News

The California State Assembly’s Select Committee on Jobs & Innovation in the San Fernando Valley held its first hearing of 2020 on the state of L.A.’s entertainment industry at the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 headquarters in Burbank.

Hosted by 45th District (West SFV) Democrat Jesse Gabriel and attended by fellow members of the area delegation Laura Friedman (D District 43 – Glendale), Adrin Nazarian (D District 47 – South/Central SFV) and Luz Rivas (D District 39 – Arleta), the two-hour listening session heard from representatives of the California Film Commission, local film office FilmLA, performers union SAG-AFTRA, crafts union IATSE, Motion Picture Association (the major studios’ trade group) and others.

These are desperate times for Los Angeles.

Even as the city, county and state have been pouring money into housing and services, the number of people living on the street has gone steadily up. More and more of them are losing their housing — often for the first time — because of unaffordable rents and evictions.

But are we ready for desperate measures?

It’s no secret that California is facing an affordability crisis. Even with the longest economic expansion in U.S. history powering our economy, more than 40 percent of California voters say they can’t afford to live in the Golden State. For too many, the California Dream is slipping out of reach. But with targeted tax policies and increased housing production we can make a real difference for millions of Californians.

In responding to our affordability crisis, it’s vital that we address the high cost of housing. In recent years, rents have increased between 25 and 50 percent in many of our urban areas, which are already among the most expensive rental markets in the nation. And those wishing to purchase a home in California must compete in a market where the average price is more than half a million dollars. In several Bay Area counties, median home values now exceed $1.3 million.

SACRAMENTO — Two days after a fatal shooting at a San Diego County synagogue, California officials pledged millions of dollars to protect religious congregations and other organizations targeted by hate crimes.

Surrounded by two dozen lawmakers, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that his revised budget proposal will include $15 million for grants to nonprofit groups to improve security at buildings — such as mosques, synagogues, churches and LGBT community centers — that are frequented by people at risk of being attacked because of who they are or what they believe.

The security grants, which are based on a federal program, have been made available for the past three years to California churches, schools and women’s health clinics to pay for reinforced entrances, alarms, guards and other safety improvements.

But Newsom said hundreds of applications have gone unfulfilled for lack of money. The state set aside only $500,000 for the program last year.

The California Legislative Jewish Caucus requested the funding increase this month, following an attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 50 people dead and a shooting last fall in which 11 people were killed at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.

“I know it feels on some days like our world is unraveling, like every day we wake up and read about another act of hate-motivated violence. But we cannot accept this, we cannot accept this new normal,” said Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat who is vice chair of the Jewish caucus.