Barger warns county faces fiscal cliff from fed shutdown
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger (R-Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, San Marino, Pasadena, La Cañada-Flintridge, portions of the San Gabriel Valley) yesterday expressed deep concern following updates from County officials regarding the impact a prolonged federal shutdown will have on essential safety net programs.
“I am deeply concerned about the looming cliff facing many of our vulnerable families and children if federal funds are not secured by the end of this month,” said Barger.
“Programs like CalFresh, which provides essential food resources to thousands of families, and CalWORKS, which supports child welfare payments for children in need, are lifelines for the most vulnerable in our County. Without these resources, families who rely on them could face unimaginable hardship beginning November 1.
“The ongoing federal government shutdown will also affect funding needed to pay County employees in key departments, including Public Social Services and Children and Family Services. Any efforts by the County to backfill these shortfalls could impact our credit rating–a vital tool that keeps our necessary borrowing costs low. The cascading effects are worrisome.
“Clearly, our County’s resources are limited resources and every dollar counts. It is essential that we prioritize funding for these core programs. Spending on new initiatives outside this essential safety net should not come at the expense of basic support for families who depend on these services.
I urge our federal partners to act immediately to ensure that no family is left without the help they need and that our County can continue serving its residents effectively.”
Soto, Rubio applaud Newsom for protecting girls from sexual abuse
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and State Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park, Alhambra, El Monte, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, South El Monte, West Covina) commended Governor Gavin Newsom for signing SB680 – Sex offender registration: unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor into law.
This law closes a loophole that allowed sexual predators of teenage girls to avoid mandatory registration on California’s sex offender list. Feldstein Soto sponsored the measure and Rubio introduced it in the state legislature.
Under prior law, sexual offenses involving minors automatically require registration on the sex offender list. In some circumstances, particularly vaginal intercourse – when the girl is 14-17 years old and the man is no more than 10 years older- the law allows a judge to decide whether to require the alleged offender to register as a sex offender. SB 680 closes this loophole to ensure that cases involving minors are treated the same way as other sexual offenses that victimize children.
“Sex offenses against minors have been automatically registerable for years, except in cases of illegal sexual intercourse with young girls,” said Feldstein Soto.
“This bill is about one thing – protecting our girls,” said Rubio. “A predator like Jeffrey Epstein could have been sentenced to decades in prison. But when he got out, current California law might not have required him to register as a sex offender for some of his crimes. That’s appalling. If a grown man sexually abuses a young girl, we’re going to make sure he’s treated like every other sex offender. No loopholes. No excuses. SB 680 makes sure of that.”
SB 680 does not create new crimes, increase penalties or change sentencing laws. It merely fixes a blind spot that has to date allowed some of the most serious offenses against minors to be treated as less serious under the law.
Since 2023, Feldstein Soto has been leading a multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional initiative to disrupt the sex trafficking of minors on the Figueroa corridor in South Los Angeles. Her sponsorship of SB 680 is a continuation of this work.
The results of this initiative include:
- Over 200 children rescued, the youngest of whom was 12 years old;
- 22 adults assisted to leave sex work;
- More than 2,000 “dear john” letters sent;
- More than 190 perpetrators and pimps arrested, cited or prosecuted;
- Closure of area motels that contributed to the violent activity;
- Lawsuits against alleged crime magnet motels;
- Multiple permit revocations at area motels that permitted prostitution activity; and
- Investigations into other area businesses.
González measure adds LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Hotline
Assemblymember Mark González (D–Downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Commerce, Montebello, Vernon) last week saw Governor Gavin Newsom sign his measure, AB 727, to ensure LGBTQ+ California students have access to life-saving mental health resources.
The bill comes in direct response to President Donald Trump‘s recent termination of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program – a move that stripped vulnerable youth of critical, affirming support during times of crisis.
Since 2022, 988—the nation’s official hotline for suicide prevention and crisis management—has collaborated with several non-profit organizations that offer specialized services designed to prevent LGBTQ+ youth suicide.
Under the order of Trump, the hotline had no dedicated means of connecting LGBTQ+ youth with specialized providers.
“When Donald Trump and the federal government turn their backs on LGBTQ+ youth, California steps up,” said González. “With the signing of AB 727, we’re sending a clear message: our LGBTQ+ youth are seen, valued, and never alone. AB 727 is not just a piece of legislation; it is a lifeline for our queer youth.”
AB 727 will require student ID cards for grades 7–12 and at institutions of higher education to include the Trevor Project’s LGBTQ+ Crisis Support Line, providing immediate access to life-saving resources and crisis intervention.
Chu decries more layoffs at Jet Propulsion Laboratory
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena, west San Gabriel Valley) this week decried yet another round of layoffs at the Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in La Cañada Flintridge.
JPL, a NASA Center administered by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), announced the reduction of its workforce by 550 employees, or approximately 11% of its total staff. This is JPL’s third round of layoffs in the past two years.
“I am extremely disappointed and disheartened by the hundreds of JPL layoffs announced today, and my thoughts are with all the impacted workers and their families. These layoffs are an absolute tragedy, especially as they come at a time when our community is still recovering from the Eaton Fire that destroyed thousands of homes and disrupted so many lives and livelihoods just 9 months ago. They also come on the heels of two devastating rounds of layoffs last year of over 850 JPL employees,” said Chu.
This is not only a tragedy for our community but also an immense loss for our nation. JPL is a national asset that has helped the United States accomplish some of the greatest feats in space and science for decades. Every layoff devastates the highly skilled and uniquely talented workforce that has made these accomplishments possible. Taken together with last year’s layoffs, this will result in an untold loss of scientific knowledge and expertise that threatens the very future of American leadership in space exploration and scientific discovery.”
Chu said she has been doing everything possible to protect the workforce and fight for full funding for NASA’s programs and missions. This includes leading efforts in Congress to push for funding for critical missions like Mars Sample Return, which JPL is leading.
“As Co-Chair of the Planetary Science Caucus in Congress, I have led bipartisan appropriations requests to demand that Congress fully fund NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and protect all its missions. Most recently, I have been urging appropriators to include language in any short-term federal funding bill that would explicitly protect NASA’s budget and missions from any cuts. I will continue working tirelessly with my colleagues in Congress of both parties and will never stop fighting to protect our nation’s space program and the expert workforce that makes it all possible,” said Chu.
