Official Website - Assemblymember Phil Ting Representing the 19th California Assembly District

EdSource: Bill Seeks To Increase Housing Support For Youth In Extended Foster Care

Young Californians in extended foster care may soon get relief from rising housing costs if Assembly Bill 525, recently introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting, is passed.

The bill seeks to create a housing supplement that would increase the monthly amount of financial assistance that youth in extended foster care can receive, based on the county they live in. The increased amount would supplement the base rate that youth currently receive, which is $1,129 regardless of their county of residence.

‘Toxic Trail of Pollution’: States Step Up To Curb the Use of ‘Forever Chemicals’

... However, a patchwork of state laws enacted over the last three years is generating fresh hope by prohibiting the use of PFAS in those and other uses. These laws – mostly passed in Democratic-controlled states – are quietly forcing many companies to phase out the chemicals as they become illegal to use in consumer goods in some of the nation’s largest economies.

SF Chronicle: CA Housing Crisis/Inside the Push To Ramp Up the ‘Backdoor Revolution’

Denise Pinkston said it felt like nobody in Sacramento was taking her seriously when she started pitching state leaders on the idea of using ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, to help reduce California’s housing shortage.

LA Times: Amid Budget Concerns, Newsom Pulls Back Funding Increase For Foster Care Advocate Program

Jaheim Smith “aged out” of foster care just last week, a transition that can be distressing for young people who have spent most of their lives in the child welfare system and for the first time are living on their own.

But Smith, recently 21, is confident in his new life. He is renting an apartment in Sacramento and works as a behavioral consultant for children with autism, teaching them skills that help them thrive in school. He works shifts at McDonald’s to make ends meet.

Variety Magazine: CA Film Tax Credit Hits Snag Over Industry Diversity

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to extend the California film and TV tax credit has hit a snag over the issue of industry diversity.

Newsom’s budget proposal includes extending the $330 million filming incentive, which is currently set to expire in 2025, for an additional five years.

SF Chronicle: CA Lawmakers Pass Bill Aimed At Capping Oil Companies’ Profits

After decades of failed attempts to combat California’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices, legislators passed a measure Monday that could allow California to cap the windfall profits of oil companies.

Assemblymember Ting is Excited About the Increased Focus on Rehabilitation

3/24/23

Assemblymembers Introduce Legislation to Repeal Board of Equalization

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

SACRAMENTO – The Board of Equalization (BOE) would be dissolved under a constitutional amendment introduced by Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), and Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine). ACA 11 would remove the BOE from the state constitution and provide the Legislature the authority to move their remaining duties to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and the Office of Tax Appeals (OTA).

“When the BOE was first established in 1879 one of its primary responsibilities was to assess inter-county railroad property, a role that is now obsolete. Today, with the board’s limited duties, California can no longer justify the BOE’s expense or need as it does not provide a significant enough benefit to taxpayers,” said Ting. “ACA 11 ensures that California removes an unneeded elected body while ensuring that taxpayers can still resolve their tax cases with CDTFA and OTA.”

Bloomberg: Lawmakers Renew Effort to Kill Legacy California Tax Board

California voters could decide next year whether to abolish the State Board of Equalization, seven years after lawmakers stripped the elected tax board of most duties following a string of controversies.

New Legislation by Assemblymember Ting Seeks To Regulate Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition Technology

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Sacramento – Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) today announced a new bill, AB 642, the Facial Recognition Privacy Act, which sets comprehensive, statewide parameters around law enforcement use of facial recognition technology (FRT). The legislation aims to protect people’s privacy and due process rights, while also helping to keep communities safe with a valuable public safety tool.

“Facial recognition technology accuracy has markedly improved in recent years and can help law enforcement solve cases. With proper regulations, we can strike a balance between using this technology and concerns about protecting people’s privacy,” said Ting. “Independent, substantial evidence - beyond an FRT match - will still be necessary for an arrest and conviction.”