Compiled by RADC Members - Tracy Wise and Jeff Poggi

1. Keep Pushing: Ensure Voting Rights Legislation Is Passed in the U.S. Senate:

Senate Majority Leader Schumer brought up the voting rights bill again on November 3rd.  One Republican senator voted for it.  But it failed to survive the filibuster.  We must get voting rights passed and stop with the doomed vote theater and carve out an exception in the filibuster for voting rights.

Please write to Senators Feinstein and Padilla ASAP with this message (feel free to replace with your own words):

Dear Senator Feinstein/Padilla:

I am one of your California constituents who believes that passing voting rights legislation ASAP is vital to pushing back against efforts across the country to disenfranchise voters and block access to the polls. It is urgent that all Senate Democrats at least implement a carve out in the filibuster for voting rights or cancel the filibuster altogether so that this bill can be passed ASAP. You are our voice in the Senate. We are running out of time.

Thank you

YOUR NAME

YOUR ZIP

Senator Diane Feinstein, 11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 915, Los Angeles, CA 90025 - (310) 914-7300 or [https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me].

Senator Alex Padilla, 11845 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 1250W, Los Angeles, CA 90064 - (310) 231-4494  [https://www.padilla.senate.gov/]

 

 

2. Internship Opportunity (11/11/21 Deadline) in Rep. Pete Aguilar’s Office:

The Office of Congressman Pete Aguilar will be offering in-person internships in both DC and District offices:  https://aguilar.house.gov/internships 

The hours are flexible to accommodate students' course schedules, but generally run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Interns will have the chance to experience a congressional office's fast-paced atmosphere and to gain valuable work experience. This internship is an excellent opportunity for those interested in public service and the legislative process. Interns will assist with all tasks, including answering phones, drafting constituent correspondence, and assisting with media clips. District Interns may be assigned to assist in various constituent casework or work on community outreach and grants-related projects. DC interns will also have the opportunity to attend policy briefings and assist staff with legislative research. Qualified applicants must possess excellent written and oral communication skills, professionalism, attention to detail, and the ability to function in a fast-paced environment. Ties to CA-31 and California are strongly preferred. 

To apply, please email your resume, cover letter, availability, and office preference (DC or District) to [email protected].

The deadline for fall submissions is November 11, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Interviews will be conducted from November 16-23. The estimated start date for the internship is January 10th, 2022. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please email [email protected].

3. Get Involved in Beautifying  Redlands:

“The Redlands Conservancy invites Redlands residents and visitors to get their hands dirty at Gateway Ranch in Live Oak Canyon for Planting Days. Over two separate days in November and December, people will participate in the conservancy’s work to restore the native California oak forests to the canyon.”

 

Upcoming dates:

‘On Saturday, Nov. 6, participants will meet at Gateway Ranch in Live Oak Canyon, at 31313 Live Oak Canyon Road. This program, “Making Lots of Baby Oaks #2,” will guide participants as they prepare, propagate, and plant the sprouted native oak acorns they collected the previous week. They will do the same with other native seeds already collected, planting all of the above in tiny starter pots.

‘On Saturday, Dec. 11, participants will meet [Kathy] Havert again at Gateway Ranch where she will guide them to transfer the oak seedlings from the starter pots into gallon pots. There, the little oaks will remain as they rest and grow and get ready for the big planting next fall in the Gateway Gardens. By that time, the oaks will have grown to about one foot tall.’

 

TIMES on 11/6 and 12/11:  9 am to noon, and events are free and open to the public

https://www.redlandscommunitynews.com/news/public-invited-to-help-plant-oak-trees-at-gateway-ranch/article_9e6efc7e-3815-11ec-975a-93c198169988.html#utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social 

 

ONGOING REMINDERS

 

• REMINDER:  Voting Rights:  New *City* Redistricting Information/Action

Upcoming City of Redlands public meetings are scheduled:

• January 18, 2022 (time, etc. tbd)
• February 15, 2022 (time, etc. tbd)
• April 17, 2022 – adoption of the final maps

 

• REMINDER:  Voting Rights:  New *County* Redistricting Information

Here is the website, with the list of upcoming meetings *and* information on how to submit a map to the redistricting committee:  https://sbcountyredistricting.com/ The next two meetings are:

 

Advisory Redistricting Commission Meeting

November 9, 2021

10:00 am-12:00 pm

San Bernardino County Government Center

385 N. Arrowhead Avenue, 1st Floor
San Bernardino, CA 92415-0835

+ Google Map

Watch Live

 

 

Special Meeting – Board of Supervisors

November 16, 20211:00 pm-3:00 pm

San Bernardino County Government Center

385 N. Arrowhead Avenue, 1st Floor
San Bernardino, CA 92415-0835+ Google Map

Special Meeting - Board of Supervisors
Watch Live

 

Special Meeting – Board of Supervisors

December 7, 20211:00 pm-3:00 pm

San Bernardino County Government Center

385 N. Arrowhead Avenue, 1st Floor
San Bernardino, CA 92415-0835+ Google Map

Special Meeting - Board of Supervisors
Watch Live

 

• REMINDER:  Voting Rights:  New *Water* Redistricting Information

No new information available.  Here is a link to the current maps of the IE’s water districts:  https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=e1a0b6df610f490892a970b01952274d&entry=3 

 

We will continue to keep you up-to-date on redistricting efforts around our county (they voted NO on any meeting[s] in Redlands) and water districts and any further City redistricting news.

 

• REMINDER:  Replacement process for Councilmember Paul Foster still pending
  • Councilmember Foster has said that he will continue to serve until he and his wife leave.  His departure date is pending.  However, the City Council is working with a tentative date of January 3rd for his departure and will discuss next steps at the November 2nd City Council meeting. https://www.redlandscommunitynews.com/news/government/council-ponders-how-to-replace-paul-foster/article_22c07b48-278a-11ec-b075-0b070ab9980f.html 
  • "The council must either appoint a replacement, or call a special election within 60 days of the vacancy, said city spokesman Carl Baker in an email. [emphasis added]

“Anyone who wants to fill the position would have to live in the area Foster represents, District 5, which is the south side of the city. If the council decides to call a special election it would likely be in the statewide primary on June 7, 2022. 

“Whomever [sic] fills the vacancy will hold office for the rest of Foster’s unexpired term, which ends in December 2022 after the November 2022 election results are certified by the county, Baker said."

https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2021/09/10/paul-foster-to-retire-from-redlands-city-council/

 

STICK A PIN IN THIS

 

 

• UPDATED:  The California 2021 Legislative Session ended with Governor Newsom signing his last bills prior to the October 10th deadline.  The next Legislative Session should reconvene in December.

 

• • The final set of approved bills included:
    • Providing Immediate Relief for those Hardest Hit by COVID-19
    • Confronting the Homelessness & Housing Affordability Crisis
    • Transforming Public Schools as Gateways for Opportunity
    • Building Infrastructure for the Next Century
    • Combating Wildfires & Tackling Climate Change

https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/10/09/governor-newsom-takes-final-action-of-2021-legislative-session/

• Of the 836 bills presented to him for approval, he signed 770 or 92%.  Some of those signed include the following (from CalMatters):
  • Making ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement, as CalMatters’ Joe Hong reports. Under a bill Newsom signed last year, California State University students must also take an ethnic studies course to graduate.
  • Mandating mental health instruction in middle and high schools that have an existing health education course.
  • Requiring public colleges, universities and secondary schools to provide free menstrual products on campus.
  • Requiring large department stores to maintain a gender-neutral section of toys and child care items.
  • Restricting sentence enhancements for many crimes, as recommended by an obscure committee examining California’s penal code.
  • Ensuring police can’t block journalists from covering protests and demonstrations.
  • Cracking down on sideshows and illegal street racing by allowing courts to suspend convicted motorists’ licenses for up to six months.
  • Giving cities more authority to reduce their speed limits.
  • Making it illegal to harass people entering vaccination clinics. First Amendment experts say several aspects of the law — including an exemption for “lawful picketing arising out of a labor dispute” — may be unconstitutional.
  • Ending “surprise billing” for COVID-19 tests and vaccinations.
  • Extending a phone tax to fund high-speed internet in underserved areas.
  • Allowing restaurants to continue selling to-go cocktails, using parking lots for expanded seating, and serving alcohol in parklets.
  • Offering year-round fishing licenses.
  • Banning the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other small off-road engines by as soon as 2024.
  • Phasing out controversial donor dog facilities to create a  new canine blood bank system. https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2021/10/new-california-laws/ 

For the full text of the bills, you can go to:  http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov