Press Releases

COARSEGOLD—Feather Alert – a public notification tool to combat an all too deadly epidemic –Missing and Murdered Indigenous People—will be available in January to help law enforcement quickly notify the public about the disproportionate number of missing Native Americans and enlist their aid for timely leads to locate victims and prosecute suspects – and today tribal leaders and others gathered to learn how the system will work and provide their input for effective implementation.

SAN BERNARDINO—Community members are invited to a fentanyl awareness town hall and Narcan training town hall on Saturday, October 22 at 10 a.m. to learn more about the region’s fentanyl epidemic; participants will receive training in the use of Narcan, an overdose prevention treatment. Those undertaking the training will also receive a supply of Narcan.

LOMA LINDA—Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital administrators, Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland), Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) and guests today celebrated receiving $4 million in the 2022-23 state budget for a program to offer individualized physical and mental care to abused foster children in the Inland Empire. Ramos and Ochoa Bogh worked to secure the funding.

SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom tonight signed a measure to create, license and regulate psychiatric crisis residential treatment for children and youth in the early evening. The measure is authored by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland).

SACRAMENTO—Gov. Newsom today signed a proposal to prohibit the use of the word “squaw” (S-word) for geographic features and place names in California by January 1, 2024. The measure, AB 2022, was introduced by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-Highland), the first California Native American elected to the state legislature and Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. AB 2022 was part of a five-bill Ramos tribal package sent to Newsom and which he has approved.

SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom today signed a bill allowing the University of California, Hastings College of the Law to remove the name of its notorious founder from the school’s name and specifying restorative justice measures to benefit the Yuki and Round Valley Indian people. The proposal, AB 1936, was introduced by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) and co-authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom today signed AB 1314 which would enlist public assistance when Indigenous people are missing under suspicious circumstances. The California Highway Patrol would activate the alert at the request of local law enforcement and it work much like an Amber Alert. AB 1314 was authored by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) and was one of a five-bill tribal package Ramos introduced and that Newsom has signed.

SACRAMENTO—Governor Gavin Newsom approved a bill encouraging local schools to create task forces of area educators and tribal representatives to share local tribal history and culture, discuss issues of mutual concern and develop Native American curriculum and classroom materials. The measure, AB 1703, the California Indian Education Act, introduced by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) was part of a five-bill tribal package the lawmaker sent to Newsom and which he has approved.

Governor signs Ramos bill encouraging state consultation with tribes on state actions directly impacting Native Americans

SAN BERNARDINO— Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) and Presiding Judge R. Glenn Yabuno of the San Bernardino Superior Court today commemorated the first ever paid California Native American Day holiday extended to staff of a state entity – court personnel. This year the holiday falls on Friday, September 23.

Ramos successfully introduced AB 855 in 2021 to permit court personnel to switch Columbus Day for California Native American Day. The Judicial Council sponsored the bill.