The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) on Monday released its overview of Governor Gavin Newsom’s FY 2019-20 Budget Proposal. The LAO report assesses the state’s current budget position, discusses the Governor Newsom’s budget priorities and spending proposals, and areas for consideration as the Legislature begins its budget deliberations. As part of the assessment of the…
Read More »This week, the California Joint Legislative Budget Committee announced the selection of Gabriel Petek as the new Legislative Analyst. Petek begins on February 4 and succeeds Mac Taylor who retired in December after 10 years as the Legislative Analyst. Petek will join the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) from S&P Global Ratings where he currently manages…
Read More »On Wednesday, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) announced that the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved statewide cannabis regulations. These regulations were submitted to the OAL last month by the BCC, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). These regulations go into effect immediately and…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) recently released the National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) for 2019-2022. The strategy provides a vision to strengthen the country’s ability to prevent, detect, assess, prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from various disasters and emergencies. The…
Read More »On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued two model consumer-friendly drug facts labels (DFLs) for over-the-counter naloxone products. Currently, FDA-approved versions of naloxone require a prescription from a medical provider, posing a barrier to individuals who may be at risk of an opioid overdose. The FDA is currently engaged in activities to…
Read More »The de Beaumont Foundation this month released the 2017 results of the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS). PH WINS is a national survey of state and local public health agency employees that captures detailed demographics, workforce engagement, morale, training needs, and emerging concepts in public health. PH WINS also provides state-and…
Read More »On Monday, Gavin Newsom was sworn in as California’s 40th governor. On the steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento, Newsom in his expansive inaugural address underscored his commitment to Californians stating, “Our government will be progressive, principled, and always on the side of the people.” Newsom highlighted the need for a range of investments…
Read More »On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom released his proposed FY 2019-20 State Budget, proposing significant expenditures in the state’s fiscal health and new initiatives. The proposed budget totals $209 billion ($144 billion General Fund) and projects a $21.4 billion surplus. The total budget represents a four percent increase from last year’s budget. In a nearly two-hour…
Read More »On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom named a handful of individuals to key administration positions within the Governor’s Office. Among those appointments was Richard Figueroa as Deputy Cabinet Secretary. Figueroa joins the administration from The California Endowment where he served as Director of Prevention. Figueroa previously served as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and…
Read More »Despite the ongoing partial government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would be funded through February. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue indicated that USDA will be working with states to issue February benefits earlier than usual. States have until January 20 to request and receive…
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