Gomez, Waters protect Job Corps Centers
U.S. Reps Jimmy Gomez (D-Downtown LA, Koreatown, Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock) and Maxine Waters (D-Inglewood, Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Lomita), yesterday, rallied outside the LA Job Corps Center to demand that the Trump administration reverse its harmful decision to shut down all contractor-operated Job Corps centers by June 30.
Joining the rally were LA County Supervisor and former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, labor leaders, and Job Corps graduates. The Job Corps program offers free vocational training, housing, and GED preparation for young people aged 16-24, particularly those from underserved communities.
“Job Corps isn’t just about teaching basic skills—it creates real opportunity and has launched tens of thousands of young people into successful careers,” said Gomez. “Shutting down Job Corps doesn’t just hurt these students — it hurts our economy. This program has saved taxpayers millions by helping at-risk youth become self-sufficient. We can’t let the administration take that away.”
“[Congress] included funding to enroll students in Job Corps centers for the new program year starting in 2025, and the administration must faithfully implement Job Corps with the resources Congress appropriated,” said Waters. “Ending it now without congressional approval would be yet another example of this administration’s disregard for Congress and our constitutional role in federal spending.”
“Many of these students will be the first in their families to earn a high school diploma or GED, an apprenticeship certificate, or go on to college,” said Solis. “I’ve seen Job Corps graduates thrive in the healthcare industry and culinary arts, and many more.”
Hahn’s Long Beach allocation
LA County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn, yesterday, spearheaded the Supervisors’ unanimous vote to allocate $1.5 million to a pedestrian-friendly makeover of a four-block section of 1st Street in Downtown Long Beach.
The planned centerpiece of the project will be Blue Line Rail Car #100, the first rail car to operate on the Los Angeles Metro Blue Line when it opened in 1990.
“In 1990, the Blue Line ushered in the future of transportation in LA County. Today, this transformation of 1st Street is ushering in the future of Downtown Long Beach while paying homage to our proud history of visionary projects that make life better for our communities,” said Hahn.
The project, administered by the City of Long Beach, will transform a four-block section of 1st Street in the downtown core into a pedestrian-friendly mobility corridor connecting the newly redeveloped Civic Center at Pacific Avenue eastward toward the East Village Arts District at Elm Street. Construction is expected to begin late this year and to last 9 months.
Construction of the Blue Line—Los Angeles County’s first light rail line—was made possible by Proposition A, a half-cent sales tax that Hahn’s father, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, fought to place on the ballot. Voters approved the measure in 1980. Kenneth Hahn later lobbied for the Blue Line, connecting Long Beach with Los Angeles, to be built first.
McKinnor’s reparations bills pass Assembly
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D – Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale) last week saw the Assembly overwhelmingly approve her legislation to repair the harm inflicted on California descendants of formerly enslaved people.
Assembly bills 57 and 62 are part of the California Legislative Black Caucus’ “Road to Repair” legislative package.
AB 57 will address systemic inequities in homeownership by reserving a portion of the funds within California’s Home Purchase Assistance Program specifically for the descendants of formerly enslaved people. This targeted approach acknowledges the historical harms caused by slavery and systemic racism and aims to provide reparative housing assistance. AB 57 was approved on a vote of 52 to 10.
AB 62 will provide a pathway for victims of racially motivated eminent domain to seek redress for the harm caused to them or their family. This bill reflects California’s commitment to advancing racial equity by addressing historical injustices and fostering community restoration. The measure was approved on a vote of 57 to 4.
“It is time for California to stand up and repair the generational harms caused by slavery and the trauma that continues to impact the lives of Californians who are the descendants of formerly enslaved people,” said McKinnor. “Helping Californians build generational wealth through homeownership and being fairly compensated for property wrongfully taken from them or their family is just two of many steps needed to address the lingering injustices of slavery that continue to this day.”
AB 57 and AB 62 now head to the State Senate for further action.
