Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed
News You Might Have Missed
By Bo Tefu | California Black Media
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“We Are Better Than This”: Black Caucus Denounces L.A. County ICE Raids as Multiple Protests Erupt
Members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) last week condemned ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in California.
The caucus released the statement the same day multiple protests erupted in Los Angeles County, reacting to three ICE raids conducted in that area.
“For months we have watched the unsettling images of federal agents rampaging through our communities. We have stood in horror as masked, heavily armed men ransack neighborhoods under the color of law leaving terror and trauma in their wake,” read a June 6 statement released by the CLBC.
According to Yasmeen Pitts, a Homeland Security Investigations division spokesperson, 44 people have been detained in arrests related to the protests.
Pitts said ICE agents targeted three locations in central Los Angeles they accuse of harboring undocumented immigrants.
The Black Caucus statement called the violent arrest of community leaders leading protests against the raids “a tool in the authoritarian playbook.”
“No person or family, regardless of origin, deserves to be the target of the terror being inflicted across the country in this moment,” the statement continued.
On June 7, Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, posted on X, “federal agents arrested over a dozen agitators today who impeded agents in their ability to conduct law enforcement operations.”
“We will continue to arrest anyone who interferes with federal law enforcement,” he added.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass thanked local law enforcement for keeping the peace in the city.
This is a difficult time for our city. As we recover from an unprecedented natural disaster, many in our community are feeling fear following recent federal immigration enforcement actions across Los Angeles County. Reports of unrest outside the city, including in Paramount, are deeply concerning,” posted Bass on X.
“We’ve been in direct contact with officials in Washington, D.C. and are working closely with law enforcement to find the best path forward. Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable,” she added.
On June 9, the Trump administration said it will send 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell the anti-ICE protests.
Newsom called the decision “deranged.”
“As the federal government conducts chaotic immigration sweeps across the country, the state is deploying additional CHP to maintain safety on Los Angeles highways to keep the peace,” wrote Newsom in a statement posted on X. “It’s not their job to assist in federal immigration enforcement. The federal government is sowing chaos so they can have an excuse to escalate. That is not the way any civilized country behaves.”
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State Board of Education Prez Darling-Hammond Calls Newsom’s Billion-Dollar Literacy Plan “Encouraging Milestone”
State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond says Gov. Gavin Newsom’s newly unveiled Golden State Literacy Plan is an “encouraging milestone.”
According to the Governor’s office, the plan is central to California’s push to improve reading skills statewide, particularly in underserved communities.
Announced June 8 at Clinton Elementary School in Compton, the billion-dollar initiative is designed to expand evidence-based literacy instruction and deploy more than 1,000 literacy coaches and specialists to the state’s highest-need schools. The plan also funds early reading screenings, professional development for educators, and the continued rollout of Universal Transitional Kindergarten.
“The Golden State Literacy Plan is an encouraging milestone in our ongoing quest to improve literacy education, making sure it’s effective, meaningful, and engaging for all of our students,” said Darling-Hammond during the event.
She outlined the framework that will support student success: “We know effective literacy instruction requires early language development; diagnosis of student needs and progress; high-quality curriculum and materials; and preparation, professional development, and coaching for teachers so that they understand the reading process thoroughly and become adept at addressing diverse student needs, including those of English learners.”
Newsom’s plan builds on existing investments, including $500 million already allocated for literacy coaches and $6.8 billion in learning recovery funds to address academic and emotional setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
California has shown measurable progress in reading achievement over the past decade. Between 2011 and 2022, the state saw the largest gains in 8th grade reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) nationwide.
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Congress Says Yes to Rep. Simon’s Disability Hiring and Small Biz Support Bill
The House of Representatives unanimously passed the “ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act” on June 3, marking a major win for Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) and co-sponsor Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) in their bipartisan effort to promote inclusive hiring and boost small business accessibility.
The legislation establishes a federal partnership between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the National Council on Disability to help small businesses across the U.S. hire more individuals with disabilities and provide resources for disabled entrepreneurs.
“As the first congenitally blind person to serve in Congress, I am incredibly honored to lead and excited to celebrate the House passage of the ‘ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act,’” said Simon.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of cities, making them accessible for all will maximize local economic activity and broaden the job market to everyone who is seeking to contribute to their communities,” she continued. “Investments in business and talent in our communities shouldn’t be limited to just those who are not disabled. Full stop, period.”
Since taking office in January 2025, Simon has introduced six bills. The House has approved two of them: this measure and the “Assisting Small Businesses, Not Fraudsters Act.”
Simon, a lifelong disability rights advocate and former BART board member, has focused her career on improving access, from public transit to the job market.
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Gov. Newsom Blasts CMS Rollback of Emergency Abortion Care Protections
Gov. Gavin Newsom is criticizing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for rolling back federal protections for emergency abortion care, calling the move an “unnecessary danger” to the lives of pregnant patients in crisis.
Effective May 29, CMS rescinded guidance that had reinforced the obligation of hospitals to provide abortion services under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) when necessary to stabilize a patient’s condition.
Newsom warned that the rollback will leave patients vulnerable in states with strict or total abortion bans.
“Today’s decision will endanger lives and lead to emergency room deaths, full stop,” Newsom said in a statement. “Doctors must be empowered to save the lives of their patients, not hem and haw over political red lines when the clock is ticking. In California, we will always protect the right of physicians to do what’s best for their patients and for women to make the reproductive decisions that are best for their families.”
The CMS guidance originally followed the 2022 Dobbs decision, asserting that federal law could preempt state abortion bans in emergency care settings. However, legal challenges from anti-abortion states created uncertainty, and the Trump administration’s dismissal of a key lawsuit against Idaho in March removed federal enforcement in those states.
While the rollback does not change California law, Newsom said it could discourage hospitals and physicians in other states from providing emergency care. States like Idaho, Mississippi, and Oklahoma do not allow abortion as a stabilizing treatment unless a patient’s life is already at risk.
California has taken several steps to expand reproductive protections, including the launch of Abortion.CA.Gov and leadership in the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a coalition of 23 governors supporting access to abortion care.
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New CalAssist Fund Offers $105M Lifeline to Homeowners Hit by Fires, Floods
California is launching the CalAssist Mortgage Fund to deliver $105 million in mortgage relief to homeowners whose properties were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by recent natural disasters, including the Los Angeles County firestorms in January. The program opens for applications on June 12, offering grants of up to $20,000 per eligible household.
“Homeowners whose homes were destroyed in a recent fire, flood or other disaster deserve support in their recovery,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “The state is here to support. Today, California is extending this ongoing support to disaster victims in Los Angeles and beyond, by assisting with mortgage payments to relieve financial pressure and stress as families rebuild and recover.”
To qualify, the home must have been impacted by a disaster that received a State of Emergency or Major Disaster Declaration between January 2023 and January 2025, including events such as the Eaton Fire, Park Fire, and San Diego floods. The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) will manage the program, and funds will go directly to mortgage servicers. The grants do not need to be repaid.
The state is also pairing the fund with $25 million in housing counseling to help homeowners navigate recovery. “The CalAssist Mortgage Fund will provide more than $100 million in valuable support to help ease the financial pressure survivors face,” said Tomiquia Moss, Secretary of California’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.
CalHFA Chief Deputy Director Rebecca Franklin emphasized, “Hard-working families across the state, from Altadena to Chico, deserve relief as they work to recover from these devastating events.”
Homeowners can find eligibility information and apply at CalAssistMortgageFund.org or call 800-501-0019 for assistance. Applications are free and grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Kamala Harris Surprises Compton High Grads at 2025 Ceremony
Former Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at Compton High School’s graduation on June 5, joining more than 300 seniors and their families in a celebration held at the school’s new football stadium.
Although Harris did not deliver a speech, she stayed on stage throughout the ceremony. In a post on X, she said she was personally invited by graduating senior MyShay Causey, who met Harris while working at a restaurant where Harris and her husband were dining.
“She wrote a note to me and shared it with him, telling me about her incredible work in her community and her dream to work in education policy,” Harris wrote. “We spoke on the phone, and she invited me to attend Compton High School’s graduation. It was my honor to attend her ceremony today and celebrate the outstanding Class of 2025.”
Graduates took selfies with Harris and cheered her unexpected visit.
According to the district, 87% of Compton High seniors were accepted into community and four-year colleges, including UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, and Cornell. The district called the moment “more than just a graduation — it’s a moment that will live on in Compton history.”
