Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced emergency action to increase the state’s firefighting capacity ahead of an anticipated difficult wildfire year. Using Emergency Fund authorization, the Governor approved $80.74 million for 1,399 additional firefighters with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to bolster fuels management and wildfire response efforts. Under the…
Read More »On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his selection of Assembly Member Rob Bonta as California’s next Attorney General. Bonta was named to the post following the recent confirmation of Xavier Becerra as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bonta’s nomination must be confirmed by the California State Assembly and Senate…
Read More »This week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that General Fund revenues are running approximately $14.3 billion above January’s revenue forecast, boosted by February receipts exceeding the month’s projections by nearly $4 billion. According to the Governor’s Office, nearly 60 percent of February’s gain is attributed to timing with lower refunds caused by later enactment of the…
Read More »The Newsom Administration on Thursday announced the state will begin expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to additional populations in April amid increased vaccine supplies. Beginning April 1, individuals age 50 and over will be eligible to make an appointment. Beginning April 15, individuals age 16 and over will become eligible. Based on current estimates, the Newsom…
Read More »Within the past week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated a series of its COVID-19 guidance related to commencement ceremonies, amusement and theme parks, outdoor seated live events, in-person school instruction, youth recreational sports, and cohorts. Below, we highlight these updates: Outdoor Seated Live Events & Performances: CDPH today issued updated industry guidance…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Senate confirmed two officials nominated by the Biden-Harris Administration to top posts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dr. Vivek Murthy was confirmed on Tuesday as the U.S. Surgeon General on a 57-43 vote. This is Dr. Murthy’s second time serving as surgeon general after serving in…
Read More »Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday issued Executive Order N-04-21to further assist communities across the state recover from wildfires that occurred last year. The order extends the state’s prohibition on price gouging for counties impacted by various wildfires in August and September 2020.
Read More »The Healthy Aging Initiative on Thursday, April 22 from 10:00 am to 11:15 am will convene a webinar as part of its Master Plan for Aging (MPA) and related Local Playbook. The webinar will feature representatives from the California Department of Aging (CDA) for a discussion on implementing MPA public health initiatives at the local…
Read More »The California Can’t Wait (#CACantWait) Coalition, consisting of CHEAC, HOAC, CSAC, RCRC, UCC, SEIU California, and Public Health Advocates, has developed a two-pronged proposal that would begin to reverse the decades-long disinvestment in local public health departments. The coalition’s budget proposal consists of $200 million General Fund ongoing to support local health departments in rebuilding…
Read More »This week, CHEAC was joined by the County Behavioral Health Directors Association (CBHDA), County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA), and the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (CAPH) in declaring racism a public health crisis. As a group, the organizations join local governments around California and throughout the country, including the boards…
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