miles north , blotted out the sun in Loomis .
Football practices were canceled .
Students stayed indoors .
“ Even though we have more conservatives here , with the climate crisis we can all work together because we can all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ re all affected by the droughts ; we ’ re all affected by the fires.
” They are working with the Loomis Town Council on a citywide food scraps collection program , and they installed water faucet aerators at their school to lower water usage .
( The only pushback , they said , was from a school employee who said students would use the aerators “ to make bongs.
” ) They are frustrated that climate change has become a partisan issue .
“ Personally , I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate is from ; I check to see who is the most environmentally conscious , ” said McCullough , who will turn 18 just in time to vote in the general election .
Right now , he likes Pete Buttigieg .
On a chilly Saturday night this month , dozens gathered in downtown Auburn for a youth talent show called Be the Change .
It was put on by members of the Auburn Hip Hop Congress — a group of artists , emcees and DJs who work with young people — along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal group Indivisible Auburn .
Democrats ran a voter registration table in the back of the room .
Nearby , people promoted the Green New Deal .
Onstage , a shy 14-year-old played an original animation about littering .
A 21-year-old transgender man in a March for Our Lives T-shirt spoke about his transition .
Others rapped about mental health .
Three teens from Placer County registered and pre-registered to vote , with the help of delighted Democrats .
One became a Democrat .
Two marked “ no party preference.
” Near a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Janusz , 78 , and David Deckman , 70 , said they just wanted to be visible to the youth .
“ This is one way they can be the change , ” Janusz said .
“ Besides their music or talking to their friends , they can register to vote.
” Deckman said he has become more moderate with age .
But he recently watched a documentary on Woodstock , which happened when he was young .
“ Kids now are more idealistic , ” he said .
“ God , that @ @ @ @

There wasn’t a lot of youth to be found at an event called “Turning Out the Youth Vote” this month at Sierra College. Senior citizens outnumbered students 3 to 1.
One gray-haired woman said she had tried, and failed, to post something about the event on, “believe it or not, Instagram.” The decidedly blue-leaning room roared with annoyance when Dallas Thrift, a pro-Trump 18-year-old in a Space Force hat, yelled, “How many illegal immigrants do you think voted in the last election?”
The big draw was the free Subway sandwiches, which the vaunted youths raided before ducking out. In the hallway, several young women stopped a 19-year-old art student clutching a cold cut.
“Where’d you get that sandwich?!” one asked.
“Oh, there’s a youth voter thing going on in there,” he said.
They kept walking.
Welcome to young voter outreach in conservative Placer County.
In the weeks leading up to what could be California’s most important primary election in decades, volunteers with Democratic groups here have been lingering around events like this, hoping to beat the odds and woo desperately needed young voters in a place that has voted for a GOP presidential candidate in every election since 1980.
“We can turn this county blue if we focus on young people,” said Rosemary Dukelow, voter outreach coordinator for the Placer County Democratic Party. The party “basically ignored them over the years. If you look at our Democratic clubs, it’s a sea of gray hairs.”
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Rosemary Dukelow is the voter outreach coordinator for the Placer County Democratic Party. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Even in America’s largest liberal bastion, swaths of California exist as political petri dishes for the kind of suburban and rural places in battleground states where Democrats need to squeeze out as many votes, including young ones, as they can. A land of transplants from everywhere in the U.S., California has no shortage of places that could be surrogates for parts of Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other states that could help decide who wins the White House.
And if you can’t energize enough young people here, you’ll probably struggle to do it elsewhere.
“Everyone thinks of California as a blue state. We’re not a blue state. What California is is shades of blue and many communities of red,” said Mindy Romero, director of the California Civic Engagement Project at USC. “A candidate that can appeal to young people sincerely and effectively has the potential to really increase their numbers or bring young people into the electorate and reset the vote a little bit.”
Millennials and the younger Generation Z overwhelmingly disapprove of President Trump. They also are more racially and ethnically diverse and more liberal than previous generations, according to the Pew Research Center.
But they are more unlikely to vote than any other age group. People ages 18 to 24 consistently vote at a rate 15 to 25 percentage points lower than the overall population, according to a Times analysis of census data.
Placer County, which stretches from the northeastern suburbs of Sacramento to the Nevada border at Lake Tahoe, increasingly is an outlier in diverse, blue California. It is represented in the California Legislature by five Republicans and in the U.S. House by Republicans Doug LaMalfa of Richvale and Tom McClintock of Elk Grove.
Some 41% of the county’s registered voters are Republicans; in California, 24% are. The county also is 72% white, compared with 37% for the state. Its median age of 42 is about five years older than the state median.
Gail Bartlow, left, of Applegate, Calif., helps McKenna Shepherd, 16, pre-register to vote during the Be the Change talent show in Auburn. (Randy Pench / For The Times)
For the last 25 years, county election officials have aggressively tried to register young people by running a high school outreach program in which speakers from every qualified political party are invited to speak to students, who then are given voter registration cards. More than 50,000 students have registered, said Ryan Ronco, the Placer County clerk, recorder and registrar of voters.
“It’s easier for them to identify with someone five years older than them than someone 35 years older than them,” said Landon Wolf, the 29-year-old chairman of the Placer County Young Republicans. “We make it a priority to have younger people in those rooms.”
Often, at the end of presentations, more students have registered as new Republicans than Democrats, he said.
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Over breakfast at the railroad-themed Pacific Street Cafe in Roseville, Dukelow said with a sigh that “the Republicans do a great job” in the high schools.
Rosemary Dukelow, center, speaks with husband-and-wife volunteers Chuck and Audrey Ehrlich, who came by to pick up lawn signs for Democratic candidates. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
“We really need to up our game,” said Dukelow, a retired librarian. “They have young presenters. You can tell they’re professional communicators. We’ve got older ladies like me.”
Although young people nationwide are more liberal, there are more 18- to 24-year-old Republicans than Democrats in Placer County, according to county data. Independents outnumber both.
Membership in the Democratic Party in Placer County has surged by 29% since 2014. But reaching young voters, Dukelow said, continues to vex.
“They age out,” she said. “They’re going to get a job or go away to school, and then we have to recruit a whole bunch of new young Democrats.”
Back at Sierra College, Thrift said he registered with the ultraconservative American Independent Party on campus, at a table run by Democratic volunteers. He quietly acknowledged that “they actually do a lot.”
Thrift, from Granite Bay, will cast his first ballot this year, for Trump. He said that while he feels lucky to live in a red county, his voice is drowned out in California.
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“Right now, if you’re a white, straight male, you’re pretty much the most persecuted person right now,” Thrift said. “I’m going to do everything I can to push for the 2nd Amendment and 1st Amendment, and stop illegal immigration and build the wall.”
Sierra Noelle of Placer County performs at the Be the Change talent show in Auburn, Calif., where Democratic volunteers were on hand to register voters. (Randy Pench / For The Times)
Young Democrats tried in recent years to start clubs in Placer and neighboring El Dorado County, but “they flopped,” said Daniel Stephenson, executive vice chair of the El Dorado County Democratic Party’s Central Committee.
In 2017, Stephenson, 31, co-founded the Sierra Foothills Young Democrats, whose membership stretches across mountainous Placer, Amador and El Dorado counties. It is a “a continual struggle” to keep it going, with members sometimes driving more than two hours to meet, the Diamond Springs resident said. Lately, they mostly do conference calls.
Stephenson got involved with the party as a college student, volunteering with the Obama campaign. He said he quickly became a go-to person for everything youth-related.
Stephenson, who is Asian American, said he often is surrounded by “a bunch of old white people.”
Daniel Stephenson, right, who co-founded the Sierra Foothills Young Democrats, meets with volunteers in Cameron Park before heading out to canvass neighborhoods. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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He now volunteers for Elizabeth Warren’s campaign and would be happy with a Bernie Sanders nomination, too. He believes liberal Democrats are more likely than moderates to solve the student loan crisis.
Older Democrats here, he said, criticize him as too progressive and divisive when he tells them some candidates are better than others. He has tried to warn them that “our generation doesn’t care about party; they’re not necessarily ‘blue no matter who.’”
He said he has also sparred with the California Young Democrats, the official young-voter arm of the state party. He feels like they ignore his region because “we are a flyover district.”
“It’s this repeating cycle where you have to create your own activists, your own volunteers; you have to get your own money,” Stephenson said. “They set the bar, and we get a metaphorical pat on the head.”
Rep. Tom McClintock, left, talks with voters after speaking to a tea tarty group in Rocklin, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Josh Lewis, 19, from the minuscule Amador County town of Pine Grove, co-founded the group with Stephenson. Now studying political science at UC Berkeley, he was a liberal teen in a high school where his classmates spoke out about the 2nd Amendment and wore red Make America Great Again hats.
“Growing up, I used to say I was from ‘Calabama,’” said Lewis, who was elected last year as a Democratic Party delegate for the 5th State Assembly District, which includes Amador, Placer, El Dorado and other rural counties.
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“Something we hear a lot from Democratic leaders in rural areas is that there’s a massive push to get youth involved,” Lewis said. “But I’m disappointed by the party’s support for people who don’t represent youth interests.”
Lewis, who plans to vote for Sanders in the March 3 primary, said that young people want bold plans for debt-free education and affordable healthcare but that “the party establishment in rural areas is a little hesitant to push for these ideas.”
“The hill I will die on is we don’t win seats in these rural areas that have been occupied by Republicans by being moderate,” he said.
In Loomis, a town of 6,800 people straddling Interstate 80, a group of young activists at Del Oro High School said climate change is a higher priority than party politics.
Kevin Malaekeh, Jack Galloway and Jake McCullough started an environmental club at Del Oro High School and say climate change is more important than party politics. (Hailey Branson-Potts / Los Angeles Times)
Sitting in the lush courtyard of the High-Hand Nursery, Kevin Malaekeh, 17; Jack Galloway, 16; and Jake McCullough, 17, said they formed an environmental club after the deadly 2018 Camp fire. Smoke from the blaze in Paradise, 86 miles north, blotted out the sun in Loomis. Football practices were canceled. Students stayed indoors.
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“Even though we have more conservatives here, with the climate crisis we can all work together because we can all see the effects,” Galloway said. “We’re all affected by the droughts; we’re all affected by the fires.”
They are working with the Loomis Town Council on a citywide food scraps collection program, and they installed water faucet aerators at their school to lower water usage. (The only pushback, they said, was from a school employee who said students would use the aerators “to make bongs.”)
They are frustrated that climate change has become a partisan issue.
“Personally, I don’t necessarily look at which party a candidate is from; I check to see who is the most environmentally conscious,” said McCullough, who will turn 18 just in time to vote in the general election. Right now, he likes Pete Buttigieg.
On a chilly Saturday night this month, dozens gathered in downtown Auburn for a youth talent show called Be the Change. It was put on by members of the Auburn Hip Hop Congress — a group of artists, emcees and DJs who work with young people — along with the Auburn Area Democratic Club and liberal group Indivisible Auburn.
Emma-Lee Rose, 17, of Placer County plays her guitar and sings during the Be the Change talent show in Auburn. She pre-registered to vote that night, marking no party preference. (Randy Pench / For The Times)
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Democrats ran a voter registration table in the back of the room. Nearby, people promoted the Green New Deal.
Onstage, a shy 14-year-old played an original animation about littering. A 21-year-old transgender man in a March for Our Lives T-shirt spoke about his transition. Others rapped about mental health.
Three teens from Placer County registered and pre-registered to vote, with the help of delighted Democrats.
One became a Democrat. Two marked “no party preference.”
Near a stack of free sandwiches, volunteers Leslye Janusz, 78, and David Deckman, 70, said they just wanted to be visible to the youth.
“This is one way they can be the change,” Janusz said. “Besides their music or talking to their friends, they can register to vote.”
Deckman said he has become more moderate with age. But he recently watched a documentary on Woodstock, which happened when he was young.
“Kids now are more idealistic,” he said. “God, that was us.”
Times staff writer Ryan Menezes contributed to this report.