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"title": "Major Wage-Theft Claim Backlog Due to Severe Understaffing at California Labor Agency, Audit Finds",
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"content": "\u003cp>Severe understaffing, slow hiring, poor training and inefficient bureaucracy combine to slow California’s investigations of wage theft claims, the state auditor’s office concluded Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/the-california-labor-commissioners-office/\">audit of the state Labor Commissioner’s Office\u003c/a>, is a backlog of 47,000 claims that take six times longer to resolve than the four months set in state law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Workers are left waiting years for money they claim they are owed when their employers fail to pay the minimum wage, overtime premiums or legally required break times. Then, those who need the office’s help to collect on their back pay only get all their money back 12% of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The audit confirms the findings of several recent news reports on the problem, including a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/series/unpaid-wages-california-workers/\">2022 CalMatters series detailing long waits\u003c/a> and low payouts for workers making claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The audit stated that it would take the Labor Commissioner’s Office wage claims unit nearly 900 staff members to fully address the backlogs and handle claims in the time required by law. That’s almost three times the positions the unit currently has — about a third of which are vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though auditors pinned the office’s crisis largely to the understaffing, it also found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The office has a unit to help workers who win their claims recover the money from resistant employers by placing liens on property, levying bank accounts or, in some cases, revoking the employers’ business licenses. However, that unit didn’t recover any of the money in most cases and often did not use all the methods available.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Hiring is overseen by two different human resources departments: the Labor Commissioner and that of the larger Department of Industrial Relations. The auditor found the slow process resulted in the office losing qualified candidates. Pay is also sometimes lower than comparable state and local government jobs, the audit found, particularly for hearing officers.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The audit criticized the office for failing to adequately train new staff and supervisors and for using a case management system that was rife with inaccuracies and unreliable data, making it difficult for the office to track the progress of wage claims.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In response to the report, Katrina S. Hagen, the industrial relations director, wrote that the office is working on improvements to the case management system and conducting a study of staff salaries to improve retention. She also noted California is passing increasingly complex new labor laws that may prevent the office from meeting case deadlines even with enough staffing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wage claim system is decades old. In recent years, California labor officials have increasingly tried alternative enforcement methods, including workplace-wide investigations in low-wage industries with the help of worker advocates. Last week, they announced they would award $8.5 million to 17 local prosecutors to bring criminal charges against problem employers. [aside postID=news_11979626 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/SAUL-PEDROZA-26-KQED-1020x680.jpg']However, advocates said the individual claim system is still an important way for workers who believe they’ve been underpaid to recover small amounts without hiring a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The audit immediately prompted labor leaders to call for the state to prioritize hiring at the Labor Commissioner’s Office. The California Labor Federation said the office should get emergency hiring authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today’s audit findings demonstrate that California workers face an enforcement crisis,” federation leader Lorena Gonzalez said in a statement. “Our state enforcement agencies weren’t designed to handle this magnitude of labor law violations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/steven-glazer-165414\">Steve Glazer\u003c/a>, an Orinda Democrat who pushed for the audit last year in response to the news reports, lambasted the office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The California State Auditor’s report makes clear that our State Labor Commissioner is a toothless enforcer of our wage theft laws,” he said in a statement. “Immediate and decisive action to restore integrity and effectiveness to the Labor Commissioner’s office is needed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Glazer isn’t planning any bills to address the issue, his spokesperson Steven Harmon said.\u003cbr>\n[aside label='Related Coverage' tag='immigration']The release of the audit puts pressure on lawmakers and business and labor lobbyists to reach a deal in a simmering battle over another California labor law. A longtime target of the California Chamber of Commerce and other employers’ groups, the Private Attorneys General Act allows workers with private lawyers to take on the role of the state in suing their employers for alleged violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The class-action suits brought against employers generate about $200 million a year in penalties that get deposited into a fund for state labor enforcement efforts. Workers’ advocates argue those cases are also diverted from what would be an even worse backlog for the Labor Commissioner’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Chamber-backed measure to repeal the law is scheduled to be on voters’ ballots in November, though business and labor groups have until late June to reach a compromise that could be passed by the Legislature instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is absolutely the worst time to even consider” repealing the law, said Alexandra Suh, co-president of the California Coalition for Worker Power and executive director of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers’ Alliance in LA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance has been helping workers file wage claims for more than 30 years, and Suh said delays at the office have been a longstanding problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This audit is even more clear evidence in my mind that we need to preserve PAGA, preserve the right of workers to stand in the shoes of the state to address violations and relieve pressure on the Labor Commissioner’s Office,” Suh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Severe understaffing, slow hiring, poor training and inefficient bureaucracy combine to slow California’s investigations of wage theft claims, the state auditor’s office concluded Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/the-california-labor-commissioners-office/\">audit of the state Labor Commissioner’s Office\u003c/a>, is a backlog of 47,000 claims that take six times longer to resolve than the four months set in state law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Workers are left waiting years for money they claim they are owed when their employers fail to pay the minimum wage, overtime premiums or legally required break times. Then, those who need the office’s help to collect on their back pay only get all their money back 12% of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The audit confirms the findings of several recent news reports on the problem, including a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/series/unpaid-wages-california-workers/\">2022 CalMatters series detailing long waits\u003c/a> and low payouts for workers making claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The audit stated that it would take the Labor Commissioner’s Office wage claims unit nearly 900 staff members to fully address the backlogs and handle claims in the time required by law. That’s almost three times the positions the unit currently has — about a third of which are vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though auditors pinned the office’s crisis largely to the understaffing, it also found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The office has a unit to help workers who win their claims recover the money from resistant employers by placing liens on property, levying bank accounts or, in some cases, revoking the employers’ business licenses. However, that unit didn’t recover any of the money in most cases and often did not use all the methods available.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Hiring is overseen by two different human resources departments: the Labor Commissioner and that of the larger Department of Industrial Relations. The auditor found the slow process resulted in the office losing qualified candidates. Pay is also sometimes lower than comparable state and local government jobs, the audit found, particularly for hearing officers.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The audit criticized the office for failing to adequately train new staff and supervisors and for using a case management system that was rife with inaccuracies and unreliable data, making it difficult for the office to track the progress of wage claims.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In response to the report, Katrina S. Hagen, the industrial relations director, wrote that the office is working on improvements to the case management system and conducting a study of staff salaries to improve retention. She also noted California is passing increasingly complex new labor laws that may prevent the office from meeting case deadlines even with enough staffing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wage claim system is decades old. In recent years, California labor officials have increasingly tried alternative enforcement methods, including workplace-wide investigations in low-wage industries with the help of worker advocates. Last week, they announced they would award $8.5 million to 17 local prosecutors to bring criminal charges against problem employers. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>However, advocates said the individual claim system is still an important way for workers who believe they’ve been underpaid to recover small amounts without hiring a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The audit immediately prompted labor leaders to call for the state to prioritize hiring at the Labor Commissioner’s Office. The California Labor Federation said the office should get emergency hiring authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today’s audit findings demonstrate that California workers face an enforcement crisis,” federation leader Lorena Gonzalez said in a statement. “Our state enforcement agencies weren’t designed to handle this magnitude of labor law violations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/steven-glazer-165414\">Steve Glazer\u003c/a>, an Orinda Democrat who pushed for the audit last year in response to the news reports, lambasted the office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The California State Auditor’s report makes clear that our State Labor Commissioner is a toothless enforcer of our wage theft laws,” he said in a statement. “Immediate and decisive action to restore integrity and effectiveness to the Labor Commissioner’s office is needed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Glazer isn’t planning any bills to address the issue, his spokesperson Steven Harmon said.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The release of the audit puts pressure on lawmakers and business and labor lobbyists to reach a deal in a simmering battle over another California labor law. A longtime target of the California Chamber of Commerce and other employers’ groups, the Private Attorneys General Act allows workers with private lawyers to take on the role of the state in suing their employers for alleged violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The class-action suits brought against employers generate about $200 million a year in penalties that get deposited into a fund for state labor enforcement efforts. Workers’ advocates argue those cases are also diverted from what would be an even worse backlog for the Labor Commissioner’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Chamber-backed measure to repeal the law is scheduled to be on voters’ ballots in November, though business and labor groups have until late June to reach a compromise that could be passed by the Legislature instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is absolutely the worst time to even consider” repealing the law, said Alexandra Suh, co-president of the California Coalition for Worker Power and executive director of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers’ Alliance in LA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance has been helping workers file wage claims for more than 30 years, and Suh said delays at the office have been a longstanding problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This audit is even more clear evidence in my mind that we need to preserve PAGA, preserve the right of workers to stand in the shoes of the state to address violations and relieve pressure on the Labor Commissioner’s Office,” Suh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "2024-mpox-vaccine-formerly-monkeypox-symptoms-rash",
"title": "Get Your Free 2024 Mpox Vaccine, Say San Francisco Health Officials",
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"content": "\u003cp>Back in the summer and fall of 2022, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919070/monkeypox-in-the-bay-area-from-symptoms-to-how-to-find-a-vaccine-heres-what-we-know\">an outbreak of the mpox virus\u003c/a>— \u003cu>\u003c/u>\u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2022-who-recommends-new-name-for-monkeypox-disease\">formerly known as monkeypox\u003c/a> — hit the United States, particularly affecting gay and bisexual men, as well as trans and nonbinary people who have sex with men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11939819/when-mpox-hit-community-clinics-stepped-in-why-hasnt-the-government-paid-them-back-yet\">a mass vaccination effort led by organizers from the LGBTQ+ community\u003c/a> and public health officials, the rate of mpox infections dropped sharply to very low numbers in California. But with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/pride\">San Francisco’s giant 2024 Pride celebrations\u003c/a> a month away, the city’s health officials are once again reminding local communities to seek out the free mpox vaccine if they haven’t already — even though there hasn’t been another outbreak here so far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading to learn what we know about mpox in the Bay Area in 2024, the precautions local public health officials recommend ahead of Pride month, and where you can find an mpox vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#findmonkeypoxvaccine\">Where can I find a free mpox vaccine?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#whatismpox\">What is mpox and how does it spread?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#monkeypoxsymptomsrash\">What are the symptoms of mpox? What does the rash look like?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Do I need to worry about mpox again in the Bay Area in 2024?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The good news: There is no current mpox outbreak in the Bay Area or California, confirmed Dr. Julia Janssen, deputy director of the HIV/STI Prevention and Control Branch at the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) — and case counts remain low. In 2024, San Francisco has only seen nine total mpox cases so far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janssen said that SFPDH is, therefore, basing its vaccine reminder on:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The possible seasonality of mpox\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Based on previous surges of infections during the summer and fall months, city health officials recognize “that this may be a seasonal pattern,” Janssen said — and they’re making their recommendations accordingly. (After the “large surge of cases” during the initial 2022 outbreak, San Francisco saw a second, smaller surge of 87 cases the following year from July through December 2023.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while “we don’t know enough about mpox yet to know if we’ll see that again,” Janssen said, “because we’ve seen it in the past, we want to be ready, and we want to be prepared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summer travel and mpox cases elsewhere\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also San Francisco’s Pride celebrations right around the corner in June — when many folks gather and arrive in the region from other parts of the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the summer months, with more travel, more events, more interactions, and more gatherings, there’s more opportunities for mpox to spread,” Janssen said. And while nationally, mpox cases have “remained quite low over the past several months,” Janssen said, “we are watching other areas of the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Globally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are also monitoring\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7319a3.htm?s_cid=mm7319a3_w\"> a recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo\u003c/a> of a strain of mpox — called “clade I” — that causes more severe illness and higher fatality rates than the “clade II” type that’s been circulating in the U.S. According to the CDC’s most recent available figures, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/outbreak/2023-drc.html#:~:text=Since%20January%201%2C%202023%2C%20DRC,and%20more%20than%20900%20deaths.\">this clade I outbreak has resulted in more than 19,000 suspected cases and over 900 deaths\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thus far, there have been no known clade I cases of mpox in the United States,” Janssen said. “We would provide any updates if that were to change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Making the mpox vaccine routine\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFPDH and other health agencies want people to consider the mpox vaccine “as a part of comprehensive sexual health care,” Janssen said— rather than an emergency response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to encourage people to think about it as they’re thinking about STI testing, treatment and evaluation … as a part of their comprehensive sexual health,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who is most at risk from mpox?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>SFDPH said that previous mpox outbreaks have predominantly affected communities of gay and bisexual men, and men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as trans and nonbinary people who have sex with men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City health officials also especially recommend the mpox vaccine for all people living with HIV, and “anyone taking or eligible to take HIV PrEP.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In San Francisco, over 99% of our cases since July 1, 2023, have been among cis men with male partners,” Janssen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A reminder: The mpox vaccine is available to anybody in the Bay Area, with no eligibility requirements to meet. (In the early days of the 2022 outbreak, public health officials \u003cem>were\u003c/em> originally only offering vaccines to people who’d been exposed to mpox or were categorized as being in a specific group more at risk from mpox, but rest assured that those criteria are no longer in effect.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mpox vaccine was also originally only available for people aged 18 and older, but in 2022 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency-use authorization that allows providers to also give the vaccine to young people aged under 18 who are “determined to be at high risk” of infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"findmonkeypoxvaccine\">\u003c/a>Do I need to get the mpox vaccine?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mpox vaccine currently available in the U.S. (brand name: Jynneos) is a two-dose series, with roughly a month between doses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maximal immunity is achieved two weeks after receipt of the second dose of the vaccine,” Janssen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you’ve already had both doses of the mpox vaccine:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’re all up to date — and you don’t need to get another mpox vaccine in 2024. There’s no recommendation at this time to get an mpox booster, confirmed Janssen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you \u003cem>haven’t \u003c/em>already had the mpox vaccine\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Go ahead and get your first dose as soon as possible, then get your second dose around 28 days later. A good reason to move quickly to get your first dose right now: You’ll then be able to get your second dose just ahead of Pride, and your immunity will quickly start building to that maximal level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you forget or get overwhelmed by events, don’t stress too much about timing: Just go get your mpox vaccine when you can. “Any vaccine is better than no vaccine,” Janssen said, “so we’re encouraging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible to get protection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you got \u003cem>only your first dose\u003c/em> of the mpox vaccine or more than 28 days ago:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Go get your second dose as soon as possible, Janssen said — and don’t worry if you got your first dose as long ago as 2022, back in the original outbreak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can get the second dose at any time,” Janssen confirmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I find the mpox vaccine?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Your mpox vaccine will be 100% free, and you don’t need health insurance to receive one. As with the COVID-19 vaccine, receiving an mpox vaccine won’t make you \u003ca href=\"https://documentedny.com/2021/04/04/public-charge-rule-explained/\">a public charge\u003c/a> or affect any future immigration processes you may enter into, and you won’t be asked about your immigration status to receive the mpox vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you have a regular health care provider, SFDPH recommends you ask them first about getting the mpox vaccine. Your vaccine will be free, but you may be charged a regular copay for seeing your provider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you don’t have a regular health care provider or insurance, you can find the mpox vaccine free at clinics around the Bay Area. You can opt to schedule an appointment or choose a walk-in clinic, depending on what works best for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in or near San Francisco:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>See \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox-vaccine\">a full list of mpox vaccine sites near you in San Francisco\u003c/a>. Cohen confirms that you don’t have to be a city resident to get vaccinated for mpox in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mpox vaccination sites elsewhere in the Bay Area and California:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Find an mpox vaccine clinic near you using \u003ca href=\"https://npin.cdc.gov/DynWidgets/index.html?chost=www.cdc.gov&cpath=/lgbthealth/summer/index.html&csearch=&chash=&ctitle=Get%20Healthy%20and%20Ready%20for%20Summer%20%7C%20LGBT%20Health%20%7C%20CDC&wn=DynWidgets&wf=/DynWidgets/&wid=DynWidgets1&mMode=widget&mPage=&mChannel=&componentName=MpoxLocator#/\">the CDC’s Vaccine Locator\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Find an mpox vaccine clinic near you using \u003ca href=\"https://myturn.ca.gov/\">the state’s myturn.ca.gov site\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Can I get my mpox vaccine at a pharmacy?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some pharmacies offer mpox vaccination appointments online, along with other vaccines like COVID and flu. But if you choose this route, you’ll be asked for insurance details — and it’s important to verify with your insurer first that they’ll cover you receiving the mpox vaccine at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens, as the out-of-pocket costs you’ll be quoted may be steep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you get your health care through a health system like Kaiser Permanente, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get your mpox vaccine covered by insurance at a pharmacy — the way you can’t get your COVID or flu shot covered by Kaiser at a pharmacy either — and may have to seek it directly from a Kaiser provider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re able to make an appointment online at a pharmacy for your mpox vaccine, you should consider calling that location ahead of time to verify that they do indeed have supply in stock. A CVS spokesperson told KQED by email that in San Francisco, CVS pharmacies have “limited supply of the monkeypox vaccine in our pharmacies, but a pharmacist can order the vaccine if requested by a patient.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How effective is the mpox vaccine?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Very. “While we know that no vaccine is 100% effective, we do know that less than 1% of persons who have been fully vaccinated have been diagnosed with mpox,” Janssen said, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7320a3.htm?s_cid=mm7320a3_w\">a recent study from the CDC on the mpox vaccine’s efficacy.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another reason to get an mpox vaccine: It’s been shown to help reduce symptoms — which can be very painful — if you \u003cem>do\u003c/em> still get infected. It also “reduces illness severity and the risk of hospitalization and death,” Janssen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"whatismpox\">\u003c/a>What is mpox, and how does it spread?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/monkeypox\">Mpox is a disease that is caused when a person is infected with the mpox virus.\u003c/a> As the name might suggest, the virus is related to the smallpox virus but is generally less severe and “much less contagious” than smallpox, according to CDPH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox\">Mpox spreads through “prolonged skin-to-skin contact,”\u003c/a> SFDPH said, which can include sex, kissing and sharing bedding or clothing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>See how mpox cases are tracked around the country:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Mpox-Data.aspx\">Mpox case data for California\u003c/a> via the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/monkeypox-cases\">Mpox case data for San Francisco\u003c/a> via SFDPH\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html\">Mpox case data for the United States\u003c/a> via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"monkeypoxsymptomsrash\">\u003c/a>What are the symptoms of mpox?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mpox symptoms often start as flu-like conditions, SFPDH said, but the virus also appears as a rash or sores or spots that can resemble pimples or blisters on the skin anywhere on the body, especially around your genitals. These spots often start as “red, flat spots and then become bumps,” SFDPH said, before the bumps become filled with pus and turn into scabs when they break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html\">If you’re unsure about recognizing an mpox rash, the CDC has a photo guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html\">Mpox can have a long incubation period\u003c/a> — that is, the time between when you’re exposed to mpox and when you start to develop symptoms — that can range from three to 17 days, according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you suspect you might have mpox symptoms — even if they’re subtle — see your health care provider right away or \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-medicine\">consult one of SFPDH’s clinics for mpox testing\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox\">See more on what to do if you suspect you have mpox.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Is mpox the same as monkeypox?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. In 2022, the World Health Organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.ems1.com/infectious-diseases/articles/monkeypox-gets-new-name-after-racist-and-stigmatizing-language-health-officials-say-i1djjhzOPR7VCJrC/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhen%20the%20outbreak%20of%20monkeypox,monkeypox%20worldwide%20as%20of%20Nov.\">announced it would adopt the new, preferred term “mpox” as a synonym for monkeypox\u003c/a> in light of the “racist and stigmatizing language online, in other settings and in some communities” that the agency said it had observed during the outbreak earlier that year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may have also seen the virus referred to as MPX, which was the name originally adopted by SFDPH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A month from Pride, officials are urging people at higher risk for mpox — formerly monkeypox — to find a free vaccine if they haven't already. Here’s how mpox spreads, the symptoms to look for, and what to do if you have already received an mpox vaccine.",
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"title": "Get Your Free 2024 Mpox Vaccine, Say San Francisco Health Officials | KQED",
"description": "A month from Pride, officials are urging people at higher risk for mpox — formerly monkeypox — to find a free vaccine if they haven't already. Here’s how mpox spreads, the symptoms to look for, and what to do if you have already received an mpox vaccine.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Back in the summer and fall of 2022, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919070/monkeypox-in-the-bay-area-from-symptoms-to-how-to-find-a-vaccine-heres-what-we-know\">an outbreak of the mpox virus\u003c/a>— \u003cu>\u003c/u>\u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2022-who-recommends-new-name-for-monkeypox-disease\">formerly known as monkeypox\u003c/a> — hit the United States, particularly affecting gay and bisexual men, as well as trans and nonbinary people who have sex with men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11939819/when-mpox-hit-community-clinics-stepped-in-why-hasnt-the-government-paid-them-back-yet\">a mass vaccination effort led by organizers from the LGBTQ+ community\u003c/a> and public health officials, the rate of mpox infections dropped sharply to very low numbers in California. But with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/pride\">San Francisco’s giant 2024 Pride celebrations\u003c/a> a month away, the city’s health officials are once again reminding local communities to seek out the free mpox vaccine if they haven’t already — even though there hasn’t been another outbreak here so far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading to learn what we know about mpox in the Bay Area in 2024, the precautions local public health officials recommend ahead of Pride month, and where you can find an mpox vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#findmonkeypoxvaccine\">Where can I find a free mpox vaccine?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#whatismpox\">What is mpox and how does it spread?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#monkeypoxsymptomsrash\">What are the symptoms of mpox? What does the rash look like?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Do I need to worry about mpox again in the Bay Area in 2024?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The good news: There is no current mpox outbreak in the Bay Area or California, confirmed Dr. Julia Janssen, deputy director of the HIV/STI Prevention and Control Branch at the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) — and case counts remain low. In 2024, San Francisco has only seen nine total mpox cases so far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janssen said that SFPDH is, therefore, basing its vaccine reminder on:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The possible seasonality of mpox\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Based on previous surges of infections during the summer and fall months, city health officials recognize “that this may be a seasonal pattern,” Janssen said — and they’re making their recommendations accordingly. (After the “large surge of cases” during the initial 2022 outbreak, San Francisco saw a second, smaller surge of 87 cases the following year from July through December 2023.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while “we don’t know enough about mpox yet to know if we’ll see that again,” Janssen said, “because we’ve seen it in the past, we want to be ready, and we want to be prepared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summer travel and mpox cases elsewhere\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also San Francisco’s Pride celebrations right around the corner in June — when many folks gather and arrive in the region from other parts of the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the summer months, with more travel, more events, more interactions, and more gatherings, there’s more opportunities for mpox to spread,” Janssen said. And while nationally, mpox cases have “remained quite low over the past several months,” Janssen said, “we are watching other areas of the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Globally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are also monitoring\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7319a3.htm?s_cid=mm7319a3_w\"> a recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo\u003c/a> of a strain of mpox — called “clade I” — that causes more severe illness and higher fatality rates than the “clade II” type that’s been circulating in the U.S. According to the CDC’s most recent available figures, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/outbreak/2023-drc.html#:~:text=Since%20January%201%2C%202023%2C%20DRC,and%20more%20than%20900%20deaths.\">this clade I outbreak has resulted in more than 19,000 suspected cases and over 900 deaths\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thus far, there have been no known clade I cases of mpox in the United States,” Janssen said. “We would provide any updates if that were to change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Making the mpox vaccine routine\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFPDH and other health agencies want people to consider the mpox vaccine “as a part of comprehensive sexual health care,” Janssen said— rather than an emergency response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to encourage people to think about it as they’re thinking about STI testing, treatment and evaluation … as a part of their comprehensive sexual health,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who is most at risk from mpox?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>SFDPH said that previous mpox outbreaks have predominantly affected communities of gay and bisexual men, and men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as trans and nonbinary people who have sex with men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City health officials also especially recommend the mpox vaccine for all people living with HIV, and “anyone taking or eligible to take HIV PrEP.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In San Francisco, over 99% of our cases since July 1, 2023, have been among cis men with male partners,” Janssen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A reminder: The mpox vaccine is available to anybody in the Bay Area, with no eligibility requirements to meet. (In the early days of the 2022 outbreak, public health officials \u003cem>were\u003c/em> originally only offering vaccines to people who’d been exposed to mpox or were categorized as being in a specific group more at risk from mpox, but rest assured that those criteria are no longer in effect.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mpox vaccine was also originally only available for people aged 18 and older, but in 2022 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency-use authorization that allows providers to also give the vaccine to young people aged under 18 who are “determined to be at high risk” of infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"findmonkeypoxvaccine\">\u003c/a>Do I need to get the mpox vaccine?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mpox vaccine currently available in the U.S. (brand name: Jynneos) is a two-dose series, with roughly a month between doses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maximal immunity is achieved two weeks after receipt of the second dose of the vaccine,” Janssen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you’ve already had both doses of the mpox vaccine:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’re all up to date — and you don’t need to get another mpox vaccine in 2024. There’s no recommendation at this time to get an mpox booster, confirmed Janssen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you \u003cem>haven’t \u003c/em>already had the mpox vaccine\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Go ahead and get your first dose as soon as possible, then get your second dose around 28 days later. A good reason to move quickly to get your first dose right now: You’ll then be able to get your second dose just ahead of Pride, and your immunity will quickly start building to that maximal level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you forget or get overwhelmed by events, don’t stress too much about timing: Just go get your mpox vaccine when you can. “Any vaccine is better than no vaccine,” Janssen said, “so we’re encouraging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible to get protection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you got \u003cem>only your first dose\u003c/em> of the mpox vaccine or more than 28 days ago:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Go get your second dose as soon as possible, Janssen said — and don’t worry if you got your first dose as long ago as 2022, back in the original outbreak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can get the second dose at any time,” Janssen confirmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I find the mpox vaccine?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Your mpox vaccine will be 100% free, and you don’t need health insurance to receive one. As with the COVID-19 vaccine, receiving an mpox vaccine won’t make you \u003ca href=\"https://documentedny.com/2021/04/04/public-charge-rule-explained/\">a public charge\u003c/a> or affect any future immigration processes you may enter into, and you won’t be asked about your immigration status to receive the mpox vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you have a regular health care provider, SFDPH recommends you ask them first about getting the mpox vaccine. Your vaccine will be free, but you may be charged a regular copay for seeing your provider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you don’t have a regular health care provider or insurance, you can find the mpox vaccine free at clinics around the Bay Area. You can opt to schedule an appointment or choose a walk-in clinic, depending on what works best for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in or near San Francisco:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>See \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox-vaccine\">a full list of mpox vaccine sites near you in San Francisco\u003c/a>. Cohen confirms that you don’t have to be a city resident to get vaccinated for mpox in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mpox vaccination sites elsewhere in the Bay Area and California:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Find an mpox vaccine clinic near you using \u003ca href=\"https://npin.cdc.gov/DynWidgets/index.html?chost=www.cdc.gov&cpath=/lgbthealth/summer/index.html&csearch=&chash=&ctitle=Get%20Healthy%20and%20Ready%20for%20Summer%20%7C%20LGBT%20Health%20%7C%20CDC&wn=DynWidgets&wf=/DynWidgets/&wid=DynWidgets1&mMode=widget&mPage=&mChannel=&componentName=MpoxLocator#/\">the CDC’s Vaccine Locator\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Find an mpox vaccine clinic near you using \u003ca href=\"https://myturn.ca.gov/\">the state’s myturn.ca.gov site\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Can I get my mpox vaccine at a pharmacy?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some pharmacies offer mpox vaccination appointments online, along with other vaccines like COVID and flu. But if you choose this route, you’ll be asked for insurance details — and it’s important to verify with your insurer first that they’ll cover you receiving the mpox vaccine at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens, as the out-of-pocket costs you’ll be quoted may be steep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you get your health care through a health system like Kaiser Permanente, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get your mpox vaccine covered by insurance at a pharmacy — the way you can’t get your COVID or flu shot covered by Kaiser at a pharmacy either — and may have to seek it directly from a Kaiser provider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re able to make an appointment online at a pharmacy for your mpox vaccine, you should consider calling that location ahead of time to verify that they do indeed have supply in stock. A CVS spokesperson told KQED by email that in San Francisco, CVS pharmacies have “limited supply of the monkeypox vaccine in our pharmacies, but a pharmacist can order the vaccine if requested by a patient.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How effective is the mpox vaccine?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Very. “While we know that no vaccine is 100% effective, we do know that less than 1% of persons who have been fully vaccinated have been diagnosed with mpox,” Janssen said, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7320a3.htm?s_cid=mm7320a3_w\">a recent study from the CDC on the mpox vaccine’s efficacy.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another reason to get an mpox vaccine: It’s been shown to help reduce symptoms — which can be very painful — if you \u003cem>do\u003c/em> still get infected. It also “reduces illness severity and the risk of hospitalization and death,” Janssen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"whatismpox\">\u003c/a>What is mpox, and how does it spread?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/monkeypox\">Mpox is a disease that is caused when a person is infected with the mpox virus.\u003c/a> As the name might suggest, the virus is related to the smallpox virus but is generally less severe and “much less contagious” than smallpox, according to CDPH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox\">Mpox spreads through “prolonged skin-to-skin contact,”\u003c/a> SFDPH said, which can include sex, kissing and sharing bedding or clothing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>See how mpox cases are tracked around the country:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Mpox-Data.aspx\">Mpox case data for California\u003c/a> via the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/monkeypox-cases\">Mpox case data for San Francisco\u003c/a> via SFDPH\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html\">Mpox case data for the United States\u003c/a> via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"monkeypoxsymptomsrash\">\u003c/a>What are the symptoms of mpox?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mpox symptoms often start as flu-like conditions, SFPDH said, but the virus also appears as a rash or sores or spots that can resemble pimples or blisters on the skin anywhere on the body, especially around your genitals. These spots often start as “red, flat spots and then become bumps,” SFDPH said, before the bumps become filled with pus and turn into scabs when they break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html\">If you’re unsure about recognizing an mpox rash, the CDC has a photo guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html\">Mpox can have a long incubation period\u003c/a> — that is, the time between when you’re exposed to mpox and when you start to develop symptoms — that can range from three to 17 days, according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you suspect you might have mpox symptoms — even if they’re subtle — see your health care provider right away or \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-medicine\">consult one of SFPDH’s clinics for mpox testing\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox\">See more on what to do if you suspect you have mpox.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Is mpox the same as monkeypox?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. In 2022, the World Health Organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.ems1.com/infectious-diseases/articles/monkeypox-gets-new-name-after-racist-and-stigmatizing-language-health-officials-say-i1djjhzOPR7VCJrC/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhen%20the%20outbreak%20of%20monkeypox,monkeypox%20worldwide%20as%20of%20Nov.\">announced it would adopt the new, preferred term “mpox” as a synonym for monkeypox\u003c/a> in light of the “racist and stigmatizing language online, in other settings and in some communities” that the agency said it had observed during the outbreak earlier that year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may have also seen the virus referred to as MPX, which was the name originally adopted by SFDPH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As corporations increasingly weave artificial intelligence technologies into the daily lives of Americans, California lawmakers want to build public trust, fight algorithmic discrimination and outlaw deepfakes that involve elections or pornography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The efforts in California — home to many of the world’s biggest AI companies — could pave the way for AI regulations across the country. The United States is already behind Europe in regulating AI to limit risks, lawmakers and experts say, and the rapidly growing technology is raising concerns about job loss, misinformation, invasions of privacy and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-ai-explained-policy-technology-regulations-discrimination-d3226c9139d3d06af263e7ff467d0666\">automation bias\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A slew of proposals aimed at addressing those concerns advanced last week but must win the other chamber’s approval before arriving at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. The Democratic governor has promoted California as an early adopter as well as regulator, saying the state \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-ai-generative-artificial-intelligence-contracts-c178a60b679193ca03168d053f3b811b\">could soon deploy generative AI tools\u003c/a> to address highway congestion, make roads safer and provide tax guidance, even as his administration considers \u003ca href=\"https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/2024/05/17/civil-rights-council-releases-proposed-regulations-to-protect-against-employment-discrimination-in-automated-decision-making-systems/\">new rules\u003c/a> against AI discrimination in hiring practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With strong privacy laws already in place, California is in a better position to enact impactful regulations than other states with large AI interests, such as New York, said Tatiana Rice, deputy director of the Future of Privacy Forum, a nonprofit that works with lawmakers on technology and privacy proposals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You need a data privacy law to be able to pass an AI law,” Rice said. “We’re still kind of paying attention to what New York is doing, but I would put more bets on California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California lawmakers said they could not wait to act, citing hard lessons they learned from failing to reign in social media companies when they might have had a chance. However, they also want to continue attracting AI companies to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a closer look at California’s proposals:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Fighting AI discrimination and building public trust\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some companies, including hospitals, already use AI models to define decisions about hiring, housing and medical options for millions of Americans \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-ai-explained-policy-technology-regulations-discrimination-d3226c9139d3d06af263e7ff467d0666\">without much oversight\u003c/a>. Up to 83% of employers are using AI to help in hiring, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. How those algorithms work largely remains a mystery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the most ambitious AI measures in California this year would pull back the curtains on these models by establishing an oversight framework to prevent bias and discrimination. It would require companies to use AI tools to participate in decisions that determine results and to inform people affected when AI is used. AI developers would have to routinely make internal assessments of their models for bias. And the state attorney general would have the authority to investigate reports of discriminating models and impose fines of $10,000 per violation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AI companies also might soon be required to start disclosing what data they’re using to train their models.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Protecting jobs and likeness\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-contract-a7a529acaf6b5b38aac93722db54c193\">the monthslong Hollywood actors’ strike\u003c/a> last year, a California lawmaker wants to protect workers from being replaced by their AI-generated clones — \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-ai-strike-wga-artificial-intelligence-39ab72582c3a15f77510c9c30a45ffc8\">a major point of contention\u003c/a> in contract negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal, backed by the California Labor Federation, would let performers back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likenesses. It would also require that performers be represented by an attorney or union representative when signing new “voice and likeness” contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California may also create penalties for digitally cloning dead people without the consent of their estate, citing the case of a media company that produced a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/george-carlin-artificial-intelligence-special-lawsuit-39d64f728f7a6a621f25d3f4789acadd\">fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special\u003c/a> to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s permission.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Regulating powerful generative AI systems\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Real-world risks abound as generative AI creates new content such as text, audio and photos in response to prompts. So lawmakers are considering requiring guardrails around “extremely large” AI systems that have the potential to spit out instructions for creating disasters — such as building chemical weapons or assisting in cyberattacks — that could cause at least $500 million in damages. Such models would require a built-in “kill switch,” among other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure, supported by some of the most renowned AI researchers, would also create a new state agency to oversee developers and provide best practices, including for still more powerful models that don’t yet exist. The state attorney general would also be able to pursue legal actions in case of violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Banning deepfakes involving politics or pornography\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11987803,news_11985949,news_11985769\"]A bipartisan coalition seeks to facilitate prosecuting people who use AI tools to create \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-child-sexual-abuse-c8f17de56d41f05f55286eb6177138d2\">images of child sexual abuse\u003c/a>. Current law does not allow district attorneys to go after people who possess or distribute AI-generated child sexual abuse images if the materials do not depict a real person, law enforcement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A host of Democratic lawmakers are also backing a bill tackling election deepfakes, citing concerns after \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/biden-robocalls-artificial-intelligence-new-hampshire-texas-a8665277d43d05380d2c7594edf27617\">AI-generated robocalls\u003c/a> mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice ahead of New Hampshire’s recent presidential primary. The proposal would ban “materially deceptive” deepfakes related to elections in political mailers, robocalls and TV ads 120 days before Election Day and 60 days thereafter. Another proposal would require social media platforms to label any election-related posts created by AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As corporations increasingly weave artificial intelligence technologies into the daily lives of Americans, California lawmakers want to build public trust, fight algorithmic discrimination and outlaw deepfakes that involve elections or pornography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The efforts in California — home to many of the world’s biggest AI companies — could pave the way for AI regulations across the country. The United States is already behind Europe in regulating AI to limit risks, lawmakers and experts say, and the rapidly growing technology is raising concerns about job loss, misinformation, invasions of privacy and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-ai-explained-policy-technology-regulations-discrimination-d3226c9139d3d06af263e7ff467d0666\">automation bias\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A slew of proposals aimed at addressing those concerns advanced last week but must win the other chamber’s approval before arriving at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. The Democratic governor has promoted California as an early adopter as well as regulator, saying the state \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-ai-generative-artificial-intelligence-contracts-c178a60b679193ca03168d053f3b811b\">could soon deploy generative AI tools\u003c/a> to address highway congestion, make roads safer and provide tax guidance, even as his administration considers \u003ca href=\"https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/2024/05/17/civil-rights-council-releases-proposed-regulations-to-protect-against-employment-discrimination-in-automated-decision-making-systems/\">new rules\u003c/a> against AI discrimination in hiring practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With strong privacy laws already in place, California is in a better position to enact impactful regulations than other states with large AI interests, such as New York, said Tatiana Rice, deputy director of the Future of Privacy Forum, a nonprofit that works with lawmakers on technology and privacy proposals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You need a data privacy law to be able to pass an AI law,” Rice said. “We’re still kind of paying attention to what New York is doing, but I would put more bets on California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California lawmakers said they could not wait to act, citing hard lessons they learned from failing to reign in social media companies when they might have had a chance. However, they also want to continue attracting AI companies to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a closer look at California’s proposals:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Fighting AI discrimination and building public trust\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some companies, including hospitals, already use AI models to define decisions about hiring, housing and medical options for millions of Americans \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-ai-explained-policy-technology-regulations-discrimination-d3226c9139d3d06af263e7ff467d0666\">without much oversight\u003c/a>. Up to 83% of employers are using AI to help in hiring, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. How those algorithms work largely remains a mystery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the most ambitious AI measures in California this year would pull back the curtains on these models by establishing an oversight framework to prevent bias and discrimination. It would require companies to use AI tools to participate in decisions that determine results and to inform people affected when AI is used. AI developers would have to routinely make internal assessments of their models for bias. And the state attorney general would have the authority to investigate reports of discriminating models and impose fines of $10,000 per violation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AI companies also might soon be required to start disclosing what data they’re using to train their models.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Protecting jobs and likeness\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-contract-a7a529acaf6b5b38aac93722db54c193\">the monthslong Hollywood actors’ strike\u003c/a> last year, a California lawmaker wants to protect workers from being replaced by their AI-generated clones — \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-ai-strike-wga-artificial-intelligence-39ab72582c3a15f77510c9c30a45ffc8\">a major point of contention\u003c/a> in contract negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal, backed by the California Labor Federation, would let performers back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likenesses. It would also require that performers be represented by an attorney or union representative when signing new “voice and likeness” contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California may also create penalties for digitally cloning dead people without the consent of their estate, citing the case of a media company that produced a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/george-carlin-artificial-intelligence-special-lawsuit-39d64f728f7a6a621f25d3f4789acadd\">fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special\u003c/a> to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s permission.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Regulating powerful generative AI systems\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Real-world risks abound as generative AI creates new content such as text, audio and photos in response to prompts. So lawmakers are considering requiring guardrails around “extremely large” AI systems that have the potential to spit out instructions for creating disasters — such as building chemical weapons or assisting in cyberattacks — that could cause at least $500 million in damages. Such models would require a built-in “kill switch,” among other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure, supported by some of the most renowned AI researchers, would also create a new state agency to oversee developers and provide best practices, including for still more powerful models that don’t yet exist. The state attorney general would also be able to pursue legal actions in case of violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Banning deepfakes involving politics or pornography\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A bipartisan coalition seeks to facilitate prosecuting people who use AI tools to create \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-child-sexual-abuse-c8f17de56d41f05f55286eb6177138d2\">images of child sexual abuse\u003c/a>. Current law does not allow district attorneys to go after people who possess or distribute AI-generated child sexual abuse images if the materials do not depict a real person, law enforcement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A host of Democratic lawmakers are also backing a bill tackling election deepfakes, citing concerns after \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/biden-robocalls-artificial-intelligence-new-hampshire-texas-a8665277d43d05380d2c7594edf27617\">AI-generated robocalls\u003c/a> mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice ahead of New Hampshire’s recent presidential primary. The proposal would ban “materially deceptive” deepfakes related to elections in political mailers, robocalls and TV ads 120 days before Election Day and 60 days thereafter. Another proposal would require social media platforms to label any election-related posts created by AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Half a billion dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s how much more California State University’s budget gap will grow in two years under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2024/05/california-budget-deficit-newsom-may-proposal/\">proposed spending plan\u003c/a> for next year. This fiscal chasm may prompt hiring freezes, raid precious reserves and bring larger class sizes and fewer courses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to do less with less,” Cal State trustee member Christopher J. Steinhauser said. “We are going to have fewer programs, fewer positions. And anyone listening to this meeting, if they think that we can do this without doing that, they’re really kidding themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Senior finance officers from Cal State’s chancellor’s office debuted the sobering figures at last week’s board of trustees meeting. The forecasted deficit could change — legislators and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/gavin-newsom/\">Newsom\u003c/a> have until late June to finalize a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/california-budget/\">state budget\u003c/a> that could include more money for the university.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Protecting Cal State, community college and University of California ongoing funding from cuts \u003ca href=\"https://www.assembly.ca.gov/media/assembly-budget-subcommittee-no-3-education-finance-20240522?time%5bmedia-element-3548%5d=2205.027925\">“wherever possible” is a priority\u003c/a>, said \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/david-alvarez-112993\">David Alvarez\u003c/a>, a Democratic assembly member from Chula Vista and chair of the Assembly’s budget subcommittee on education, last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We got to stick with the commitments we’re making to the students of California \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/hearings/257992?t=932&f=4e3a5b720eefa3f44944e5f34b23a31c\">in the budget\u003c/a>,” said \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/greg-wallis-165439\">Greg Wallis\u003c/a>, a Republican assembly member from Rancho Mirage, at the same hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if Newsom’s May budget update becomes law, Cal State would face a three-year operating deficit of $831 million through 2025–26 — more than $500 million greater than what was estimated last September, said Ryan Storm, an assistant vice chancellor at Cal State overseeing the system’s finances, at a trustees meeting last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Budget math\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The yawning gap is the result of two forces: Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/05/california-budget/\">heavily scaling back his promises of growing financial support\u003c/a> for Cal State due to the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit and ever-increasing labor costs fueled by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/02/cal-state-faculty-contract/\">recent 5% pay hikes\u003c/a> to much of the system’s roughly 60,000 unionized workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other expenses include nearly $80 million in higher health care premiums to provide insurance to its employees in 2024–25.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s May spending plans for Cal State, the UC and other state agencies are complex, prompting the Legislative Analyst’s Office\u003ca href=\"https://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-05/may-22-sub-3-agenda-and-memo.pdf#page=14\"> to call them\u003c/a> “opaque and unnecessarily complicated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a mix of cuts in 2024–25 and far less new spending in 2025–26 than initially promised, Cal State would see new state revenues that are $470 million less than they anticipated last fall, according to \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/US5QqNnXhac?si=IzY2Y7gLmiTmGRW8&t=2257\">summary tables Storm showed the trustees\u003c/a>. A promise to backfill faculty raises to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2024/01/cal-state-strike/\">end a strike\u003c/a> earlier this year added roughly $30 million to the system’s budget gap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal State was already projecting a three-year budget gap of more than $300 million last September. That was even with the assumption of nearly $500 million more in state support through 2026 and roughly $200 million more in new tuition revenue after the board approved tuition hikes of 34% across five years starting this fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Half a billion dollars is equivalent to the entire operating budget of San Diego State University, among the system’s largest campuses.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Campus strategies\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Presidents of the 23 campuses at Cal State gathered in April to quantify what the budget shortfall of more than $800 million would mean for student learning and hiring decisions. It was more of a thought exercise than an implementation plan. The presidents and \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/US5QqNnXhac?si=Yel-gg1AimqvN0Zg&t=2491\">system leadership assumed\u003c/a> no new state spending in the next two years — despite Newsom’s May plans. It also assumed workers would get raises in 2024–25 but not in 2025–26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campuses\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/US5QqNnXhac?si=4rNELs6nduiwNJlr&t=2655\"> are considering\u003c/a> increasing class sizes, reducing the number of available courses to reflect student demand and bringing down the number of part-time faculty and lecturers — actions that \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/SK22GFX2Kkk?si=fXw8wXV-Q0LO7mol&t=3041\">some campuses undertook\u003c/a> this spring to close a combined $138 million budget gap. Other potential cost-cutting measures include leaving various positions unfilled, not replacing staff and faculty who retire and early-retirement programs at some campuses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, the system is not recommending layoffs, but it expects the various hiring freezes and unfilled vacancies will lead to “a reduction of about 450 faculty and staff positions through 25–26,” Storm said last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The campuses also intend to use more than $500 million in reserves through 2025–26, depleting 22% of the system’s one-time funds intended for emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The April meeting also calculated a projected 2026–27 systemwide deficit of more than $200 million — the cost equivalent of 12,500 classes taught, 1,500 faculty or 1,100 managers, representing a quarter of all the managers at Cal State.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Effect on classes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Cal State trustees in March learned that campuses cut or suspended 137 academic programs and other areas of study in 2024 — a huge jump compared to 2023 and 2022, \u003ca href=\"https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/board-of-trustees/past-meetings/2024/Documents/EDPOL-binder-Mar-24-27-2024.pdf#page=28\">when only a combined 47 were cut or put on pause\u003c/a>. This occurred “in light of changing enrollment patterns, workforce trends, and resource constraints,” staff wrote to the trustees. The number of new programs is also down. Campuses regularly create additional academic offerings in response to new industries and business trends. In 2024, central office staff projected 30 new programs — below the average of about 60 in the past two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assembly budget staff \u003ca href=\"https://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-05/may-22-sub-3-agenda-and-memo.pdf#page=15\">reported last week that Cal State officials warn\u003c/a> “that timely services for students could lessen and class sizes could grow in the next two years” if the system receives less funding than anticipated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, when campuses were planning for a smaller budget gap in 2024–25, Long Beach State’s president, Jane Close Conoley, told CalMatters that it was planning to address its then-projected roughly $10 million deficit in various ways:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Not replacing its usual churn of 30 to 35 faculty retirements a year, savings of roughly $5 million\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Not filling open staff positions — savings of roughly $2 million to $2.5 million.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Travel freezes, putting off purchases of equipment and pulling from reserves were other options.[aside label='Related Coverage' tag='education']In other instances, professors who’ve been running labs or research projects may be asked to drop those efforts and teach classes.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“So, another way we save money is to say, ‘It’s a great idea, but no, you have to teach,’” Conoley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A small glimmer of hope is that enrollment seems to be rebounding systemwide, which will generate more revenue for the system and help stanch the projected fiscal bleeding. The system enrolled the equivalent of 7,500 more full-time students this college year. By 2025–26, the system projects to grow its full-time enrollment by 4%, or nearly 14,000 — a change of fortune after Cal State experienced student declines the previous two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The system is also expecting one-time state money of $240 million to ride out the next few years, Storm said, part of a promise that Newsom made in January and affirmed in May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some campuses may see even less funding next year when administrators begin rerouting millions of dollars from campuses with declining enrollment to those that are growing — \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2023/01/college-enrollment-decline-csu-funding-penalty/#:~:text=So%2C%20a%20new%20plan%3A%20Any,to%20plug%20their%20enrollment%20gaps.\">a plan conceived early last year\u003c/a>. Less money could further impair the ability of campuses to attract new students, some in the system fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Half a billion dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s how much more California State University’s budget gap will grow in two years under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2024/05/california-budget-deficit-newsom-may-proposal/\">proposed spending plan\u003c/a> for next year. This fiscal chasm may prompt hiring freezes, raid precious reserves and bring larger class sizes and fewer courses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to do less with less,” Cal State trustee member Christopher J. Steinhauser said. “We are going to have fewer programs, fewer positions. And anyone listening to this meeting, if they think that we can do this without doing that, they’re really kidding themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Senior finance officers from Cal State’s chancellor’s office debuted the sobering figures at last week’s board of trustees meeting. The forecasted deficit could change — legislators and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/gavin-newsom/\">Newsom\u003c/a> have until late June to finalize a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/california-budget/\">state budget\u003c/a> that could include more money for the university.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Protecting Cal State, community college and University of California ongoing funding from cuts \u003ca href=\"https://www.assembly.ca.gov/media/assembly-budget-subcommittee-no-3-education-finance-20240522?time%5bmedia-element-3548%5d=2205.027925\">“wherever possible” is a priority\u003c/a>, said \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/david-alvarez-112993\">David Alvarez\u003c/a>, a Democratic assembly member from Chula Vista and chair of the Assembly’s budget subcommittee on education, last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We got to stick with the commitments we’re making to the students of California \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/hearings/257992?t=932&f=4e3a5b720eefa3f44944e5f34b23a31c\">in the budget\u003c/a>,” said \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/greg-wallis-165439\">Greg Wallis\u003c/a>, a Republican assembly member from Rancho Mirage, at the same hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if Newsom’s May budget update becomes law, Cal State would face a three-year operating deficit of $831 million through 2025–26 — more than $500 million greater than what was estimated last September, said Ryan Storm, an assistant vice chancellor at Cal State overseeing the system’s finances, at a trustees meeting last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Budget math\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The yawning gap is the result of two forces: Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/05/california-budget/\">heavily scaling back his promises of growing financial support\u003c/a> for Cal State due to the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit and ever-increasing labor costs fueled by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/02/cal-state-faculty-contract/\">recent 5% pay hikes\u003c/a> to much of the system’s roughly 60,000 unionized workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other expenses include nearly $80 million in higher health care premiums to provide insurance to its employees in 2024–25.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s May spending plans for Cal State, the UC and other state agencies are complex, prompting the Legislative Analyst’s Office\u003ca href=\"https://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-05/may-22-sub-3-agenda-and-memo.pdf#page=14\"> to call them\u003c/a> “opaque and unnecessarily complicated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a mix of cuts in 2024–25 and far less new spending in 2025–26 than initially promised, Cal State would see new state revenues that are $470 million less than they anticipated last fall, according to \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/US5QqNnXhac?si=IzY2Y7gLmiTmGRW8&t=2257\">summary tables Storm showed the trustees\u003c/a>. A promise to backfill faculty raises to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2024/01/cal-state-strike/\">end a strike\u003c/a> earlier this year added roughly $30 million to the system’s budget gap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal State was already projecting a three-year budget gap of more than $300 million last September. That was even with the assumption of nearly $500 million more in state support through 2026 and roughly $200 million more in new tuition revenue after the board approved tuition hikes of 34% across five years starting this fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Half a billion dollars is equivalent to the entire operating budget of San Diego State University, among the system’s largest campuses.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Campus strategies\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Presidents of the 23 campuses at Cal State gathered in April to quantify what the budget shortfall of more than $800 million would mean for student learning and hiring decisions. It was more of a thought exercise than an implementation plan. The presidents and \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/US5QqNnXhac?si=Yel-gg1AimqvN0Zg&t=2491\">system leadership assumed\u003c/a> no new state spending in the next two years — despite Newsom’s May plans. It also assumed workers would get raises in 2024–25 but not in 2025–26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campuses\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/US5QqNnXhac?si=4rNELs6nduiwNJlr&t=2655\"> are considering\u003c/a> increasing class sizes, reducing the number of available courses to reflect student demand and bringing down the number of part-time faculty and lecturers — actions that \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/SK22GFX2Kkk?si=fXw8wXV-Q0LO7mol&t=3041\">some campuses undertook\u003c/a> this spring to close a combined $138 million budget gap. Other potential cost-cutting measures include leaving various positions unfilled, not replacing staff and faculty who retire and early-retirement programs at some campuses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, the system is not recommending layoffs, but it expects the various hiring freezes and unfilled vacancies will lead to “a reduction of about 450 faculty and staff positions through 25–26,” Storm said last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The campuses also intend to use more than $500 million in reserves through 2025–26, depleting 22% of the system’s one-time funds intended for emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The April meeting also calculated a projected 2026–27 systemwide deficit of more than $200 million — the cost equivalent of 12,500 classes taught, 1,500 faculty or 1,100 managers, representing a quarter of all the managers at Cal State.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Effect on classes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Cal State trustees in March learned that campuses cut or suspended 137 academic programs and other areas of study in 2024 — a huge jump compared to 2023 and 2022, \u003ca href=\"https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/board-of-trustees/past-meetings/2024/Documents/EDPOL-binder-Mar-24-27-2024.pdf#page=28\">when only a combined 47 were cut or put on pause\u003c/a>. This occurred “in light of changing enrollment patterns, workforce trends, and resource constraints,” staff wrote to the trustees. The number of new programs is also down. Campuses regularly create additional academic offerings in response to new industries and business trends. In 2024, central office staff projected 30 new programs — below the average of about 60 in the past two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assembly budget staff \u003ca href=\"https://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-05/may-22-sub-3-agenda-and-memo.pdf#page=15\">reported last week that Cal State officials warn\u003c/a> “that timely services for students could lessen and class sizes could grow in the next two years” if the system receives less funding than anticipated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, when campuses were planning for a smaller budget gap in 2024–25, Long Beach State’s president, Jane Close Conoley, told CalMatters that it was planning to address its then-projected roughly $10 million deficit in various ways:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Not replacing its usual churn of 30 to 35 faculty retirements a year, savings of roughly $5 million\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Not filling open staff positions — savings of roughly $2 million to $2.5 million.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Travel freezes, putting off purchases of equipment and pulling from reserves were other options.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In other instances, professors who’ve been running labs or research projects may be asked to drop those efforts and teach classes.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“So, another way we save money is to say, ‘It’s a great idea, but no, you have to teach,’” Conoley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A small glimmer of hope is that enrollment seems to be rebounding systemwide, which will generate more revenue for the system and help stanch the projected fiscal bleeding. The system enrolled the equivalent of 7,500 more full-time students this college year. By 2025–26, the system projects to grow its full-time enrollment by 4%, or nearly 14,000 — a change of fortune after Cal State experienced student declines the previous two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The system is also expecting one-time state money of $240 million to ride out the next few years, Storm said, part of a promise that Newsom made in January and affirmed in May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some campuses may see even less funding next year when administrators begin rerouting millions of dollars from campuses with declining enrollment to those that are growing — \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2023/01/college-enrollment-decline-csu-funding-penalty/#:~:text=So%2C%20a%20new%20plan%3A%20Any,to%20plug%20their%20enrollment%20gaps.\">a plan conceived early last year\u003c/a>. Less money could further impair the ability of campuses to attract new students, some in the system fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "californias-class-of-2024-lags-in-student-aid-applications-data-shows",
"title": "California's Class of 2024 Lags in Student Aid Applications, Data Shows",
"publishDate": 1716894050,
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"headTitle": "California’s Class of 2024 Lags in Student Aid Applications, Data Shows | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over 42,000 fewer students in California applied for federal student aid in 2024 than last year after a major overhaul of the application process resulted in serious technical problems for would-be college applicants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Less than half of California high school seniors completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — or FAFSA — form this year, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/page/FAFSAtracker\">May 17 data from the National College Attainment Network\u003c/a> (NCAN), a nonprofit that aims to increase postsecondary degree access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to NCAN’s latest available figures, which are still being updated as more forms are processed, the California class of 2024 saw a 14% decrease in FAFSA completions compared to the same time last year. (Due to the delayed launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA the data for that year starts in January, as shown in the graph below, rather than in October as in previous years.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The extended deadline for California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11957693/applying-for-fafsa-in-2023-will-be-different-what-to-know-including-deadlines\">state aid was May 2\u003c/a>, although \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/fafsa-deadlines#fafsa-deadlines-2024-25\">students can still apply to FAFSA to assess their potential eligibility\u003c/a> for other types of aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"California's total FAFSA Completions since 2017\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-Uon0q\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Zp4Bd/4\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, the drop in FAFSA applications was even higher: A 16% decrease compared to the class of 2023. California was ranked ninth in highest among U.S. states and territories for FAFSA completion, a position that has nonetheless improved in the past two weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"High school seniors' FAFSA completions in 2024\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-Uon0q\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/vX50o/6/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"475\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NCAN measured FAFSA completion data rather than just submissions, meaning the application has been submitted \u003cem>and \u003c/em>not sent back to the student for any corrections. The nonprofit’s data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office and includes both public and private high schools. As it continues to report the submission numbers that are still coming in, NCAN also mounted \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/page/DoTheFAFSA\">a social campaign to highlight the national FAFSA statistics lagging\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill DeBaun, NCAN’s senior director, said the submission data “really raises the question about how many students actually started the application but didn’t finish, because of the glitches in the application — or because of whatever complication.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who’s applying for financial aid — and who’s not?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>NCAN’s data also reveals demographic disparities in who’s applying for financial aid in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low-income schools, defined as schools where at least half of the students are qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch, saw a FAFSA completion rate of 47%. This means, over 165,000 lower-income students did not complete the FAFSA this year compared to 2023 — a 15% decrease. By comparison, higher-income schools saw a 56% completion rate among their students and a 13% decrease from last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data is similar when examining completions among students of color in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Less than half of seniors in “high-minority” schools (which NCAN defines as enrolling 40% or more Black and/or Hispanic students) completed the FAFSA for 2024 — a 15% drop in this same group from last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By contrast, a higher percentage of seniors in “low-minority schools” — 56% — completed the FAFSA this year, with a smaller decrease of 12% in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Monitoring the relative levels of FAFSA completion matters, DeBaun said, because the numbers give an idea of how many young people intend to enroll in college in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we see FAFSA completion go up, we see immediate college enrollment also go up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>For mixed-status students, a particular burden\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As school counselors like Piedmont Hills’ Jill Shoopman can attest, applying to the FAFSA is already a dreaded process for most high school seniors who aim to attend postsecondary institutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979367/fafsa-2024-the-big-error-affecting-mixed-status-families-and-what-to-do-if-youre-an-affected-student\">the bungled rollout\u003c/a> had Shoopman fearing that many high school students would give up trying to complete the form entirely and miss out on aid they could be qualified for, especially those who need it most.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like many in similar positions, Shoopman saw the particular impact on students from California’s mixed-status families. Mixed-status students \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979367/fafsa-2024-the-big-error-affecting-mixed-status-families-and-what-to-do-if-youre-an-affected-student\">found themselves blocked from completing the FAFSA application\u003c/a> if one of their parents didn’t have a Social Security number due to their immigration status. Shoopman recalled how one of her favorite students, a senior from a mixed-status family, would stop by her office each week to anxiously ask, “Is there a fix? Is there a fix?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She understands, even at her young age, how important this is,” Shoopman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Counselors, high schools and college-prep organizations say \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11957693/applying-for-fafsa-in-2023-will-be-different-what-to-know-including-deadlines\">the delayed rollout of the relaunched FAFSA\u003c/a> — a revamp intended to streamline and simplify the process for students — was no big surprise. Further complicating the process were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63005/exclusive-the-education-department-says-it-will-fix-its-1-8-billion-fafsa-mistake\">glitches \u003c/a>with Social Security numbers and instances where students could not create accounts entirely, which created real panic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The application launched on Dec. 30, 2023, but students from mixed-status families could only complete the application starting March 12.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just don’t know how they didn’t anticipate that [mixed-status families not being able to apply] was going to be a concern,” Shoopman said — especially in a state like California, where \u003ca href=\"https://immigrantdataca.org/indicators/mixed-status-families?breakdown=by-age-group\">20% of Californians under 18 are either undocumented or living with undocumented family members\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Families, support staff and schools under pressure\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For David Alvarez, the director of college readiness and success at Alpha Public Schools in San José, it was “the worst financial aid application season that I’ve ever experienced” in his 15 years in education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know that us as a team, as well as fellow educators, tried our absolute best to improve completion rates from years to the next,” Alvarez said. “But the system [this year] didn’t really allow for it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alvarez’s school has a large number of first-generation and Latino students, he explained. In preparation for the application season, the school prepared FAFSA workshops and early morning hours for seniors to work on their application to provide specialized attention to students — trying to work around the complications of the form.[aside postID=news_11984551 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240423-SAT-III-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg']During those workshops, Alvarez managed the growing frustrations of students and their parents. He said some had taken time off work to attend a workshop and faced unanswered questions exacerbated by FAFSA glitches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The experience has become a nightmare when you realize that applications weren’t working properly, that you didn’t always have the answers when you were troubleshooting things … and that created a lot of distrust from students and parents,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes, they might see it as, ‘Hey, you don’t have the answers. You might be incompetent. You don’t know what you’re talking about,’” Alvarez said. “And the reality is: It’s so much bigger than us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our community is losing out on both the time and the money that, let’s be real, we didn’t really have in the first place to begin with,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oftentimes, students would question the purpose of even doing the application, Alvarez said. Some four-year eligible students instead planned to go to community college, potentially overloading the community college system, which is unsure who will be attending in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With a delay in FAFSA, it delayed the ability for schools to present financial aid award letters,” Alvarez said. The FAFSA delays also delayed schools’ ability to present financial aid award letters, Alvarez said — meaning that “ultimately, students and parents can’t confidently select the institution that they want to go to — because they’re just unaware of how much money they will receive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While many states extended their college application deadlines, this led to institutions not knowing who would attend their school in the fall. According to DeBaun, this impacts course schedules, staffing and residential halls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a limit to how far back institutions can push these deadlines and still be prepared to receive students for the fall semester,” he said. Shoopman also said it can keep students on college waitlists in limbo as others consider if they can afford to enroll.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For students in California, or anywhere in America right now, we should be concerned about what full enrollment would look like based on the FAFSA completion declines that we’re seeing,” DeBaun said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Examining the reasons behind FAFSA declines\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One factor to consider in this year’s sharp fall in FAFSA submissions is the record number of applications the state saw last year, according to California State Aid Commission (CSAC) spokesperson Shelveen Ratnam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2023, the agency’s widespread \u003ca href=\"https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/1558523/0672826e-a84b-11e7-9779-0ae3e1d9783c/2627890/325d1d6e-1cfb-11ee-b757-02b0137163b1/file/all_in_for_fafsa_ca_dream_act_fact_sheet.pdf\">“All in for FAFSA/CA Dream” campaign\u003c/a> promoted awareness of FAFSA, encouraging California high schools to have all students fill out an application or actively opt out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like every state that also implemented this policy, California saw a large jump in FAFSA completion numbers last year, DeBaun said. By September 2023, 62% of the class of 2023 had completed the FAFSA — compared to 58% of the class of 2022 in the same period that year.[aside postID=news_11982354 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240408-UCLAWSF-014-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg']States that have traditionally done well with FAFSA completion, like California and Texas, are also seeing major drops this year, DeBaun said. However, for him, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fafsa\">the delay in this year’s FAFSA application\u003c/a> is at least partly responsible for these marked decreases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Think about it this way: Every day, [successful states] are relatively more effective at getting more students to complete a FAFSA than their peers,” DeBaun said. “So when you take 90 days out of the FAFSA cycle … every single one of those days, relatively speaking, costs that state more in terms of FAFSA completion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The class of 2024 [has] just had a much smaller window in which to complete the FAFSA,” DeBaun said — and all the while — “the fall semester isn’t getting pushed back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ratnam described the trend in data — and the technical difficulties that students faced — as “definitely alarming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Financial aid is] one of the most important things that students or families think about when it comes to deciding if they want to pursue higher education,” Ratnam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Alvarez noted that FAFSA submission numbers have increased in the last weeks, likely helped by the fact that the previous glitches with the form had been fixed, he said that distrust of the process among students and their families is still noticeable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As this winter’s initial FAFSA errors might have been resolved, “tell that to someone who’s come to the high school five, six, seven, eight times already,” Alvarez said. “And that’s really what we’re facing: Just re-energizing the students and the parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As difficult as it is, it has long-term impacts, and we want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Do students still have time to apply?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While the May 2 deadline for in-state aid has passed, CSAC is encouraging students to still apply to the FAFSA to see if they qualify for other types of financial aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/post/cal-grant-community-college-entitlement-award\">Cal Grant Community College Entitlement Award FAFSA application\u003c/a> is due on Sept. 2\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alvarez said the FAFSA is often the first college-related struggle students face. But he tells his students to apply for financial aid to keep the door open to college enrollment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And to parents, Alvarez said his message on the importance of financial aid’s role in getting a student to college often comes when their children are graduating: “They’re literally transcending their circumstances; they’re narrowing that achievement gap,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re breaking barriers for their families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over 42,000 fewer students in California applied for federal student aid in 2024 than last year after a major overhaul of the application process resulted in serious technical problems for would-be college applicants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Less than half of California high school seniors completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — or FAFSA — form this year, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/page/FAFSAtracker\">May 17 data from the National College Attainment Network\u003c/a> (NCAN), a nonprofit that aims to increase postsecondary degree access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to NCAN’s latest available figures, which are still being updated as more forms are processed, the California class of 2024 saw a 14% decrease in FAFSA completions compared to the same time last year. (Due to the delayed launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA the data for that year starts in January, as shown in the graph below, rather than in October as in previous years.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The extended deadline for California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11957693/applying-for-fafsa-in-2023-will-be-different-what-to-know-including-deadlines\">state aid was May 2\u003c/a>, although \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/fafsa-deadlines#fafsa-deadlines-2024-25\">students can still apply to FAFSA to assess their potential eligibility\u003c/a> for other types of aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"California's total FAFSA Completions since 2017\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-Uon0q\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Zp4Bd/4\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, the drop in FAFSA applications was even higher: A 16% decrease compared to the class of 2023. California was ranked ninth in highest among U.S. states and territories for FAFSA completion, a position that has nonetheless improved in the past two weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"High school seniors' FAFSA completions in 2024\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-Uon0q\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/vX50o/6/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"475\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NCAN measured FAFSA completion data rather than just submissions, meaning the application has been submitted \u003cem>and \u003c/em>not sent back to the student for any corrections. The nonprofit’s data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office and includes both public and private high schools. As it continues to report the submission numbers that are still coming in, NCAN also mounted \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/page/DoTheFAFSA\">a social campaign to highlight the national FAFSA statistics lagging\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill DeBaun, NCAN’s senior director, said the submission data “really raises the question about how many students actually started the application but didn’t finish, because of the glitches in the application — or because of whatever complication.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who’s applying for financial aid — and who’s not?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>NCAN’s data also reveals demographic disparities in who’s applying for financial aid in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low-income schools, defined as schools where at least half of the students are qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch, saw a FAFSA completion rate of 47%. This means, over 165,000 lower-income students did not complete the FAFSA this year compared to 2023 — a 15% decrease. By comparison, higher-income schools saw a 56% completion rate among their students and a 13% decrease from last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data is similar when examining completions among students of color in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Less than half of seniors in “high-minority” schools (which NCAN defines as enrolling 40% or more Black and/or Hispanic students) completed the FAFSA for 2024 — a 15% drop in this same group from last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By contrast, a higher percentage of seniors in “low-minority schools” — 56% — completed the FAFSA this year, with a smaller decrease of 12% in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Monitoring the relative levels of FAFSA completion matters, DeBaun said, because the numbers give an idea of how many young people intend to enroll in college in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we see FAFSA completion go up, we see immediate college enrollment also go up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>For mixed-status students, a particular burden\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As school counselors like Piedmont Hills’ Jill Shoopman can attest, applying to the FAFSA is already a dreaded process for most high school seniors who aim to attend postsecondary institutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979367/fafsa-2024-the-big-error-affecting-mixed-status-families-and-what-to-do-if-youre-an-affected-student\">the bungled rollout\u003c/a> had Shoopman fearing that many high school students would give up trying to complete the form entirely and miss out on aid they could be qualified for, especially those who need it most.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like many in similar positions, Shoopman saw the particular impact on students from California’s mixed-status families. Mixed-status students \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979367/fafsa-2024-the-big-error-affecting-mixed-status-families-and-what-to-do-if-youre-an-affected-student\">found themselves blocked from completing the FAFSA application\u003c/a> if one of their parents didn’t have a Social Security number due to their immigration status. Shoopman recalled how one of her favorite students, a senior from a mixed-status family, would stop by her office each week to anxiously ask, “Is there a fix? Is there a fix?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She understands, even at her young age, how important this is,” Shoopman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Counselors, high schools and college-prep organizations say \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11957693/applying-for-fafsa-in-2023-will-be-different-what-to-know-including-deadlines\">the delayed rollout of the relaunched FAFSA\u003c/a> — a revamp intended to streamline and simplify the process for students — was no big surprise. Further complicating the process were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63005/exclusive-the-education-department-says-it-will-fix-its-1-8-billion-fafsa-mistake\">glitches \u003c/a>with Social Security numbers and instances where students could not create accounts entirely, which created real panic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The application launched on Dec. 30, 2023, but students from mixed-status families could only complete the application starting March 12.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just don’t know how they didn’t anticipate that [mixed-status families not being able to apply] was going to be a concern,” Shoopman said — especially in a state like California, where \u003ca href=\"https://immigrantdataca.org/indicators/mixed-status-families?breakdown=by-age-group\">20% of Californians under 18 are either undocumented or living with undocumented family members\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Families, support staff and schools under pressure\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For David Alvarez, the director of college readiness and success at Alpha Public Schools in San José, it was “the worst financial aid application season that I’ve ever experienced” in his 15 years in education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know that us as a team, as well as fellow educators, tried our absolute best to improve completion rates from years to the next,” Alvarez said. “But the system [this year] didn’t really allow for it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alvarez’s school has a large number of first-generation and Latino students, he explained. In preparation for the application season, the school prepared FAFSA workshops and early morning hours for seniors to work on their application to provide specialized attention to students — trying to work around the complications of the form.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>During those workshops, Alvarez managed the growing frustrations of students and their parents. He said some had taken time off work to attend a workshop and faced unanswered questions exacerbated by FAFSA glitches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The experience has become a nightmare when you realize that applications weren’t working properly, that you didn’t always have the answers when you were troubleshooting things … and that created a lot of distrust from students and parents,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes, they might see it as, ‘Hey, you don’t have the answers. You might be incompetent. You don’t know what you’re talking about,’” Alvarez said. “And the reality is: It’s so much bigger than us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our community is losing out on both the time and the money that, let’s be real, we didn’t really have in the first place to begin with,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oftentimes, students would question the purpose of even doing the application, Alvarez said. Some four-year eligible students instead planned to go to community college, potentially overloading the community college system, which is unsure who will be attending in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With a delay in FAFSA, it delayed the ability for schools to present financial aid award letters,” Alvarez said. The FAFSA delays also delayed schools’ ability to present financial aid award letters, Alvarez said — meaning that “ultimately, students and parents can’t confidently select the institution that they want to go to — because they’re just unaware of how much money they will receive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While many states extended their college application deadlines, this led to institutions not knowing who would attend their school in the fall. According to DeBaun, this impacts course schedules, staffing and residential halls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a limit to how far back institutions can push these deadlines and still be prepared to receive students for the fall semester,” he said. Shoopman also said it can keep students on college waitlists in limbo as others consider if they can afford to enroll.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For students in California, or anywhere in America right now, we should be concerned about what full enrollment would look like based on the FAFSA completion declines that we’re seeing,” DeBaun said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Examining the reasons behind FAFSA declines\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One factor to consider in this year’s sharp fall in FAFSA submissions is the record number of applications the state saw last year, according to California State Aid Commission (CSAC) spokesperson Shelveen Ratnam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2023, the agency’s widespread \u003ca href=\"https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/1558523/0672826e-a84b-11e7-9779-0ae3e1d9783c/2627890/325d1d6e-1cfb-11ee-b757-02b0137163b1/file/all_in_for_fafsa_ca_dream_act_fact_sheet.pdf\">“All in for FAFSA/CA Dream” campaign\u003c/a> promoted awareness of FAFSA, encouraging California high schools to have all students fill out an application or actively opt out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like every state that also implemented this policy, California saw a large jump in FAFSA completion numbers last year, DeBaun said. By September 2023, 62% of the class of 2023 had completed the FAFSA — compared to 58% of the class of 2022 in the same period that year.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>States that have traditionally done well with FAFSA completion, like California and Texas, are also seeing major drops this year, DeBaun said. However, for him, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fafsa\">the delay in this year’s FAFSA application\u003c/a> is at least partly responsible for these marked decreases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Think about it this way: Every day, [successful states] are relatively more effective at getting more students to complete a FAFSA than their peers,” DeBaun said. “So when you take 90 days out of the FAFSA cycle … every single one of those days, relatively speaking, costs that state more in terms of FAFSA completion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The class of 2024 [has] just had a much smaller window in which to complete the FAFSA,” DeBaun said — and all the while — “the fall semester isn’t getting pushed back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ratnam described the trend in data — and the technical difficulties that students faced — as “definitely alarming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Financial aid is] one of the most important things that students or families think about when it comes to deciding if they want to pursue higher education,” Ratnam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Alvarez noted that FAFSA submission numbers have increased in the last weeks, likely helped by the fact that the previous glitches with the form had been fixed, he said that distrust of the process among students and their families is still noticeable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As this winter’s initial FAFSA errors might have been resolved, “tell that to someone who’s come to the high school five, six, seven, eight times already,” Alvarez said. “And that’s really what we’re facing: Just re-energizing the students and the parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As difficult as it is, it has long-term impacts, and we want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Do students still have time to apply?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While the May 2 deadline for in-state aid has passed, CSAC is encouraging students to still apply to the FAFSA to see if they qualify for other types of financial aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/post/cal-grant-community-college-entitlement-award\">Cal Grant Community College Entitlement Award FAFSA application\u003c/a> is due on Sept. 2\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alvarez said the FAFSA is often the first college-related struggle students face. But he tells his students to apply for financial aid to keep the door open to college enrollment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And to parents, Alvarez said his message on the importance of financial aid’s role in getting a student to college often comes when their children are graduating: “They’re literally transcending their circumstances; they’re narrowing that achievement gap,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re breaking barriers for their families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>While the federal government appears content to sit back and wait, more than 40 U.S. states are \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2024-legislation\">considering hundreds of AI regulation bills\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, with its status as a tech-forward state and huge economy, has a chance to lead the way. So much so, in fact, that the European Union is trying to coordinate with the state on AI laws. The EU opened an office in San Francisco in 2022 and dispatched a tech envoy, Gerard de Graaf, to better communicate about laws and regulations around AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We are living through what de Graaf calls “the year of AI.” De Graaf and deputy head of the EU office in San Francisco Joanna Smolinska told CalMatters that if California lawmakers pass AI regulation in the coming months, the state can emerge as a standard bearer for the regulation of AI in the United States. In other words: California’s laws could influence the future of AI as we know it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, de Graaf \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/euinsf/status/1782583754227089819?s=46&t=Wgm0bsQsE3C1xGwJEnt30w\">traveled to Sacramento\u003c/a> to speak with several state lawmakers key to AI regulation:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a San Ramon Democrat, is author of a bill that \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2930?slug=CA_202320240AB2930\">requires businesses and state agencies report results of AI model tests\u003c/a> in an effort to prohibit automated discrimination.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener from San Francisco is author of a \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1047?slug=CA_202320240SB1047\">bill to regulate generative AI\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an East Bay Democrat, is author of a bill that would require online platforms put \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3211?slug=CA_202320240AB3211\">watermarks on images and videos generated by AI\u003c/a> — sometimes referred to as “deepfakes” — ahead of elections this fall.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>And state Sen. Tom Umberg, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who was referred to \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2024/04/15/meet-californias-chief-gatekeeper-for-ai-rules-00152184\">by Politico\u003c/a> as “California’s chief gatekeeper for AI rules.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The meeting to discuss the bills was at least the sixth trip de Graaf or other EU officials made to Sacramento in two months. EU officials who helped write the AI Act and EU Commission Vice President Josep Fontelles also made trips to Sacramento and Silicon Valley in recent weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, EU leaders ended a years-long process with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/05/21/artificial-intelligence-ai-act-council-gives-final-green-light-to-the-first-worldwide-rules-on-ai/\">passage of the AI Act\u003c/a>, which regulates use of artificial intelligence in 27 nations. It bans emotion recognition at school and in the workplace, prohibits \u003ca href=\"https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/22/1063605/china-announced-a-new-social-credit-law-what-does-it-mean/\">social credit scores\u003c/a> such as the kind used in China to reward or punish certain kinds of behavior and some instances of predictive policing. The AI Act applies high risk labels for AI in health care, hiring, and issuing government benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are some notable differences between the EU law and what California lawmakers are considering. The AI Act addresses how law enforcement agencies can use AI, while Bauer-Kahan’s bill does not, and Wicks’ watermarking bill could end up stronger than AI Act requirements. But the California bills and the AI Act both take a risk-based approach to regulation, both advise continued testing and assessment of forms of AI deemed high risk, and both call for watermarking generative AI outputs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you take these three bills together, you’re probably at 70%–80% of what we cover in the AI Act,” de Graaf said. “It’s a very solid relationship that we both benefit from.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meeting, de Graaf said they discussed draft AI bills, AI bias and risk assessments, advanced AI models, the state of watermarking images and videos made by AI, and which issues to prioritize. The San Francisco office works under the authority of the EU delegation in Washington, D.C., to promote EU tech policy and strengthen cooperation with influential tech and policy figures in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artificial intelligence can make predictions about people including what movies they want to watch on Netflix or the next words in a sentence, but without high standards and continuous testing, AI that makes critical decisions about people’s lives can automate discrimination. AI has a history of harming people of color, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/face-recognition-software-led-to-his-arrest-it-was-dead-wrong/\">police use of face recognition\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://themarkup.org/locked-out/2021/01/11/the-obscure-yet-powerful-tenant-screening-industry-is-finally-getting-some-scrutiny\">deciding whether to grant an apartment\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://themarkup.org/denied/2021/08/25/the-secret-bias-hidden-in-mortgage-approval-algorithms\">home mortgage application\u003c/a>. The technology has a demonstrated ability to adversely affect the lives of most people, including women, people with disabilities, the young, the old, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/03/california-ai-purchasing-guidelines/\">people who apply for government benefits\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983391/meet-the-o-c-state-senator-guiding-californias-ai-regulations\">interview with KQED\u003c/a>, Umberg talked about the importance of striking a balance, insisting “We could get this wrong.” Too little regulation could lead to catastrophic consequences for society, and too much could “strangle the AI industry” that calls California home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coordination between California and EU officials attempts to combine regulatory initiatives in two uniquely influential markets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11987807\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11987807\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gerard de Graaf, senior envoy for digital to the US and head of the European Union office in San Francisco. Photo via Graaf’s X account. \u003ccite>(Illustration by Adriana Heldiz/CalMatters/iStock)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The majority of the top AI companies are \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com.au/news/innovation/ai-50-the-top-artificial-intelligence-startups/\">based in California\u003c/a>, and according to startup tracker Crunchbase, for the past eight months, companies in \u003ca href=\"https://news.crunchbase.com/ai/sf-bay-area-leads-tech-startup-funding\">the San Francisco Bay Area raised more AI investment money than the rest of the world combined\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The General Data Protection Regulation, better known as GDPR, is the European Union’s best known legislation for privacy protection. It also led to coinage of the term “the Brussels effect,” when enforcement of a single law leads to outsized influence in other countries. In this case, the EU law forced tech companies to adopt stricter user protections if they wanted access to the region’s 450 million residents. That law went into effect in 2018, the same year that California passed a similar law. \u003ca href=\"https://techpolicy.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/CTP_state-tech-policy-2023.pdf\">More than a dozen U.S. states followed suit (PDF)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"h-defining-ai\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Defining AI\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Coordination is necessary, de Graaf said, because technology is a global industry and it’s important to avoid policy that makes it complicated for businesses to comply with rules around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the first steps to working together is a shared definition of how to define artificial intelligence so you agree on what technology is covered under a law. De Graaf said his office worked with Bauer-Kahan and Umberg on how to define AI “because if you have very different definitions to start with then convergence or harmonization is almost impossible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given the recent passage of the AI Act, the absence of federal action, and the complexity of regulating AI, the Senate Judiciary staff lawyers held numerous meetings with EU officials and staff, Umberg told CalMatters in a statement. The definition of AI used by the California Senate Judiciary committee is informed by a number of voices including federal agencies, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the EU.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I strongly believe that we can learn from each other’s work and responsibly regulate AI without harming innovation in this dynamic and quickly-changing environment” Umberg told CalMatters in a written statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trio of bills discussed with de Graaf in April passed their respective houses this week. He suspects questions from California lawmakers will get more specific as bills move closer to adoption.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California lawmakers\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billSearchClient.xhtml?session_year=20232024&keyword=artificial%20intelligence&house=Both&author=All&lawCode=All\"> proposed more than 100 bills\u003c/a> to regulate AI in the current legislative session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think what is now the imperative for the Legislature is to whittle the bills down to a more manageable number,” he said. “I mean, there’s over 50 so that we focused particularly on the bills to these Assembly members or senators themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"h-state-agency-also-seeks-to-protect-californians-privacy\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">State agency also seeks to protect Californians’ privacy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Elected officials and their staff aren’t the only ones speaking with EU officials. The California Privacy Protection Agency — a state agency made to protect people’s privacy and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/04/data-broker-registry/\">require businesses comply with data deletion requests\u003c/a> — also speaks regularly with EU officials, including de Graaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11979306,news_11976097,news_11986133\"]Most states with privacy protection laws rely on state attorneys general for enforcement. California is the only state with an independent agency with enforcement authority to audit businesses, levy fines, or bring businesses to court, said agency executive director Ashkan Soltanti, because key elements of the EU’s privacy protection law influenced the formation of California’s privacy law. De Graaf and Soltani testified about similarities between definitions of AI in California and the EU in \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/hearings/257521?t=3&f=0036d9e555a8bb5dbad0926ac136f3b7\">an assembly privacy committee hearing in February\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The roots of the agency were inspired at great length by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),” Soltani said. “There’s an interest and a goal, and in fact \u003ca href=\"https://thecpra.org/#1798.199.40(i)\">our statute directs us\u003c/a> to, where possible, make sure that our approach is harmonious with frameworks in other jurisdictions, not just states but internationally as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soltani was hired when the agency was created in 2021. He told CalMatters international coordination is a big part of the job. After hiring staff and attorneys, one of his first orders of business was joining the Global Privacy Assembly, a group of 140 data privacy authorities from around the world. California is the only U.S. state that is a member of the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alignment is important for setting the rules of the road for businesses but also for consumers to protect themselves and their communities in a digital world where borders blur.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They don’t think whether they’re doing business with a California company or a European company or an Asian company, particularly if it’s all in English, they just think they’re interacting online, so having consistent frameworks for protection ultimately benefits consumers,” Soltani said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like California lawmakers, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/03/california-ai-rules-business/\">the California Privacy Protection Agency is in the process of writing rules for how businesses use AI\u003c/a> and protections for consumers, students and workers. And like the AI Act, draft rules call for impact assessments. Its five-member board will consider passing rules into law in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The last day of the legislative calendar year for California lawmakers to pass a bill into law is Aug. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>While the federal government appears content to sit back and wait, more than 40 U.S. states are \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2024-legislation\">considering hundreds of AI regulation bills\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, with its status as a tech-forward state and huge economy, has a chance to lead the way. So much so, in fact, that the European Union is trying to coordinate with the state on AI laws. The EU opened an office in San Francisco in 2022 and dispatched a tech envoy, Gerard de Graaf, to better communicate about laws and regulations around AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We are living through what de Graaf calls “the year of AI.” De Graaf and deputy head of the EU office in San Francisco Joanna Smolinska told CalMatters that if California lawmakers pass AI regulation in the coming months, the state can emerge as a standard bearer for the regulation of AI in the United States. In other words: California’s laws could influence the future of AI as we know it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, de Graaf \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/euinsf/status/1782583754227089819?s=46&t=Wgm0bsQsE3C1xGwJEnt30w\">traveled to Sacramento\u003c/a> to speak with several state lawmakers key to AI regulation:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a San Ramon Democrat, is author of a bill that \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2930?slug=CA_202320240AB2930\">requires businesses and state agencies report results of AI model tests\u003c/a> in an effort to prohibit automated discrimination.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener from San Francisco is author of a \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1047?slug=CA_202320240SB1047\">bill to regulate generative AI\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an East Bay Democrat, is author of a bill that would require online platforms put \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3211?slug=CA_202320240AB3211\">watermarks on images and videos generated by AI\u003c/a> — sometimes referred to as “deepfakes” — ahead of elections this fall.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>And state Sen. Tom Umberg, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who was referred to \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2024/04/15/meet-californias-chief-gatekeeper-for-ai-rules-00152184\">by Politico\u003c/a> as “California’s chief gatekeeper for AI rules.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The meeting to discuss the bills was at least the sixth trip de Graaf or other EU officials made to Sacramento in two months. EU officials who helped write the AI Act and EU Commission Vice President Josep Fontelles also made trips to Sacramento and Silicon Valley in recent weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, EU leaders ended a years-long process with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/05/21/artificial-intelligence-ai-act-council-gives-final-green-light-to-the-first-worldwide-rules-on-ai/\">passage of the AI Act\u003c/a>, which regulates use of artificial intelligence in 27 nations. It bans emotion recognition at school and in the workplace, prohibits \u003ca href=\"https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/22/1063605/china-announced-a-new-social-credit-law-what-does-it-mean/\">social credit scores\u003c/a> such as the kind used in China to reward or punish certain kinds of behavior and some instances of predictive policing. The AI Act applies high risk labels for AI in health care, hiring, and issuing government benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are some notable differences between the EU law and what California lawmakers are considering. The AI Act addresses how law enforcement agencies can use AI, while Bauer-Kahan’s bill does not, and Wicks’ watermarking bill could end up stronger than AI Act requirements. But the California bills and the AI Act both take a risk-based approach to regulation, both advise continued testing and assessment of forms of AI deemed high risk, and both call for watermarking generative AI outputs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you take these three bills together, you’re probably at 70%–80% of what we cover in the AI Act,” de Graaf said. “It’s a very solid relationship that we both benefit from.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meeting, de Graaf said they discussed draft AI bills, AI bias and risk assessments, advanced AI models, the state of watermarking images and videos made by AI, and which issues to prioritize. The San Francisco office works under the authority of the EU delegation in Washington, D.C., to promote EU tech policy and strengthen cooperation with influential tech and policy figures in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artificial intelligence can make predictions about people including what movies they want to watch on Netflix or the next words in a sentence, but without high standards and continuous testing, AI that makes critical decisions about people’s lives can automate discrimination. AI has a history of harming people of color, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/face-recognition-software-led-to-his-arrest-it-was-dead-wrong/\">police use of face recognition\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://themarkup.org/locked-out/2021/01/11/the-obscure-yet-powerful-tenant-screening-industry-is-finally-getting-some-scrutiny\">deciding whether to grant an apartment\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://themarkup.org/denied/2021/08/25/the-secret-bias-hidden-in-mortgage-approval-algorithms\">home mortgage application\u003c/a>. The technology has a demonstrated ability to adversely affect the lives of most people, including women, people with disabilities, the young, the old, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/03/california-ai-purchasing-guidelines/\">people who apply for government benefits\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983391/meet-the-o-c-state-senator-guiding-californias-ai-regulations\">interview with KQED\u003c/a>, Umberg talked about the importance of striking a balance, insisting “We could get this wrong.” Too little regulation could lead to catastrophic consequences for society, and too much could “strangle the AI industry” that calls California home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coordination between California and EU officials attempts to combine regulatory initiatives in two uniquely influential markets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11987807\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11987807\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/Gerard-de-Graaf_AH_CM_01-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gerard de Graaf, senior envoy for digital to the US and head of the European Union office in San Francisco. Photo via Graaf’s X account. \u003ccite>(Illustration by Adriana Heldiz/CalMatters/iStock)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The majority of the top AI companies are \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com.au/news/innovation/ai-50-the-top-artificial-intelligence-startups/\">based in California\u003c/a>, and according to startup tracker Crunchbase, for the past eight months, companies in \u003ca href=\"https://news.crunchbase.com/ai/sf-bay-area-leads-tech-startup-funding\">the San Francisco Bay Area raised more AI investment money than the rest of the world combined\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The General Data Protection Regulation, better known as GDPR, is the European Union’s best known legislation for privacy protection. It also led to coinage of the term “the Brussels effect,” when enforcement of a single law leads to outsized influence in other countries. In this case, the EU law forced tech companies to adopt stricter user protections if they wanted access to the region’s 450 million residents. That law went into effect in 2018, the same year that California passed a similar law. \u003ca href=\"https://techpolicy.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/CTP_state-tech-policy-2023.pdf\">More than a dozen U.S. states followed suit (PDF)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"h-defining-ai\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Defining AI\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Coordination is necessary, de Graaf said, because technology is a global industry and it’s important to avoid policy that makes it complicated for businesses to comply with rules around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the first steps to working together is a shared definition of how to define artificial intelligence so you agree on what technology is covered under a law. De Graaf said his office worked with Bauer-Kahan and Umberg on how to define AI “because if you have very different definitions to start with then convergence or harmonization is almost impossible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given the recent passage of the AI Act, the absence of federal action, and the complexity of regulating AI, the Senate Judiciary staff lawyers held numerous meetings with EU officials and staff, Umberg told CalMatters in a statement. The definition of AI used by the California Senate Judiciary committee is informed by a number of voices including federal agencies, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the EU.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I strongly believe that we can learn from each other’s work and responsibly regulate AI without harming innovation in this dynamic and quickly-changing environment” Umberg told CalMatters in a written statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trio of bills discussed with de Graaf in April passed their respective houses this week. He suspects questions from California lawmakers will get more specific as bills move closer to adoption.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California lawmakers\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billSearchClient.xhtml?session_year=20232024&keyword=artificial%20intelligence&house=Both&author=All&lawCode=All\"> proposed more than 100 bills\u003c/a> to regulate AI in the current legislative session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think what is now the imperative for the Legislature is to whittle the bills down to a more manageable number,” he said. “I mean, there’s over 50 so that we focused particularly on the bills to these Assembly members or senators themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"h-state-agency-also-seeks-to-protect-californians-privacy\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">State agency also seeks to protect Californians’ privacy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Elected officials and their staff aren’t the only ones speaking with EU officials. The California Privacy Protection Agency — a state agency made to protect people’s privacy and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/04/data-broker-registry/\">require businesses comply with data deletion requests\u003c/a> — also speaks regularly with EU officials, including de Graaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Most states with privacy protection laws rely on state attorneys general for enforcement. California is the only state with an independent agency with enforcement authority to audit businesses, levy fines, or bring businesses to court, said agency executive director Ashkan Soltanti, because key elements of the EU’s privacy protection law influenced the formation of California’s privacy law. De Graaf and Soltani testified about similarities between definitions of AI in California and the EU in \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/hearings/257521?t=3&f=0036d9e555a8bb5dbad0926ac136f3b7\">an assembly privacy committee hearing in February\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The roots of the agency were inspired at great length by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),” Soltani said. “There’s an interest and a goal, and in fact \u003ca href=\"https://thecpra.org/#1798.199.40(i)\">our statute directs us\u003c/a> to, where possible, make sure that our approach is harmonious with frameworks in other jurisdictions, not just states but internationally as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soltani was hired when the agency was created in 2021. He told CalMatters international coordination is a big part of the job. After hiring staff and attorneys, one of his first orders of business was joining the Global Privacy Assembly, a group of 140 data privacy authorities from around the world. California is the only U.S. state that is a member of the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alignment is important for setting the rules of the road for businesses but also for consumers to protect themselves and their communities in a digital world where borders blur.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They don’t think whether they’re doing business with a California company or a European company or an Asian company, particularly if it’s all in English, they just think they’re interacting online, so having consistent frameworks for protection ultimately benefits consumers,” Soltani said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like California lawmakers, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/03/california-ai-rules-business/\">the California Privacy Protection Agency is in the process of writing rules for how businesses use AI\u003c/a> and protections for consumers, students and workers. And like the AI Act, draft rules call for impact assessments. Its five-member board will consider passing rules into law in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The last day of the legislative calendar year for California lawmakers to pass a bill into law is Aug. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Trial for Class Action Lawsuit Over Troubled Women’s Prison Slated for June 2025",
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"content": "\u003cp>The trial for a class action lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons over sexual assault and retaliation at an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11978712/infamous-east-bay-womens-prison-hit-with-12-additional-sexual-assault-lawsuits\">East Bay federal women’s prison\u003c/a> is slated to start in June of next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The brief virtual court hearing comes during a turbulent time for the prison embattled in sexual assault charges. It is the first public hearing since federal officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982973/feds-abruptly-close-east-bay-womens-prison-following-sexual-abuse-scandals\">abruptly closed Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin\u003c/a>, last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, attorneys for both sides outlined the next steps and a timeline for the class action lawsuit filed on behalf of women formerly incarcerated at the prison last August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s clear coming out of the case management conference today is that the case has not and will not end with the closure of Dublin, and we will continue to fight on,” said Amaris Montes, an attorney with Rights Behind Bars, representing plaintiffs. “We know that the problems exist outside of the physical walls of Dublin, and the same things are happening at other BOP facilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for both sides discussed possible settlement solutions for the lawsuit on Tuesday; however, an offer still needs to be made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are seeking real, lasting changes in the BOP system, including medical and mental health care that’s meaningful, so we don’t plan to settle until we have these changes,” Montes said in a press conference shortly following the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allegations of sexual abuse at FCI Dublin date back decades, including a major settlement case plaintiffs won in the 1990s. The most recent series of scandals first started unraveling following an investigation by The Associated Press in 2021. It revealed a culture of abuse and cover-ups that had persisted for years at the low-security federal women’s prison, which had more than 650 inmates before shuttering.[aside postID=news_11980960 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/GettyImages-1181905632-1020x680.jpg']Eight former FCI Dublin correctional officers, including the former warden and chaplain, have been convicted and charged and seven have been sentenced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2021, formerly incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, have filed nearly 60 lawsuits alleging a range of sexual harassment violations and retaliation by officers. That includes the class action lawsuit, which started public proceedings on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982014/judge-chooses-top-pick-for-special-master-to-oversee-womens-prison-following-rampant-abuse\">ordered a special master\u003c/a> to oversee mandatory changes at the prison following years of sexual assault allegations and criminal charges against eight officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after, Wendy Still was appointed to the position; however, the Biden administration announced that the facility would shut down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Women who were housed at the facility have since transferred across the country to a small handful of other women’s prisons. Some women have since alleged mistreatment and retaliation during the relocation process and in their new facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a recent court order, Still will continue in her position even though the prison has closed. She will report on conditions at the prison before and during the transfer process and monitor how women are doing at the facilities they were transferred to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are hearing egregious reports of abuse and neglect, conditions of housing that’s dangerous, overcrowding and understaffing and medical needs that aren’t being addressed,” said Erin Neff, an advocate with California Coalition for Women Prisoners. “I am very encouraged by Gonzalez Rogers’ decision to continue the special master’s role for the 600 individuals who are now across the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers responded by calling the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11985645/closure-of-california-federal-prison-was-poorly-planned-judge-says-ordering-further-monitoring\">closure and transfer process “ill-conceived”\u003c/a> and ordered close monitoring and care of women at their new facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People are vulnerable to retaliation. People still face unconstitutional conditions of confinement, a lack of medical care and so much more,” Montes said. “This is clear; this is a result of not just individual officers who are committing abuses, but it’s an issue of BOP-wide policies that have continued to allow people to suffer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The trial for a class action lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons over sexual assault and retaliation at an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11978712/infamous-east-bay-womens-prison-hit-with-12-additional-sexual-assault-lawsuits\">East Bay federal women’s prison\u003c/a> is slated to start in June of next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The brief virtual court hearing comes during a turbulent time for the prison embattled in sexual assault charges. It is the first public hearing since federal officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982973/feds-abruptly-close-east-bay-womens-prison-following-sexual-abuse-scandals\">abruptly closed Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin\u003c/a>, last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, attorneys for both sides outlined the next steps and a timeline for the class action lawsuit filed on behalf of women formerly incarcerated at the prison last August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s clear coming out of the case management conference today is that the case has not and will not end with the closure of Dublin, and we will continue to fight on,” said Amaris Montes, an attorney with Rights Behind Bars, representing plaintiffs. “We know that the problems exist outside of the physical walls of Dublin, and the same things are happening at other BOP facilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for both sides discussed possible settlement solutions for the lawsuit on Tuesday; however, an offer still needs to be made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are seeking real, lasting changes in the BOP system, including medical and mental health care that’s meaningful, so we don’t plan to settle until we have these changes,” Montes said in a press conference shortly following the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allegations of sexual abuse at FCI Dublin date back decades, including a major settlement case plaintiffs won in the 1990s. The most recent series of scandals first started unraveling following an investigation by The Associated Press in 2021. It revealed a culture of abuse and cover-ups that had persisted for years at the low-security federal women’s prison, which had more than 650 inmates before shuttering.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Eight former FCI Dublin correctional officers, including the former warden and chaplain, have been convicted and charged and seven have been sentenced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2021, formerly incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, have filed nearly 60 lawsuits alleging a range of sexual harassment violations and retaliation by officers. That includes the class action lawsuit, which started public proceedings on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982014/judge-chooses-top-pick-for-special-master-to-oversee-womens-prison-following-rampant-abuse\">ordered a special master\u003c/a> to oversee mandatory changes at the prison following years of sexual assault allegations and criminal charges against eight officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after, Wendy Still was appointed to the position; however, the Biden administration announced that the facility would shut down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Women who were housed at the facility have since transferred across the country to a small handful of other women’s prisons. Some women have since alleged mistreatment and retaliation during the relocation process and in their new facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a recent court order, Still will continue in her position even though the prison has closed. She will report on conditions at the prison before and during the transfer process and monitor how women are doing at the facilities they were transferred to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are hearing egregious reports of abuse and neglect, conditions of housing that’s dangerous, overcrowding and understaffing and medical needs that aren’t being addressed,” said Erin Neff, an advocate with California Coalition for Women Prisoners. “I am very encouraged by Gonzalez Rogers’ decision to continue the special master’s role for the 600 individuals who are now across the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers responded by calling the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11985645/closure-of-california-federal-prison-was-poorly-planned-judge-says-ordering-further-monitoring\">closure and transfer process “ill-conceived”\u003c/a> and ordered close monitoring and care of women at their new facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People are vulnerable to retaliation. People still face unconstitutional conditions of confinement, a lack of medical care and so much more,” Montes said. “This is clear; this is a result of not just individual officers who are committing abuses, but it’s an issue of BOP-wide policies that have continued to allow people to suffer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Special Interest Groups Spent Over $114 Million Lobbying California Officials in First Quarter of 2024",
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"headTitle": "Special Interest Groups Spent Over $114 Million Lobbying California Officials in First Quarter of 2024 | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Special interest groups spent more than $114 million lobbying California officials and legislators in the first quarter of this year, matching the pace last year, when a record $480 million was spent to influence state policy decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, nearly $600 million has been spent since the current two-year session of the Legislature started in January 2023. This year’s pace so far is about $1.25 million per day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The top 10 spenders for the first quarter of 2024, revealed in the latest financial reports filed with the Secretary of State, include nine that have been on the top 10 list since 2005. The only one that wasn’t: Contra Costa County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are the 10 organizations that invested the most in state-level lobbying between January and March of this year and how much they spent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chevron: $3 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-2\">San Ramon-based oil giant\u003c/a> continues to top the list of advocacy spenders, reporting more than $3 million spent between January and the end of March. The last time Chevron wasn’t in the top three spenders was in 2011. It has reported lobbying expenses totaling more than $77.6 million since 2005.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company lobbied the Legislature on several items, including the budget, hydrogen programs, and carbon sequestration. But that isn’t the only institution that Chevron wanted to influence. It also reported advocating before the state Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, the Air Resources Board, the Natural Resources Agency and the Departments of Tax and Fee Administration and Fish and Wildlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fossil fuel behemoth took a public position on just one bill so far this year: \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3155\">a proposal\u003c/a> from Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/laura-friedman-100935\">Laura Friedman\u003c/a>, a Democrat from Burbank, that would make oil well operators liable for civil penalties for health impacts on people who live in the area. Chevron opposed the bill, which is still pending after approval from two committees in the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/63Ox1/5/\" width=\"1000\" height=\"625\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Western States Petroleum Association: $2.5 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-11778\">oil industry trade group\u003c/a> is Chevron’s perennial partner on the leaderboard. The association is the single-largest spender on state advocacy since 2005, reporting nearly $120 million in total expenses. To put that in some context, the SEIU state council, a labor organization and the next highest-spending group, reported $80 million over the same time period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fossil fuel lobby \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-11778#lobbying-representations\">testified against two \u003c/a>bills in hearings: \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb559\">SB 559\u003c/a>, which died in January and would have directed state regulators to phase out offshore drilling in state waters, and \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1866\">AB 1866\u003c/a>, which would require companies to develop plans to eliminate all idle oil wells. The bill is still pending in the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group advocated on more than \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-11778\">25 other bills since January\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>California Chamber of Commerce:\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>$1.2 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-4\">Chamber of Commerce\u003c/a> spent a little less than $1.2 million to advocate on more than 100 pieces of legislation in the first quarter of 2024, as well as lobbying Cal/OSHA, the Public Utilities Commission, the relatively new Privacy Protection Agency and the Water Resources Control Board. The business trade group testified against a pending bill that would \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab82\">prevent people under 18\u003c/a> from buying diet or weight loss supplements over the counter, against a failed bill that would have \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab259\">imposed a tax on residents\u003c/a> with more than $1 million in assets, and in support of a still-pending bill that \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2011\">makes permanent a family leave\u003c/a> mediation program for small employers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chamber is the sixth-largest lobbyist employer since 2005, spending more than $61 million over that time period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pacific Gas & Electric: $1.15 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-8937\">PG&E\u003c/a> spent nearly $1.15 million advocating for issues, such as undergrounding power lines and the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. It also lobbied on 85 bills, including \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2666\">AB 2666\u003c/a>, which would require utilities to annually report to the Public Utilities Commission the amount spent on infrastructure after each approved rate hike, such as the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/05/californians-electricity-rates/\">one approved\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>two weeks ago\u003c/a>. Despite PG&E’s opposition to the bill, it passed the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investor-owned utility, which is regulated by the state, has spent nearly $40 million since 2005 to push its point of view in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Howard Jarvis: $1.05 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-9\">Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association\u003c/a> reported spending about $1 million in the first three months of the year. That represents an increase in advocacy by the anti-tax organization from last quarter when it spent just less than $157,000 between October and December last year. However, the spending aligns with the first quarter of 2023, when the association reported $1.15 million in advocacy receipts. The group lobbied on 12 bills this session, including against one from Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/alex-lee-162481\">Alex Lee\u003c/a> of Milpitas to \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab259\">raise taxes on assets\u003c/a> worth more than $1 million. The bill died in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2005, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association has invested $34.5 million in pushing its point of view to government officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Sywxi/2/\" width=\"1000\" height=\"575\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>California Hospital Association: $1 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group representing hospitals and health care systems reported spending a little more than $1 million to advocate on 61 pieces of legislation, including \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2200\">a bill\u003c/a> by Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a> from San Jose to create a single-payer health care system in California. The hospital association opposes the bill, which died last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2005, the industry group has invested more than $58 million in lobbying the state government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>AT&T: $865,000\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AT&T \u003ca href=\"https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Lobbying/Employers/Detail.aspx?id=1146836&view=activity\">reported\u003c/a> advocating before the Public Utilities Commission and on two similar bills in the Legislature, \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1588\">one in the Assembly\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1179\">one in the Senate\u003c/a>. Both would require state agencies to only procure internet from providers offering affordable home internet service. Though the company reported lobbying on both bills, it didn’t take a public position on either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The telecom company went on the record about a handful of education-related bills. It took public positions in support of five bills last year, four of which have to do with education-related topics, such as \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1251\">credentialing teachers\u003c/a> in computer science and \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab873\">media literacy curriculums\u003c/a> for students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AT&T has reported spending more than $63 million to lobby the state government since 2005.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Contra Costa County: $773,000\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The East Bay Area county spent 65% of the total it spent last year in just the first quarter of this year and reported advocating on seven bills. It supported a bill about \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab817\">hosting public meetings online\u003c/a> and another about \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1245\">in-home supportive health service certifications\u003c/a> through an association called Urban Counties.[aside label='Related Coverage' tag='california-law']The $570,000 quarter-over-quarter increase is due to a lobbying blitz in favor of a bill that extends \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1432\">the deadline by which hospitals\u003c/a> must be seismically retrofitted or demolished. The bill is pending in the Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa County was the only lobbyist employer in the top 10 spenders from last quarter not to be on the same list historically. Since 2005, it has reported spending just under $18 million to push its point of view in state government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SEIU State Council: $754,000\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Service Employees International Union, a labor organization that represents more than 700,000 state workers, including more than 180,000 state employees, spent nearly $754,000 on lobbying so far this year, advocating before the state’s public pension system, the state treasurer, and the governor as well as on 77 different bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among those bills, the union reported lobbying for \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab518?slug=CA_202320240AB518\">a bill\u003c/a> from Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/buffy-wicks-165044\">Buffy Wicks\u003c/a> from Oakland to expand paid family leave benefits for caretakers of seriously ill people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though the council is near the bottom of this list, it has been the second-largest aggregate spender on lobbying since 2005, reporting more than $80 million in total state-level advocacy expenditures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>California Teachers Association: $667,000\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The statewide teachers union reported advocating on more legislation than any other group in the top 10: 172 bills and resolutions in just the first three months of this year. The union also reported lobbying on the state budget and before the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, but it did not report a new public position on legislation between January and March. Perhaps that’s not surprising — it’s already on the record for \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-1#bill-alignment\">203 pieces of legislation.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The labor group hosts the fourth largest bill lobbying effort since 2005, reporting more than $70 million in lobbying expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Special interest groups spent more than $114 million lobbying California officials and legislators in the first quarter of this year, matching the pace last year, when a record $480 million was spent to influence state policy decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, nearly $600 million has been spent since the current two-year session of the Legislature started in January 2023. This year’s pace so far is about $1.25 million per day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The top 10 spenders for the first quarter of 2024, revealed in the latest financial reports filed with the Secretary of State, include nine that have been on the top 10 list since 2005. The only one that wasn’t: Contra Costa County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are the 10 organizations that invested the most in state-level lobbying between January and March of this year and how much they spent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chevron: $3 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-2\">San Ramon-based oil giant\u003c/a> continues to top the list of advocacy spenders, reporting more than $3 million spent between January and the end of March. The last time Chevron wasn’t in the top three spenders was in 2011. It has reported lobbying expenses totaling more than $77.6 million since 2005.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company lobbied the Legislature on several items, including the budget, hydrogen programs, and carbon sequestration. But that isn’t the only institution that Chevron wanted to influence. It also reported advocating before the state Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, the Air Resources Board, the Natural Resources Agency and the Departments of Tax and Fee Administration and Fish and Wildlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fossil fuel behemoth took a public position on just one bill so far this year: \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3155\">a proposal\u003c/a> from Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/laura-friedman-100935\">Laura Friedman\u003c/a>, a Democrat from Burbank, that would make oil well operators liable for civil penalties for health impacts on people who live in the area. Chevron opposed the bill, which is still pending after approval from two committees in the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/63Ox1/5/\" width=\"1000\" height=\"625\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Western States Petroleum Association: $2.5 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-11778\">oil industry trade group\u003c/a> is Chevron’s perennial partner on the leaderboard. The association is the single-largest spender on state advocacy since 2005, reporting nearly $120 million in total expenses. To put that in some context, the SEIU state council, a labor organization and the next highest-spending group, reported $80 million over the same time period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fossil fuel lobby \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-11778#lobbying-representations\">testified against two \u003c/a>bills in hearings: \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb559\">SB 559\u003c/a>, which died in January and would have directed state regulators to phase out offshore drilling in state waters, and \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1866\">AB 1866\u003c/a>, which would require companies to develop plans to eliminate all idle oil wells. The bill is still pending in the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group advocated on more than \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-11778\">25 other bills since January\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>California Chamber of Commerce:\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>$1.2 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-4\">Chamber of Commerce\u003c/a> spent a little less than $1.2 million to advocate on more than 100 pieces of legislation in the first quarter of 2024, as well as lobbying Cal/OSHA, the Public Utilities Commission, the relatively new Privacy Protection Agency and the Water Resources Control Board. The business trade group testified against a pending bill that would \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab82\">prevent people under 18\u003c/a> from buying diet or weight loss supplements over the counter, against a failed bill that would have \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab259\">imposed a tax on residents\u003c/a> with more than $1 million in assets, and in support of a still-pending bill that \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2011\">makes permanent a family leave\u003c/a> mediation program for small employers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chamber is the sixth-largest lobbyist employer since 2005, spending more than $61 million over that time period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pacific Gas & Electric: $1.15 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-8937\">PG&E\u003c/a> spent nearly $1.15 million advocating for issues, such as undergrounding power lines and the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. It also lobbied on 85 bills, including \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2666\">AB 2666\u003c/a>, which would require utilities to annually report to the Public Utilities Commission the amount spent on infrastructure after each approved rate hike, such as the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/05/californians-electricity-rates/\">one approved\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>two weeks ago\u003c/a>. Despite PG&E’s opposition to the bill, it passed the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investor-owned utility, which is regulated by the state, has spent nearly $40 million since 2005 to push its point of view in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Howard Jarvis: $1.05 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-9\">Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association\u003c/a> reported spending about $1 million in the first three months of the year. That represents an increase in advocacy by the anti-tax organization from last quarter when it spent just less than $157,000 between October and December last year. However, the spending aligns with the first quarter of 2023, when the association reported $1.15 million in advocacy receipts. The group lobbied on 12 bills this session, including against one from Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/alex-lee-162481\">Alex Lee\u003c/a> of Milpitas to \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab259\">raise taxes on assets\u003c/a> worth more than $1 million. The bill died in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2005, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association has invested $34.5 million in pushing its point of view to government officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Sywxi/2/\" width=\"1000\" height=\"575\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>California Hospital Association: $1 million\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group representing hospitals and health care systems reported spending a little more than $1 million to advocate on 61 pieces of legislation, including \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2200\">a bill\u003c/a> by Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a> from San Jose to create a single-payer health care system in California. The hospital association opposes the bill, which died last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2005, the industry group has invested more than $58 million in lobbying the state government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>AT&T: $865,000\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AT&T \u003ca href=\"https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Lobbying/Employers/Detail.aspx?id=1146836&view=activity\">reported\u003c/a> advocating before the Public Utilities Commission and on two similar bills in the Legislature, \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1588\">one in the Assembly\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1179\">one in the Senate\u003c/a>. Both would require state agencies to only procure internet from providers offering affordable home internet service. Though the company reported lobbying on both bills, it didn’t take a public position on either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The telecom company went on the record about a handful of education-related bills. It took public positions in support of five bills last year, four of which have to do with education-related topics, such as \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1251\">credentialing teachers\u003c/a> in computer science and \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab873\">media literacy curriculums\u003c/a> for students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AT&T has reported spending more than $63 million to lobby the state government since 2005.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Contra Costa County: $773,000\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The East Bay Area county spent 65% of the total it spent last year in just the first quarter of this year and reported advocating on seven bills. It supported a bill about \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab817\">hosting public meetings online\u003c/a> and another about \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1245\">in-home supportive health service certifications\u003c/a> through an association called Urban Counties.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The $570,000 quarter-over-quarter increase is due to a lobbying blitz in favor of a bill that extends \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1432\">the deadline by which hospitals\u003c/a> must be seismically retrofitted or demolished. The bill is pending in the Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa County was the only lobbyist employer in the top 10 spenders from last quarter not to be on the same list historically. Since 2005, it has reported spending just under $18 million to push its point of view in state government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SEIU State Council: $754,000\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Service Employees International Union, a labor organization that represents more than 700,000 state workers, including more than 180,000 state employees, spent nearly $754,000 on lobbying so far this year, advocating before the state’s public pension system, the state treasurer, and the governor as well as on 77 different bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among those bills, the union reported lobbying for \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab518?slug=CA_202320240AB518\">a bill\u003c/a> from Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/legislators/buffy-wicks-165044\">Buffy Wicks\u003c/a> from Oakland to expand paid family leave benefits for caretakers of seriously ill people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though the council is near the bottom of this list, it has been the second-largest aggregate spender on lobbying since 2005, reporting more than $80 million in total state-level advocacy expenditures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>California Teachers Association: $667,000\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The statewide teachers union reported advocating on more legislation than any other group in the top 10: 172 bills and resolutions in just the first three months of this year. The union also reported lobbying on the state budget and before the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, but it did not report a new public position on legislation between January and March. Perhaps that’s not surprising — it’s already on the record for \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/organizations/-1#bill-alignment\">203 pieces of legislation.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The labor group hosts the fourth largest bill lobbying effort since 2005, reporting more than $70 million in lobbying expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>For the first time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/monterey-bay-aquarium\">the Monterey Bay Aquarium\u003c/a> is offering free admission to anyone receiving food assistance — also known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/361\">SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits\u003c/a> or food stamps, and called \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calfresh\">CalFresh\u003c/a> in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting Memorial Day (May 27), anyone with an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) card can use this as proof of their eligibility at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s ticketing desks to \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/newsroom/press-releases/museums-for-all\">get free tickets for up to four people\u003c/a>, as part of the nationwide \u003ca href=\"https://museums4all.org/\">Museums for All program\u003c/a>. There’s no application process, and you don’t have to reserve your free tickets in advance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium cost $59.95 for adults, $49.95 for youth ages 13–17, $44.95 for children ages 5–12 and $49.95 for seniors age 70 and over (although children 4 and under can always visit the aquarium for free). Using an EBT card means a group of two adults and two children can save well over $200 on admission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what to know about using your EBT card for free admission to the Monterey Bay Aquarium — plus more ways to save even more money on your visit. And if you’re not an EBT holder, remember: You still have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943906/how-to-find-free-museum-tickets-in-the-bay-area\">several ways to find free museum tickets around the Bay Area\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Don’t currently receive SNAP benefits but think you could be eligible? \u003ca href=\"https://www.getcalfresh.org/?source=dssfood\">Find out how to apply for CalFresh.\u003c/a>)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #1: Know what you need to bring to get free aquarium admission\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re using an EBT card to get free aquarium admission for up to four people, the holder of the EBT card needs to be part of your group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As well as their physical EBT card, that person \u003cem>also \u003c/em>needs to have a valid photo ID with a name that matches the name on the EBT card.[aside postID='news_11987214,news_11986383,news_11984496,news_11979339' label='More Guides from KQED']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you’ve got those things, all you have to do is go to the ticket desk at the aquarium with your group, show your EBT card and ask for “Museums for All tickets.” Remember, no reservation is required, and free tickets are available whenever the museum is open.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #2: Once you’re in Monterey, you can use a free trolley car to get around\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Starting Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day, the City of Monterey and Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) operates \u003ca href=\"https://monterey.gov/city_hall/departments/ride_the_free_trolley_shuttle/index.php\">a free trolley car that serves Downtown Monterey, Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium\u003c/a> — which you can use to avoid higher-cost parking garage fees closer to the aquarium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The free MST Trolley will run 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily and connects the downtown parking garages (where all-day parking is $12) with the aquarium.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #3: Time your aquarium visit according to what you want to see\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Because your free admission with an EBT card isn’t restricted to particular times or days, you can choose to visit on a schedule that works for you — and offers you what you want to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to exhibits including \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/into-the-deep\">deep-sea creatures\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/sea-otters\">sea otters\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/giant-pacific-octopus\">the Giant Pacific octopus\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/kelp-forest\">kelp forest\u003c/a>, the aquarium also offers daily talks, screenings and public feeding demonstrations for the animals. \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/hours-schedule\">Look at the Aquarium schedule \u003c/a>beforehand to ensure you don’t miss an event you want to catch.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #4: The aquarium isn’t the only place offering free admission for EBT holders in Monterey\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://museums4all.org/\">The Museums for All program\u003c/a> offers free or reduced admission to 1,300 museums around the United States — so the aquarium is by no means the only place an EBT card can save you a lot of money as a visitor. [aside postID=news_11986383 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/BigSur-1020x680.jpg']In Monterey, the following paid museums offer free or low-cost admission for up to four people with an EBT card, for you to visit before or after the aquarium:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://mymuseum.org/\">Monterey County Youth Museum (MY Museum)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://montereyart.org/\">Monterey Museum of Art – Pacific Street\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://montereyart.org/\">Monterey Museum of Art – La Mirada\u003c/a> (open only for special events and programs)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://montereyhistory.org/stanton-center/\">Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>When asking for Museums for All tickets, remember that sometimes a staff member might be newer or hasn’t received their training on the Museums for All program yet and could be less familiar with the discount. If this happens when you arrive, we recommend staying patient and showing the staffer \u003ca href=\"https://museums4all.org/#!\">museum’s listing on the Museums for All site\u003c/a> on your phone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #5: Remember you can use your EBT card for free museum tickets around the Bay Area too\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in the Bay, many local museums are participating in the Museums for All program, including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.calacademy.org/\">California Academy of Sciences\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.exploratorium.edu/\">Exploratorium\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://deyoung.famsf.org/\">de Young Museum\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/\">Legion of Honor\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://chabotspace.org/\">Chabot Space and Science Center\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://museumca.org/\">Oakland Museum of California\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://filoli.org/\">Filoli Historic House and Garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/san-francisco-museums-all\">San Francisco also has its own local version of the Museums For All program, which covers \u003c/a>over 20 museums and cultural spaces and offers free or reduced admission to SF residents who are Medi-Cal recipients, as well as to EBT users.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>See a \u003ca href=\"https://museums4all.org/#!\">full list of all the Bay Area museums participating in the Museums for All program\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11915329/how-to-get-free-or-low-cost-museum-entry-this-summer-with-your-ebt-card\">read more about using your EBT card to get free museum tickets.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting by KQED’s Jasmine Garnett, Sarah Mohamad and Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For the first time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/monterey-bay-aquarium\">the Monterey Bay Aquarium\u003c/a> is offering free admission to anyone receiving food assistance — also known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/361\">SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits\u003c/a> or food stamps, and called \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calfresh\">CalFresh\u003c/a> in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting Memorial Day (May 27), anyone with an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) card can use this as proof of their eligibility at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s ticketing desks to \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/newsroom/press-releases/museums-for-all\">get free tickets for up to four people\u003c/a>, as part of the nationwide \u003ca href=\"https://museums4all.org/\">Museums for All program\u003c/a>. There’s no application process, and you don’t have to reserve your free tickets in advance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium cost $59.95 for adults, $49.95 for youth ages 13–17, $44.95 for children ages 5–12 and $49.95 for seniors age 70 and over (although children 4 and under can always visit the aquarium for free). Using an EBT card means a group of two adults and two children can save well over $200 on admission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what to know about using your EBT card for free admission to the Monterey Bay Aquarium — plus more ways to save even more money on your visit. And if you’re not an EBT holder, remember: You still have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943906/how-to-find-free-museum-tickets-in-the-bay-area\">several ways to find free museum tickets around the Bay Area\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Don’t currently receive SNAP benefits but think you could be eligible? \u003ca href=\"https://www.getcalfresh.org/?source=dssfood\">Find out how to apply for CalFresh.\u003c/a>)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #1: Know what you need to bring to get free aquarium admission\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re using an EBT card to get free aquarium admission for up to four people, the holder of the EBT card needs to be part of your group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As well as their physical EBT card, that person \u003cem>also \u003c/em>needs to have a valid photo ID with a name that matches the name on the EBT card.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you’ve got those things, all you have to do is go to the ticket desk at the aquarium with your group, show your EBT card and ask for “Museums for All tickets.” Remember, no reservation is required, and free tickets are available whenever the museum is open.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #2: Once you’re in Monterey, you can use a free trolley car to get around\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Starting Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day, the City of Monterey and Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) operates \u003ca href=\"https://monterey.gov/city_hall/departments/ride_the_free_trolley_shuttle/index.php\">a free trolley car that serves Downtown Monterey, Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium\u003c/a> — which you can use to avoid higher-cost parking garage fees closer to the aquarium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The free MST Trolley will run 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily and connects the downtown parking garages (where all-day parking is $12) with the aquarium.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #3: Time your aquarium visit according to what you want to see\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Because your free admission with an EBT card isn’t restricted to particular times or days, you can choose to visit on a schedule that works for you — and offers you what you want to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to exhibits including \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/into-the-deep\">deep-sea creatures\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/sea-otters\">sea otters\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/giant-pacific-octopus\">the Giant Pacific octopus\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/kelp-forest\">kelp forest\u003c/a>, the aquarium also offers daily talks, screenings and public feeding demonstrations for the animals. \u003ca href=\"https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/hours-schedule\">Look at the Aquarium schedule \u003c/a>beforehand to ensure you don’t miss an event you want to catch.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #4: The aquarium isn’t the only place offering free admission for EBT holders in Monterey\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://museums4all.org/\">The Museums for All program\u003c/a> offers free or reduced admission to 1,300 museums around the United States — so the aquarium is by no means the only place an EBT card can save you a lot of money as a visitor. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In Monterey, the following paid museums offer free or low-cost admission for up to four people with an EBT card, for you to visit before or after the aquarium:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://mymuseum.org/\">Monterey County Youth Museum (MY Museum)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://montereyart.org/\">Monterey Museum of Art – Pacific Street\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://montereyart.org/\">Monterey Museum of Art – La Mirada\u003c/a> (open only for special events and programs)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://montereyhistory.org/stanton-center/\">Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>When asking for Museums for All tickets, remember that sometimes a staff member might be newer or hasn’t received their training on the Museums for All program yet and could be less familiar with the discount. If this happens when you arrive, we recommend staying patient and showing the staffer \u003ca href=\"https://museums4all.org/#!\">museum’s listing on the Museums for All site\u003c/a> on your phone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tip #5: Remember you can use your EBT card for free museum tickets around the Bay Area too\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in the Bay, many local museums are participating in the Museums for All program, including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.calacademy.org/\">California Academy of Sciences\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.exploratorium.edu/\">Exploratorium\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://deyoung.famsf.org/\">de Young Museum\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/\">Legion of Honor\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://chabotspace.org/\">Chabot Space and Science Center\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://museumca.org/\">Oakland Museum of California\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://filoli.org/\">Filoli Historic House and Garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/san-francisco-museums-all\">San Francisco also has its own local version of the Museums For All program, which covers \u003c/a>over 20 museums and cultural spaces and offers free or reduced admission to SF residents who are Medi-Cal recipients, as well as to EBT users.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>See a \u003ca href=\"https://museums4all.org/#!\">full list of all the Bay Area museums participating in the Museums for All program\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11915329/how-to-get-free-or-low-cost-museum-entry-this-summer-with-your-ebt-card\">read more about using your EBT card to get free museum tickets.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting by KQED’s Jasmine Garnett, Sarah Mohamad and Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Nurses at San Francisco public hospitals and clinics reached a tentative contract agreement with the city, likely averting a potential strike over staffing levels and working conditions, the health care workers’ union announced Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The deal would add 47 full-time-equivalent positions to San Francisco General Hospital and other clinics, keeping wages ahead of inflation.[aside label=\"related coverage\" tag=\"health-care-workers\"]The potential contract, agreed to on Monday night, is a “huge win” and likely to be approved by union membership, said Aaron Cramer, a registered nurse who works in the cardiac catheterization lab at San Francisco General Hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, the more than 2,000 nurses represented by SEIU Local 1021 at San Francisco General, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and a number of community clinics voted 99.5% in favor of authorizing a strike if a deal wasn’t in place by the time the current contract expires June 30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That vote “showed the city that we were united about what we wanted, which was safe staffing for patient care. And they heard us loud and clear,” Cramer told KQED. “They finally showed up to the bargaining table prepared to actually negotiate for what we thought was a fair deal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The additional staff for “critical service areas that chronically run understaffed” will improve conditions for patients and medical workers, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This entire contract was about patient care,” Cramer said, noting that understaffing affects the time it takes nurses to complete every aspect of a patient’s care. “Especially when they’re chronically sick, patients need things now, and we want to provide it for them now. But when we’re understaffed, it’s like trying to care for someone with an arm tied behind your back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Public Health, which operates the city hospitals and clinics, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A union vote to approve the contract is expected in the next two weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The potential contract, agreed to on Monday night, is a “huge win” and likely to be approved by union membership, said Aaron Cramer, a registered nurse who works in the cardiac catheterization lab at San Francisco General Hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, the more than 2,000 nurses represented by SEIU Local 1021 at San Francisco General, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and a number of community clinics voted 99.5% in favor of authorizing a strike if a deal wasn’t in place by the time the current contract expires June 30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That vote “showed the city that we were united about what we wanted, which was safe staffing for patient care. And they heard us loud and clear,” Cramer told KQED. “They finally showed up to the bargaining table prepared to actually negotiate for what we thought was a fair deal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The additional staff for “critical service areas that chronically run understaffed” will improve conditions for patients and medical workers, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This entire contract was about patient care,” Cramer said, noting that understaffing affects the time it takes nurses to complete every aspect of a patient’s care. “Especially when they’re chronically sick, patients need things now, and we want to provide it for them now. But when we’re understaffed, it’s like trying to care for someone with an arm tied behind your back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Public Health, which operates the city hospitals and clinics, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A union vote to approve the contract is expected in the next two weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "after-58-years-ccsfs-longest-tenured-professor-nears-landmark-achievement",
"title": "After 58 Years, CCSF Music Chair Closer Than Ever to Realizing Her Dream",
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"content": "\u003cp>After 58 years of sharing her passion for music and the arts with City College of San Francisco students, music department chair Madeline Mueller may finally get what she’s always wanted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the college’s longest-tenured employee, Mueller is just as committed to advocating for a much overdue performing arts auditorium as she is to using her vast musical knowledge, sharp eye for detail and willingness to do any job to keep the music department running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only then, Mueller said, will she consider retirement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could have retired years ago,” Mueller said. “But I made a promise to myself and to the administration that I wouldn’t retire — I used to say until they built the auditorium.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Mueller, the issue is simple: City College is an incomplete campus without a proper auditorium to support its performing arts majors, including music and theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The college has been discussing the project for years and even came close to breaking ground in 2012. However, after budget cuts and state roadblocks, Mueller said she was left feeling more like Charlie Brown from the \u003cem>Peanuts\u003c/em> comic strips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like Lucy and the football,” Mueller said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lucy is the state, the administration and budget cuts — everything that has stopped the theater from being built. Mueller is Charlie Brown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, with renewed plans for the theater to go to the state for approval, City College seems closer than ever to building the performing arts auditorium of Mueller’s dreams. The project has an architect, design plans and a contractor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986926\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986926\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL.jpg\" alt=\"What appear to be detailed architectural renderings, including mock-up illustrations of an interior space, are displayed in a glass case\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Plans for a new performing arts center hang in the City College of San Francisco music department on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>City College is hopeful the state will approve the plans before the end of 2024, and media reports have the auditorium tentatively \u003ca href=\"https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/06/21/new-theatre-building-will-house-famous-diego-rivera-mural-in-san-francisco\">scheduled to open in 2027\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She’s been working for over 40 years to get our performing arts center designed,” said Steven Brown, horticulture department chair, who sits on the facilities committee with Mueller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But before Mueller started her quest for a major auditorium at City College, she was an aspiring concert pianist, following in Beethoven’s footsteps.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘She’s a brilliant pianist’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As a girl in Bakersfield, Mueller studied under Ethel McManus Shaver, her link to an illustrious chain of five pianists that stretches back to Beethoven. But like many aspiring performers, Mueller needed a backup plan, and hers was a community college teaching credential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1965, two weeks into its fall semester, City College’s band director departed for a new position at San Francisco State, leaving his old post vacant. The music department suddenly needed a full-time substitute teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986922\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986922\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A detailed close-up photograph of hands playing a piano\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music department chair Madeline Mueller plays piano at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mueller stepped into her new teaching role that year. She fell in love with the college immediately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was enchanted,” she said. “The school had such diversity. And the students were so smart and appreciative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even after she began teaching, Mueller continued to perform — and not just at faculty recitals — at concerts throughout the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She could have gone on to a career as an accompanist,” said Lenny Carlson, a retired City College music professor and jazz musician. “She’s a brilliant pianist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carlson often chose Mueller, who’s premiered a lot of modern music as a soloist and as a part of an ensemble, to debut his compositions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really enjoy writing music that has humor in it because I know that she will get it, however subtle it is,” Carlson said, who’s an accomplished jazz guitarist and composer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of Mueller’s colleagues agree she has been the primary force in shaping the college’s music department over the decades. Her influence, whether teaching music or championing the department’s auditorium, is significant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This department wouldn’t exist without Madeline,” said Lynette Warfield, the former music department secretary. “And if it did, it would be an empty shell.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986920\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL.jpg\" alt=\"An older woman wearing glasses and a pink coat speaks to a younger student as he plays a grand piano\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music department chair Madeline Mueller works with piano student Francisco Guijarro at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Once, Warfield said she witnessed an intradepartmental argument reach what she described as the point of no return — one person accused the other of having a terrible voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After they talked to Madeline, the two were singing together,” Warfield said. “When Madeline is in the office, there’s harmony.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For nearly 60 years, Mueller’s advocacy for the performing arts department at City College was witnessed at local gatherings with City College’s Board of Trustees, the Academic Senate and the Facilities Committee. Without fail, Mueller always made it a point to be present, often remaining until she was the sole occupant in the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She’s always been an advocate,” Carlson said. “She was one of the founders of the Academic Senate and the Department Chairs’ Council.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mueller also serves on the Facilities Committee, which has overseen the planning of the new performing arts theater. Now, the project is the top priority on the Facilities Committee’s latest five-year plan and has a $185 million budget. Plans for the new theater are currently in front of the Division of the State Architect — and the committee hopes to have approval by December 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘We’re clawing back’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As plans slowly inch forward, City College’s lack of an auditorium to support its performing arts majors continues to be a goal Mueller and other faculty members rally around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re the only school in the whole system that doesn’t have an auditorium,” Mueller said. “It’s embarrassing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986925\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986925\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students walk down steps leading to the planned site for a new performing arts center at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The music department is not alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brown, of the City College horticulture department, recalled a faculty meeting from early in his tenure with such a large number of participants that it couldn’t be hosted at the school’s Diego Rivera Theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had to rent the Riordan auditorium,” Brown said. “The private Catholic high school across the street has a bigger auditorium than City College, even though City College’s student body is 10 times bigger.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During her tenure, Mueller said she’s watched CCSF prioritize other department buildings over the proposed performing arts center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2000, Mueller said planning for a new auditorium began in earnest. Yet, after the performing arts and PE departments expressed a need for new facilities in 2001, an internal agreement stipulated that the PE department would prioritize the first portion of the construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Wellness Center, which contains new gym facilities, was completed in 2008.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986919\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986919\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music department chair Madeline Mueller looks through a 2016 issue of Etc Magazine, which features photos of herself at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the following years, the college hired an architecture firm, TEF Design, to draw up plans for the new performing arts center, but it was unable to obtain state-matching funds for several years. Instead, City College prioritized the construction of the new Multi-Use Building (MUB).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The MUB was finished in 2012 and cost $77 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2000, when the initial planning for the performing arts center began, San Francisco voters have passed three propositions to fund new CCSF construction. These propositions in 2000, 2005 and 2020, all called Proposition A, authorized nearly $1.3 billion combined in bond funds for City College.[aside postID=news_11966741 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/231101-MusicTherapyHMBFarmworkers-24-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg']Still, Mueller points to the delays her department has endured over the last 20 years as tantamount to ignoring the will of the voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Three times the voters of San Francisco have put up major funding for this project,” Mueller said. “They said: Do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But City College hindered its progress, Mueller claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2012, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior College (ACCJC) produced a “show-cause” order against CCSF, accusing the college of poor financial management. A show-cause order is a warning that a college is in danger of losing its accreditation unless it changes its practices. City College had to make immediate budget cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a February 2013 interview with \u003cem>The Guardsman\u003c/em>, interim chancellor Thelma Scott-Skillman announced that she asked the board not to move forward with constructing the new performing arts center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in September 2013, special trustee Robert Agrella officially announced that the project would not break ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The college has no means to fund this excess cost,” Agrella said in an open letter to the college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986923\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986923\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL.jpg\" alt=\"An older woman wearing glasses and a pink coat smiles as she leans on a grand piano\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music department chair Madeline Mueller poses for a portrait at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mueller felt like Charlie Brown once again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Madeline wasn’t happy about it, but there was nothing she could do,” said Brown, who is also the co-chair of the Facilities Committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adding to the frustration, Folsom Lake College, another California community college campus, received what Carlson deemed as “an exact replica of the design” that was meant for CCSF. Folsom’s performing arts theater was completed in 2011 before Agrella announced that CCSF’s project would be delayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was personal,” Carlson said. “This was a thumb in Madeline’s eye by administrators at the state level.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The delay had a financial cost, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City College had to forfeit $22 million in matching funds from the state that it had planned to use in the construction of the performing arts theater.[aside postID=news_11966749 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230928-ArleneOwseichik-024-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg']In 2017, the ACCJC reaffirmed City College’s accreditation status, restoring some stability to the struggling school. Mueller, who had spent the last four years fighting against budget cuts in the music department, once again started to think about a new performing arts theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re clawing back,” she said. “We’ve got our band back, we’ve got our choir back, and we’re desperately nagging them to get my orchestra back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the first time in years, she’s cautiously optimistic about the future of the performing arts center. In late December, plans for it went before California’s Division of the State Architect, a key part of the approval process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the first time we’ve had all our ducks in a row,” Mueller said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Talks to build the new theater were restarted in 2020, according to Mueller, the same year San Francisco voters approved \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/voter-guide/2020-03/sf-prop-a-city-college-facilities-bond#:~:text=What%20the%20Measure%20Would%20Do,major%20renovations%20since%20the%201970s.\">Proposition A, an $845 million bond measure for City College\u003c/a>. In 2021, the City College board approved a new design for the Performing Arts Center. Two years later, the architects for the new building, LMN Architects and TEF Design, were officially announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was one change to the design: a large glass lobby to hold Diego Rivera’s \u003cem>Pan American Unity\u003c/em> mural, one of City College’s crown jewels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was the component we never thought of,” Mueller said. “It did raise the cost, but it will preserve the iconic mural.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With so many projects on her plate, it’s hard to imagine Mueller retiring any time soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For most of her career, her promise to bow out once the performing arts center was complete was an empty threat. Now, that time may come, after all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll play it by ear,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>After 58 years of sharing her passion for music and the arts with City College of San Francisco students, music department chair Madeline Mueller may finally get what she’s always wanted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the college’s longest-tenured employee, Mueller is just as committed to advocating for a much overdue performing arts auditorium as she is to using her vast musical knowledge, sharp eye for detail and willingness to do any job to keep the music department running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only then, Mueller said, will she consider retirement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could have retired years ago,” Mueller said. “But I made a promise to myself and to the administration that I wouldn’t retire — I used to say until they built the auditorium.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Mueller, the issue is simple: City College is an incomplete campus without a proper auditorium to support its performing arts majors, including music and theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The college has been discussing the project for years and even came close to breaking ground in 2012. However, after budget cuts and state roadblocks, Mueller said she was left feeling more like Charlie Brown from the \u003cem>Peanuts\u003c/em> comic strips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like Lucy and the football,” Mueller said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lucy is the state, the administration and budget cuts — everything that has stopped the theater from being built. Mueller is Charlie Brown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, with renewed plans for the theater to go to the state for approval, City College seems closer than ever to building the performing arts auditorium of Mueller’s dreams. The project has an architect, design plans and a contractor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986926\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986926\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL.jpg\" alt=\"What appear to be detailed architectural renderings, including mock-up illustrations of an interior space, are displayed in a glass case\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-28-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Plans for a new performing arts center hang in the City College of San Francisco music department on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>City College is hopeful the state will approve the plans before the end of 2024, and media reports have the auditorium tentatively \u003ca href=\"https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/06/21/new-theatre-building-will-house-famous-diego-rivera-mural-in-san-francisco\">scheduled to open in 2027\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She’s been working for over 40 years to get our performing arts center designed,” said Steven Brown, horticulture department chair, who sits on the facilities committee with Mueller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But before Mueller started her quest for a major auditorium at City College, she was an aspiring concert pianist, following in Beethoven’s footsteps.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘She’s a brilliant pianist’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As a girl in Bakersfield, Mueller studied under Ethel McManus Shaver, her link to an illustrious chain of five pianists that stretches back to Beethoven. But like many aspiring performers, Mueller needed a backup plan, and hers was a community college teaching credential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1965, two weeks into its fall semester, City College’s band director departed for a new position at San Francisco State, leaving his old post vacant. The music department suddenly needed a full-time substitute teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986922\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986922\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A detailed close-up photograph of hands playing a piano\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-23-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music department chair Madeline Mueller plays piano at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mueller stepped into her new teaching role that year. She fell in love with the college immediately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was enchanted,” she said. “The school had such diversity. And the students were so smart and appreciative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even after she began teaching, Mueller continued to perform — and not just at faculty recitals — at concerts throughout the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She could have gone on to a career as an accompanist,” said Lenny Carlson, a retired City College music professor and jazz musician. “She’s a brilliant pianist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carlson often chose Mueller, who’s premiered a lot of modern music as a soloist and as a part of an ensemble, to debut his compositions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really enjoy writing music that has humor in it because I know that she will get it, however subtle it is,” Carlson said, who’s an accomplished jazz guitarist and composer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of Mueller’s colleagues agree she has been the primary force in shaping the college’s music department over the decades. Her influence, whether teaching music or championing the department’s auditorium, is significant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This department wouldn’t exist without Madeline,” said Lynette Warfield, the former music department secretary. “And if it did, it would be an empty shell.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986920\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL.jpg\" alt=\"An older woman wearing glasses and a pink coat speaks to a younger student as he plays a grand piano\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-10-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music department chair Madeline Mueller works with piano student Francisco Guijarro at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Once, Warfield said she witnessed an intradepartmental argument reach what she described as the point of no return — one person accused the other of having a terrible voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After they talked to Madeline, the two were singing together,” Warfield said. “When Madeline is in the office, there’s harmony.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For nearly 60 years, Mueller’s advocacy for the performing arts department at City College was witnessed at local gatherings with City College’s Board of Trustees, the Academic Senate and the Facilities Committee. Without fail, Mueller always made it a point to be present, often remaining until she was the sole occupant in the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She’s always been an advocate,” Carlson said. “She was one of the founders of the Academic Senate and the Department Chairs’ Council.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mueller also serves on the Facilities Committee, which has overseen the planning of the new performing arts theater. Now, the project is the top priority on the Facilities Committee’s latest five-year plan and has a $185 million budget. Plans for the new theater are currently in front of the Division of the State Architect — and the committee hopes to have approval by December 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘We’re clawing back’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As plans slowly inch forward, City College’s lack of an auditorium to support its performing arts majors continues to be a goal Mueller and other faculty members rally around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re the only school in the whole system that doesn’t have an auditorium,” Mueller said. “It’s embarrassing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986925\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986925\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-33-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students walk down steps leading to the planned site for a new performing arts center at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The music department is not alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brown, of the City College horticulture department, recalled a faculty meeting from early in his tenure with such a large number of participants that it couldn’t be hosted at the school’s Diego Rivera Theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had to rent the Riordan auditorium,” Brown said. “The private Catholic high school across the street has a bigger auditorium than City College, even though City College’s student body is 10 times bigger.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During her tenure, Mueller said she’s watched CCSF prioritize other department buildings over the proposed performing arts center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2000, Mueller said planning for a new auditorium began in earnest. Yet, after the performing arts and PE departments expressed a need for new facilities in 2001, an internal agreement stipulated that the PE department would prioritize the first portion of the construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Wellness Center, which contains new gym facilities, was completed in 2008.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986919\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986919\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-02-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music department chair Madeline Mueller looks through a 2016 issue of Etc Magazine, which features photos of herself at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the following years, the college hired an architecture firm, TEF Design, to draw up plans for the new performing arts center, but it was unable to obtain state-matching funds for several years. Instead, City College prioritized the construction of the new Multi-Use Building (MUB).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The MUB was finished in 2012 and cost $77 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2000, when the initial planning for the performing arts center began, San Francisco voters have passed three propositions to fund new CCSF construction. These propositions in 2000, 2005 and 2020, all called Proposition A, authorized nearly $1.3 billion combined in bond funds for City College.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Still, Mueller points to the delays her department has endured over the last 20 years as tantamount to ignoring the will of the voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Three times the voters of San Francisco have put up major funding for this project,” Mueller said. “They said: Do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But City College hindered its progress, Mueller claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2012, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior College (ACCJC) produced a “show-cause” order against CCSF, accusing the college of poor financial management. A show-cause order is a warning that a college is in danger of losing its accreditation unless it changes its practices. City College had to make immediate budget cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a February 2013 interview with \u003cem>The Guardsman\u003c/em>, interim chancellor Thelma Scott-Skillman announced that she asked the board not to move forward with constructing the new performing arts center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in September 2013, special trustee Robert Agrella officially announced that the project would not break ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The college has no means to fund this excess cost,” Agrella said in an open letter to the college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986923\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986923\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL.jpg\" alt=\"An older woman wearing glasses and a pink coat smiles as she leans on a grand piano\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-CCSFProfileMadelineMueller-24-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music department chair Madeline Mueller poses for a portrait at the City College of San Francisco on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mueller felt like Charlie Brown once again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Madeline wasn’t happy about it, but there was nothing she could do,” said Brown, who is also the co-chair of the Facilities Committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adding to the frustration, Folsom Lake College, another California community college campus, received what Carlson deemed as “an exact replica of the design” that was meant for CCSF. Folsom’s performing arts theater was completed in 2011 before Agrella announced that CCSF’s project would be delayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was personal,” Carlson said. “This was a thumb in Madeline’s eye by administrators at the state level.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The delay had a financial cost, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City College had to forfeit $22 million in matching funds from the state that it had planned to use in the construction of the performing arts theater.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In 2017, the ACCJC reaffirmed City College’s accreditation status, restoring some stability to the struggling school. Mueller, who had spent the last four years fighting against budget cuts in the music department, once again started to think about a new performing arts theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re clawing back,” she said. “We’ve got our band back, we’ve got our choir back, and we’re desperately nagging them to get my orchestra back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the first time in years, she’s cautiously optimistic about the future of the performing arts center. In late December, plans for it went before California’s Division of the State Architect, a key part of the approval process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the first time we’ve had all our ducks in a row,” Mueller said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Talks to build the new theater were restarted in 2020, according to Mueller, the same year San Francisco voters approved \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/voter-guide/2020-03/sf-prop-a-city-college-facilities-bond#:~:text=What%20the%20Measure%20Would%20Do,major%20renovations%20since%20the%201970s.\">Proposition A, an $845 million bond measure for City College\u003c/a>. In 2021, the City College board approved a new design for the Performing Arts Center. Two years later, the architects for the new building, LMN Architects and TEF Design, were officially announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was one change to the design: a large glass lobby to hold Diego Rivera’s \u003cem>Pan American Unity\u003c/em> mural, one of City College’s crown jewels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was the component we never thought of,” Mueller said. “It did raise the cost, but it will preserve the iconic mural.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With so many projects on her plate, it’s hard to imagine Mueller retiring any time soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For most of her career, her promise to bow out once the performing arts center was complete was an empty threat. Now, that time may come, after all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll play it by ear,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "BONUS: The Whistleblower Playbook | S2: New Folsom",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sukey sits down with Mary Inman and Poppy Alexander, two whistleblower attorneys who talk about the cost of speaking up, and unpack the playbook that employers use to keep people quiet. They also discuss a shift in thinking that can protect both whistleblowers and their organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC4625892902\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mental health resources\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">SAMHSA National Help Line\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://988lifeline.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.nami.org/help\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/programs/prevention-and-wellness/mental-health-substance-abuse/index.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">US Health and Human Services\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://warmline.org/warmdir.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Warmline Directory\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Whistleblower resources\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.whistleblower.law/\">Whistleblower Partners, LLP\u003c/a> (where Mary and Poppy are partners)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.thelamplighterproject.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lamplighter Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://thesignalsnetwork.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Signals Network\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://empowr.us/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">EMPOWR\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.whistleblowersofamerica.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whistleblowers of America\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://whistleblower.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Government Accountability Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.whistleblowers.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Whistleblower Center\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://whistlebloweraid.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whistleblower Aid\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Mary Inman was profiled in the New Yorker piece, \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/02/04/the-personal-toll-of-whistle-blowing\">“The Personal Toll of Whistleblowing.”\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://journalism.berkeley.edu/programs/mj/investigative-reporting/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Investigative Reporting Program\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism was a key partner in making Season 2 of On Our Watch.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The records obtained for this project are part of the\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://projects.scpr.org/california-reporting-project/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> California Reporting Project\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a coalition of news organizations in California. If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"mailto:onourwatch@kqed.org\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">onourwatch@kqed.org\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Egusa: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before we start, I just wanted to give you a heads up that this episode references suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, we’ve got links to resources in the episode description. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hi, listeners, it’s Sukey. We’re back. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be bringing you some brand new bonus episodes. We’re going to dip into some of the stories that didn’t make it in the podcast, and talk to some experts to help us understand Correctional Officer Valentino Rodriguez and Sergeant Kevin Steele in a broader light. We’re starting off this week with a really interesting conversation about what it means to be a whistleblower. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When my colleague Julie first spoke to Val Senior about his son and his friend, Sergeant Kevin Steele, he was hesitant to call them whistleblowers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Valentino Rodriguez, Sr.: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That name doesn’t do justice to people that have come forward, for me. When we were kids, being a whistleblower is tattletale. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, see I think of it as heroic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The term and its many fraught interpretations are woven throughout our story. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dion Green: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But I’m a whistleblower rat for ex- exposing this ongoing corruption of staff and that I need to be taken out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sgt. Kevin Steele: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It can take on a bad connotation sometimes, but it is, again, a government program intended to expose corruption. That’s what it’s designed for. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Tinkerbell: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I still haven’t been confirmed with whistleblower status, so that’s another reason why I’m a little still… I mean, I would venture to say that hopefully, the legal system would protect me. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so we wanted to spend some time talking to two people who can help us understand this term and the challenges of coming forward. Thank you both so much for coming in. Could we just start off by having you each introduce yourselves? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sure. My name’s Mary Inman. I’m a partner at the law firm Whistleblower Partners, and I’m in the San Francisco office, and we specialize in representing whistleblowers under the various U.S. whistleblower reward programs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I am Poppy Alexander. I am Mary’s partner here at Whistleblower Partners in the San Francisco office. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We wanted to talk to Mary and Poppy to better understand the journey that Officer Valentino Rodriguez and Sergeant Kevin Steele went through to become whistleblowers, and to see if they had any solutions for how to better support people like them in the future. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, yeah, these were two correctional officers. Well, one was a correctional officer, the other was a correctional sergeant, who both took it upon themselves to report the misconduct of their fellow officers, which is, you know, a very difficult thing to do. And, you know, had pretty serious consequences because of it. And I was just wondering, Mary, if you can put their stories in a broader context, you know, how common are experiences like theirs, among whistleblowers that you speak to or that you have, you know, studied? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. Unfortunately, the experiences that both Valentino and Sergeant Steele had are incredibly common. There seems to be a playbook that organizations — whether they’re private or public — have when someone blows the whistle. It’s often people reverting to what I call a ‘medieval mindset,’ where the playbook says we shoot the messenger to divert attention from the message. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So that certainly seems very much to be the case that happened here. But it happens regardless of industry or sector. Poppy and I have represented whistleblowers in the tech sector, in health care, in transportation, in finance, and it’s very similar. When you would hope that what a whistleblower does is just shine a light on a fraud for people to look at it or wrongdoing for people to examine it is incredibly demoralizing to a whistleblower that the spotlight gets moved away from that and shown solidly on them. And that can be incredibly disorienting and incredibly demoralizing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mary is absolutely right. We see this all the time in every industry. But I do think that there’s something special about the prison context here. We’re talking about folks who are literally locked up, whether you are a guard or you’re a prisoner, you’re in the same space. You’re sort of stuck together. That is inevitably going to lead to a different mentality that is very much about, you know, circling up, guarding the wagons. That is more extreme even than what we see in sort of the normal context as well. There is a real incentive in these kinds of spaces to guard the institution, to shoot the messenger, to keep the doors closed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s all these perceptions from very- when we’re a very young age that, you know, you don’t rat out or you don’t tattle. That is just magnified a thousand fold when you enter the scenario of military or security or in this case, prison guards. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. And peace officers as well, kind of have, you know, a unique bind or perhaps a unique bind, which is that they’re often both required by policy to report misconduct and not insulated from retaliation if they do so. And if they end up stepping outside the chain of command to report misconduct, you know, to the media, for example, they can get disciplined for sharing confidential information. And I think it also just makes it so difficult for peace officers, in particular, to know what the right thing to do is, you know, they’re they’re bound by all these conflicting rules. And then where does their own moral compass come into things? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I totally agree, and I think, as you were pointing out, Sukey, the the fact that there can be all of these competing obligations that you have… One of the things that can be most difficult is what was present here — is that the wrongdoing that both Valentino and Sergeant Steele were trying to expose went to the very top. And so it can be- it feels like it’s, it’s futile in a way to expose that internally when you’re exposing it to the very chain of command that’s engaged in the wrongdoing. I do understand that, you know, the Office of Internal Affairs is supposed to be, you know, playing a particular ro- role, but it’s incredibly fraught when the fraud has really been designed, and the architects of the fraud are the people who really control your fate. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And as you’re saying, you know, if the whistleblower is exposed internally, that can create incredible psychological and emotional pressures on them. And I think we saw that with both Sergeant Kevin Steele and Valentino Rodriguez, in that kind of isolation and ostracization that they experienced. There are also a number of other officers, you know, who have died by suicide after reporting misconduct and feeling like everyone has turned against them, and I think also that their efforts aren’t aren’t- don’t amount to anything. So that frustration that, ‘I did risk so much, I did put my ass on the line to expose the misconduct. And still there’s nothing being done.’ I know you have, you know, this is an area that’s near and dear to your work, Mary. Can you talk a little bit about the psychosocial impacts of whistleblowing and, you know, these very, very serious, you know, deadly consequences? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I mean, I think we’ve seen this, you’re alluding to, unfortunately, I’ve had the great tragedy of losing two clients in my life. And one of them, The New Yorker did an article talking about the personal toll of whistleblowing. But we’ve also seen it very recently with John Barnett, who’s the whistleblower in the, in the, in the Boeing case, who it appears that he took his life. There’s still, you know, I think some questions about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I think one of the hardest pieces, and where I think we would all be really well served, is creating a level of psychosocial support, not just for whistleblowers, which I think is vital, but also for the first responders, for the people who deal with whistleblowers — for lawyers like myself. I learned the hard way on having to know more about resources that whistleblowers need. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the best things that anyone can do when they’re first dealing with a whistleblower, whether it’s someone in H.R., or it’s the lawyers who they ultimately come to, or even the media, is to say, ‘I believe you.’ Right? Because that’s the issue, is that they have been in this unreality where, you know, they have been made the problem, and the problem they’re seeking to expose has been swept under the rug. So their whole world has been turned upside down and they’ve lost their support network. So everyone at work now knows that they are, you know, they’re radioactive. ‘Don’t do what you know, Valentino did because it’s not it’s not going to inure to your benefit.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So all of a sudden you’re- you’re isolated. You’ve lost your support network. Then you magnify this by going at home and you’ve lost your job, and your spouse is now or your significant other is incredibly angry, and resentful. So you, you know, the walls do start to feel like they’re closing in. And that’s why I think society we’re at a point — we need whistleblowers so much. They’re often I, I like to say the ‘Fifth Estate.’ They’re they’re a lot of the folks who are actually exposing and holding people to account, but yet we don’t have the even most basic, psycho- psychosocial supports for these people. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And it feels like this kind of vicious cycle as well, too, that, you know, then because you’re under the psychological pressure and you, you know, begin to feel gaslit or what have you or you do take your life, then we see these cases where the employer or the organization can point at them and say, ‘Look, see, we don’t have to believe what they said. They were the ones having trouble. They were the one, you know, they were in mental distress. They were crazy.’ And so discount their reports even after, you know, their deaths. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean, first of all, that’s not good logic. And secondly, I hope that the folks, the other folks that that message is directed to, which, of course, is the other employees can recognize how circular that logic is and how self-serving, and how it simply doesn’t reflect the truth. And again, that’s why it’s so important that those whistleblowers who are in a position to do so can be public and can come forward and say, ‘Look: I did this. I survived, and this is what the process looks like.’ No one sets out to be a whistleblower. No one. You know, this is not anyone’s life goal or career aspiration. It happens. You’re forced into it for all sorts of different reasons. And knowing that people have come before and have made it through to the other side is really important. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Totally agree. And I think one of the one of the hardest things for whistleblowers that results in these, very desperate situations in terms of whistleblowers taking their own lives, I think, is that whistleblowers start out not thinking that they’re whistleblowers at all. They’re just trying to expose wrongdoing. And then the world gets turned upside down and the wrongdoing is ignored and the spotlight gets turned on them, that they’re the problem. What makes it so difficult is that I think they have an abiding sense of, ‘There’s an injustice, there’s something wrong, and it hasn’t been addressed. And yet all of this energy, like enormous amounts of energy and resources which could have been used to address the problem, are now being focused on me as the problem.’\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think those are just- it’s so hard to reconcile that. And I think one of the best services that Poppy and I can offer is to describe the playbook to the whistleblower and say, ‘If you talk to me early on, I’m going to spell out for you how this is going to go.’ And then at least it takes some of the sting out of it. And it’s, it’s really quite ironic. Our clients are like, ‘You are completely prescient. Do you have a crystal ball? Like, how did you know this was going to happen?’ And we just said, unfortunately, this is just the path. And so if you know that that’s going to happen and you can try and plan for it, it does help whistleblowers to at least absorb those blows. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I think that, like you’re talking about the psychological journey of the whistleblower. And I think, you know, especially for Sergeant Kevin Steele, he… he really did you kind of see this arc of his, you know, disillusionment with his institution and that the place that he begins in is one of such faith in these, you know, pillars that he believed in and that were of, you know, fairness and accountability. And, you know, he’s just so kind of by the book, dude. And the betrayal that he experienced when he did try to report misconduct and having that not be taken seriously was incredibly crushing to him. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I mean, I think with Sergeant Steele, it’s a particularly acute scenario because in addition to him feeling, you know, having the expectation that all of these policies and, you know, oaths that they took would be taken seriously. And to have the scales fall from your eyes is, you know, it’s a very disillusioning process. But I think what magnified it for him and amplified it, is that he became close with Valentino’s father and he was really traumatized by Valentino’s death, and this question of whether or not this was, you know, a suspicious death. Whether he died under particular circumstances. So I think there was also a level of guilt, because Valentino was on his team and someone that he should protect. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is absolutely the same thing we see. I- we see this day in and day out with whistleblowers in terms of the journeys that they have. And I think that a lot of us have observed this that there’s sort of this culture, at least, at least in the United States, as to whistleblowing that they’re either heroes or villains. And I think a lot of us believe that one of the best things, psychologically, for whistleblowers is if we could normalize it. They don’t want to be either. And I think that that is probably one of the things that they get caught up in \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is in this, in this sort of dilemma. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We saw with the MeToo movement that a lot of this is- the psychological journey can also involve gaslighting and starting to doubt yourself. I think that’s what we see with Sergeant Steele is that he believed all of these things to be true. And then his reality started to change. And then that really makes you start to doubt yourself. And, and the circling the wagons phenomenon that Poppy talked about just makes this worse, is that everybody else is trying to suggest that this is not how it happened. And you start to then that makes even more self-doubt, which can be a very vicious cycle. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s interesting. There’s some studies that talk a lot about what happens to whistleblowers. Because of the pressures they lose their friends, they lose their social network. And so the New England Journal of Medicine did a study on pharmaceutical whistleblowers who expose the pharmaceutical industry. You know, they’re seeing higher incidences of divorce, of depression, anxiety, substance abuse. I think these are all outward indicators of tools that- and the occasion of what happens when, you know, you expose something and then, instead of it being corrected, it gets covered up. And then you yourself, as the whistleblower, often become persona non grata. The retaliation is done by your employer as a way to send a signal to other whistleblowers, ‘You shouldn’t do this.’ So your sort of almost made, basically made an example of. So I think all of these are, you know, is an environment that’s just incredibly difficult. And it adds insult to injury. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You mentioned the MeToo movement, and I think one of the things that we have found in our reporting as well, is how, you know, discrimination, misogyny, racism also become tools to enforce the code of silence and to keep people from speaking up. I mean, I know as a woman, that feeling of like, oh, I’ve got to be cool to get along. You know, I’m not going to like, rock the boat or push back if somebody makes an inappropriate comment — you know, taken to a much more serious level, obviously, with Valentino Rodriguez. But does that translate to other contexts outside the prison as well? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absolutely. Unfortunately, we see this a lot. It is rarer than any of us would like to see female whistleblowers, to see whistleblowers of color. And so much of that has to do with that mentality you just mentioned. That, you know, ‘we’re trained to get along,’ and we’re trained that ‘to get along’ means to value the traditional workplace culture of white cis men. And that obviously is amplified in the prison context. But that’s true everywhere. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I- this is my completely uneducated guess, but I do feel like we’re starting to see a shift there. And certainly starting to see more female whistleblowers just coming in the door. And I do wonder how much of that is the MeToo movement. I wonder how much of that is people just being fed up with that attitude. But it still is very much a problem. And, you know, as Mary said, we have this tradition of we either see whistleblowers as heroes or villains, but either way, it’s oftentimes this sort of mentality of, you know, the single man standing alone on the hilltop shouting, you know, shouting the truth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And that’s not true. Women have been whistleblowers forever. People of color have been whistleblowers forever. They have found other ways to make sure that that information gets out. You know, some have been very public about it. Erin Brockovich is, you know, maybe the quintessential example on some level. But, and other people do it in different ways. They help their community. They make sure that the information gets out via a whisper network, what have you. There’s all sorts of strategies to make sure that the truth gets told. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when it comes to this sort of ‘in-group outgroup mentality’ of making sure that you were sort of getting along in a confined space, whether that’s a workplace, whether that’s a prison, whether that’s whatever it might be, there certainly are added incentives to put your head down, do your work, ignore what is oftentimes right in front of your face as a wrong. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I agree, the power differential is something that is really significant, right? In terms of you see, a lot of studies have shown that women and people of color are more likely to leave an organization than to report. And I do think that MeToo started to show us a way that, if we can create a solidarity among whistleblowers, I think that’s one of the strongest way we can encourage, reporting. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I would love to see us have more avenues to find ways to bring whistleblowers together. So it isn’t, just that lone wolf as Poppy said. But that there are multiple people linking arms, saying that this happened to them as well. And then you really do have to pay, give it more credence than if it’s just one sole person. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Ad break]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think within, you know, the California Department of Corrections and going back to the policy of their, you know, ban on the code of silence, there’s been an unintended consequence, at least according — or maybe it’s intended, I don’t know — but at least according to the correctional officers that we spoke to, which is that if you don’t report right away, you can then get in trouble when you report later. Like, if you see an incident happen, excessive use of force, maybe you’re fearful to come forward initially, and then you- you gather that internal fortitude and you decide to make that report, you can often then get disciplined for, you know, holding to the code of silence thus far. And it creates a disincentive to come forward rather than, you know, the stated purpose of this policy, which is to create an incentive to come forward. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s such a challenge. You know, we have clients who come forward sometimes and tell us about information that’s many, many years old. And there’s lots of reasons why they might suddenly wake up one day and say, ‘Now’s the time. I have to tell someone.’ Of course, it’s probably better in terms of trying to solve problems, when people come to us with fresh information, we can usually do more with it. But that doesn’t mean that that’s a less valid whistleblower simply because they waited. It usually means that there’s something else going on in their lives that prevented them from coming forward first. And we need to recognize that in how we design our policies and how we think through this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, we’ve heard from a number of correctional officers since the podcast came out saying that just hearing these stories made them feel like, you know, they might have an opportunity to speak up. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And that’s, you know, really heartening, obviously, in terms of just the rewarding work of getting these voices out into the world. But I’ve also talked to correctional officers who have, you know, tried to get whistleblower protections, and often they want to do it before they blow the whistle. They want to know, like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be protected ahead of time. Like, where do I go to, you know, get my whistleblower card or whatever.’ \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And, you know, from my understanding, it really doesn’t work like that. Like it’s very based on, you know, retroactive retaliation. And if you can prove that you were retaliated against, maybe you can get some retroactive protection. But can either of you address that issue? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think there really, it can be very difficult to prove retaliation. Sort of the statistics of the ability of someone to succeed in a retaliation claim in the United States are very dire. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They’re not great. And I think part of that is because it’s very difficult to prove that you were retaliated against for speaking up as compared to some- any other reason that someone can pretextual come up with, right? Like, oh, you’re chronically late, even though your chronic lateness was something that everyone tolerated for years. But until you spoke up, then all of a sudden that becomes a problem. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Is there something that needs to change in the law to make that an easier argument to make, or to, you know, the lower the standard of proof that you have to reach in order to prove that retaliation happened? What are some fixes that you see for that? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, it’s interesting, in Europe there’s now something called the European Whistleblowing Directive. And one of the changes that they made that I would love to see being made across all of the various retaliation protections laws, is this burden- shifting the burden of proof. That the burden initially, and for too long, remains on the plaintiff. To have to prove that, you know, they were retaliated against because they spoke up. And if we can reverse- shift that burden of proof and put it on the employer, actually, to prove that, you know, they did do it for a legitimate reason, I think that would be one concrete way that we could improve the odds that people could succeed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think the, you know, looking domestically, I think the SEC also provides a really excellent model here where the SEC takes very seriously any accusations of retaliation related to someone who has reported securities fraud to the, to the agency. And they take it very seriously and they, you know, will tell employers at every opportunity that they take it very seriously. And that public messaging has been extremely important and protective. And then oftentimes it then puts whistleblowers in the somewhat uncomfortable position of having to decide where they’re going to publicly declare to the company that they, in fact, did report to the SEC, because then that does provide them some level of protection. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That only applies to some small subset of the whistle blowing world. But there’s no reason that has to be true. There’s lots of other ways to try to build off of that same level of protection that we see. There’s other agencies that are involved and whistle-blowing in all sorts of forms, we have- you know, OSHA is involved in many of these cases. There’s- we have lots of agencies here. So I think there’s lots of other strategies to try to build in more of a protection. But it does. It always starts with culture. Right? And that’s culture both from the government side of telling companies and telling organizations what’s important. And then of course, it starts on the company side. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I think the- the long tail of fear that correctional officers experience after- even after they leave… Like, they’ve retired for years, but they’re still afraid to speak up. They don’t know if their pension can be taken away. They don’t know what power the institution still has over them. There’s also, you know, obviously just their their friendship groups and their culture that they’re afraid of losing. But there’s just this very long tail of oppression, I would say, that they experience psychologically and that it’s not entirely dissipated when they leave the prison at all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absolutely. And you know, so, so many times prisons, right, are and very small towns. And so even if you’re not working at the prison, you’re still- most other people in the town are going to be. And that then means there’s really no way to sort of escape that. But of course, you shouldn’t have to. You shouldn’t have to lose all your friends and community simply because you’re willing to take a stand and tell the truth. That should never be a consequence of telling the truth. And- but of course it acts as a disincentive for coming forward, for speaking out against the pack, for what have you, which can only be remedied by changing the culture, can only be remedied by encouraging people to see that as a good. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And Sukey, you’re right that the retaliation doesn’t stop when they leave the prison. And there’s sort of a long tail of retaliation, right? Which is often when you go to that next job, unfortunately that next employer will often call for a recommendation or a reference to your existing employer. And, we often see that even if they’re not doing it directly, there’s word of mouth that, ‘You don’t want this person. This is, this person is disloyal. They, you know, they’ve exposed us and created all this difficulty. They’re a troublemaker and you shouldn’t hire them.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so that certainly, you know, in the case of my whistleblower client that was featured in \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The New Yorker\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, that was really ultimately his undoing, right? Is that he ended up, because he couldn’t leave the, the part of Florida where he was practicing. He would get interviews and get to a certain place, and then in, in getting his next job position. And when it got to that reference point and they’d say like, ‘Oh, he seems great.’ And you get all these signals. And then all of a sudden when it came to closing the deal, they would never hire him. So that ends up in you draining your 401K, you now don’t have, you know, you’re no longer gainfully employed, and now you’re blocklisted or blacklisted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I think that is one of the other problems that just makes it, again, incredibly insidious that… I always talk about there’s this ‘Scarlet W’ on your chest that’s emblazoned. And that you may want to put it down, you may even want to put down the mantle of whistleblower, but often you’re not allowed to. And that is a cross that you are bearing again and again. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, one of the things that really struck me just doing this reporting is the disconnect between the formal institutional stance, which says, you know, ‘The code of silence is banned. And we want, you know, we take all reports of employee misconduct very seriously, and we want people to come forward.’ And then that what actually happens in response to that. And I’m just wondering if either of you can speak to… is there a policy change that can fix this? Or because there is this disconnect already between policy and action, you know, do we need a different intervention? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a cultural problem much more than a policy problem. Though the policies obviously are then tied together because if you know that the company’s policy is that they’re going to, you know, they’re going to take every whistleblower complaint with this huge grain of salt, they’re not going to start from the presumption that the whistleblower is correct. They’re not going to start from the presumption, which is usually true, that the whistleblower is reporting this because they love the company or the organization or, you know, the group. They’re doing it out of love. They’re doing it because they want it to be better. They’ve, you know, they found a problem and they want to fix the problem, and they want to do it before someone from the outside finds out about the problem. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That so often is what the energy is that our clients bring when they’re coming forward. And what they’re met with is this culture of silence there. You know, you talk into a black box, you never hear what happens again. All too often, our clients say to us that we are the first person to ever listen to them about what they’re talking about. And that’s sad because we are never someone’s first call. We really aren’t. They’re always trying to get some change to happen before they resort to calling a whistleblower attorney — as as they should be, quite honestly. And if smart organizations and smart companies would just listen to their whistleblowers, they would put us out of a job. But that’s good. That would be better for everybody. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I agree, and there’s some really great empirical data and research coming out of George Washington University and the University of Utah that really reinforces this idea that whistleblowers are actually your best risk management tool. They’re the canaries in the coal mine that actually help you see a problem before we’re all overtaken by noxious fumes. And this research really basically underscores that companies that actually see whistleblowers in this way as, as, you know, people who can help mitigate risks and deal with problems before they metastasize into something like a big public relations scandal… If you use them in this way, it actually allows companies to be more profitable. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I think one of the biggest things that needs to happen is just an education on who whistleblowers really are. As Poppy said, whistleblowers are- not only are they not disloyal, they are your \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">most\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> loyal employees because it takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to be the type of employee who is going to tell you the hard truths at considerable potential risk to themselves. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you for coming into the studio and just lending your expertise and your empathy to this conversation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it’s been a real pleasure to be on this podcast. It’s a real testament that the only way we’re going to get change is, is to, you know, point to really great investigative journalists like this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absolutely. It’s, it’s a horrible topic, but it brings great joy to talk about it because it’s so important and so misunderstood, quite honestly, I think, so much about the process of whistleblowing. And so every opportunity to be able to talk about it and really go in depth as you are in this podcast series is just invaluable. And it’s invaluable for the future whistleblowers, for the next person who finds themself in an uncomfortable situation where they really need to speak up and they don’t know what it means and they don’t know how. You know, the education of learning what that process looks like is something we all need to work on. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Again, that was Poppy Alexander and Mary Inman. They are also working right now with federal legislators to try and introduce a bill that would provide mental health support for whistleblowers. We have a link to Mary and Poppy’s website in our episode description, along with other resources for whistleblowers. Please continue to send tips or feedback about the series to On Our Watch at K-Q-E-D dot O-R-G. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by me, Sukey Lewis. It was edited by Jen Chien, who is also KQED’s Director of Podcasts. It was produced, scored, and cut by Chris Egusa. Final mixing by Christopher Beale. Original music by Ramtin Arablouei, including our theme song. Additional music from APM Music and Audio Network. Funding for On Our Watch is provided in part by Arnold Ventures and the California Endowment. Thank you to Katie Sprenger, our Podcast Operations Manager, our Managing Editor of News and Enterprise, Otis, R. Taylor, Jr., Ethan Toven-Lindsay, our Vice President of News, and KQED Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And thanks to all of you for listening. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sukey sits down with Mary Inman and Poppy Alexander, two whistleblower attorneys who talk about the cost of speaking up, and unpack the playbook that employers use to keep people quiet. They also discuss a shift in thinking that can protect both whistleblowers and their organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC4625892902\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mental health resources\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">SAMHSA National Help Line\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://988lifeline.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.nami.org/help\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/programs/prevention-and-wellness/mental-health-substance-abuse/index.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">US Health and Human Services\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://warmline.org/warmdir.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Warmline Directory\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Whistleblower resources\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.whistleblower.law/\">Whistleblower Partners, LLP\u003c/a> (where Mary and Poppy are partners)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.thelamplighterproject.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lamplighter Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://thesignalsnetwork.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Signals Network\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://empowr.us/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">EMPOWR\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.whistleblowersofamerica.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whistleblowers of America\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://whistleblower.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Government Accountability Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.whistleblowers.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Whistleblower Center\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://whistlebloweraid.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whistleblower Aid\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Mary Inman was profiled in the New Yorker piece, \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/02/04/the-personal-toll-of-whistle-blowing\">“The Personal Toll of Whistleblowing.”\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://journalism.berkeley.edu/programs/mj/investigative-reporting/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Investigative Reporting Program\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism was a key partner in making Season 2 of On Our Watch.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The records obtained for this project are part of the\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://projects.scpr.org/california-reporting-project/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> California Reporting Project\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a coalition of news organizations in California. If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"mailto:onourwatch@kqed.org\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">onourwatch@kqed.org\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Egusa: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before we start, I just wanted to give you a heads up that this episode references suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, we’ve got links to resources in the episode description. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hi, listeners, it’s Sukey. We’re back. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be bringing you some brand new bonus episodes. We’re going to dip into some of the stories that didn’t make it in the podcast, and talk to some experts to help us understand Correctional Officer Valentino Rodriguez and Sergeant Kevin Steele in a broader light. We’re starting off this week with a really interesting conversation about what it means to be a whistleblower. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When my colleague Julie first spoke to Val Senior about his son and his friend, Sergeant Kevin Steele, he was hesitant to call them whistleblowers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Valentino Rodriguez, Sr.: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That name doesn’t do justice to people that have come forward, for me. When we were kids, being a whistleblower is tattletale. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, see I think of it as heroic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The term and its many fraught interpretations are woven throughout our story. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dion Green: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But I’m a whistleblower rat for ex- exposing this ongoing corruption of staff and that I need to be taken out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sgt. Kevin Steele: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It can take on a bad connotation sometimes, but it is, again, a government program intended to expose corruption. That’s what it’s designed for. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Tinkerbell: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I still haven’t been confirmed with whistleblower status, so that’s another reason why I’m a little still… I mean, I would venture to say that hopefully, the legal system would protect me. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so we wanted to spend some time talking to two people who can help us understand this term and the challenges of coming forward. Thank you both so much for coming in. Could we just start off by having you each introduce yourselves? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sure. My name’s Mary Inman. I’m a partner at the law firm Whistleblower Partners, and I’m in the San Francisco office, and we specialize in representing whistleblowers under the various U.S. whistleblower reward programs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I am Poppy Alexander. I am Mary’s partner here at Whistleblower Partners in the San Francisco office. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We wanted to talk to Mary and Poppy to better understand the journey that Officer Valentino Rodriguez and Sergeant Kevin Steele went through to become whistleblowers, and to see if they had any solutions for how to better support people like them in the future. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, yeah, these were two correctional officers. Well, one was a correctional officer, the other was a correctional sergeant, who both took it upon themselves to report the misconduct of their fellow officers, which is, you know, a very difficult thing to do. And, you know, had pretty serious consequences because of it. And I was just wondering, Mary, if you can put their stories in a broader context, you know, how common are experiences like theirs, among whistleblowers that you speak to or that you have, you know, studied? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. Unfortunately, the experiences that both Valentino and Sergeant Steele had are incredibly common. There seems to be a playbook that organizations — whether they’re private or public — have when someone blows the whistle. It’s often people reverting to what I call a ‘medieval mindset,’ where the playbook says we shoot the messenger to divert attention from the message. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So that certainly seems very much to be the case that happened here. But it happens regardless of industry or sector. Poppy and I have represented whistleblowers in the tech sector, in health care, in transportation, in finance, and it’s very similar. When you would hope that what a whistleblower does is just shine a light on a fraud for people to look at it or wrongdoing for people to examine it is incredibly demoralizing to a whistleblower that the spotlight gets moved away from that and shown solidly on them. And that can be incredibly disorienting and incredibly demoralizing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mary is absolutely right. We see this all the time in every industry. But I do think that there’s something special about the prison context here. We’re talking about folks who are literally locked up, whether you are a guard or you’re a prisoner, you’re in the same space. You’re sort of stuck together. That is inevitably going to lead to a different mentality that is very much about, you know, circling up, guarding the wagons. That is more extreme even than what we see in sort of the normal context as well. There is a real incentive in these kinds of spaces to guard the institution, to shoot the messenger, to keep the doors closed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s all these perceptions from very- when we’re a very young age that, you know, you don’t rat out or you don’t tattle. That is just magnified a thousand fold when you enter the scenario of military or security or in this case, prison guards. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. And peace officers as well, kind of have, you know, a unique bind or perhaps a unique bind, which is that they’re often both required by policy to report misconduct and not insulated from retaliation if they do so. And if they end up stepping outside the chain of command to report misconduct, you know, to the media, for example, they can get disciplined for sharing confidential information. And I think it also just makes it so difficult for peace officers, in particular, to know what the right thing to do is, you know, they’re they’re bound by all these conflicting rules. And then where does their own moral compass come into things? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I totally agree, and I think, as you were pointing out, Sukey, the the fact that there can be all of these competing obligations that you have… One of the things that can be most difficult is what was present here — is that the wrongdoing that both Valentino and Sergeant Steele were trying to expose went to the very top. And so it can be- it feels like it’s, it’s futile in a way to expose that internally when you’re exposing it to the very chain of command that’s engaged in the wrongdoing. I do understand that, you know, the Office of Internal Affairs is supposed to be, you know, playing a particular ro- role, but it’s incredibly fraught when the fraud has really been designed, and the architects of the fraud are the people who really control your fate. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And as you’re saying, you know, if the whistleblower is exposed internally, that can create incredible psychological and emotional pressures on them. And I think we saw that with both Sergeant Kevin Steele and Valentino Rodriguez, in that kind of isolation and ostracization that they experienced. There are also a number of other officers, you know, who have died by suicide after reporting misconduct and feeling like everyone has turned against them, and I think also that their efforts aren’t aren’t- don’t amount to anything. So that frustration that, ‘I did risk so much, I did put my ass on the line to expose the misconduct. And still there’s nothing being done.’ I know you have, you know, this is an area that’s near and dear to your work, Mary. Can you talk a little bit about the psychosocial impacts of whistleblowing and, you know, these very, very serious, you know, deadly consequences? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I mean, I think we’ve seen this, you’re alluding to, unfortunately, I’ve had the great tragedy of losing two clients in my life. And one of them, The New Yorker did an article talking about the personal toll of whistleblowing. But we’ve also seen it very recently with John Barnett, who’s the whistleblower in the, in the, in the Boeing case, who it appears that he took his life. There’s still, you know, I think some questions about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I think one of the hardest pieces, and where I think we would all be really well served, is creating a level of psychosocial support, not just for whistleblowers, which I think is vital, but also for the first responders, for the people who deal with whistleblowers — for lawyers like myself. I learned the hard way on having to know more about resources that whistleblowers need. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the best things that anyone can do when they’re first dealing with a whistleblower, whether it’s someone in H.R., or it’s the lawyers who they ultimately come to, or even the media, is to say, ‘I believe you.’ Right? Because that’s the issue, is that they have been in this unreality where, you know, they have been made the problem, and the problem they’re seeking to expose has been swept under the rug. So their whole world has been turned upside down and they’ve lost their support network. So everyone at work now knows that they are, you know, they’re radioactive. ‘Don’t do what you know, Valentino did because it’s not it’s not going to inure to your benefit.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So all of a sudden you’re- you’re isolated. You’ve lost your support network. Then you magnify this by going at home and you’ve lost your job, and your spouse is now or your significant other is incredibly angry, and resentful. So you, you know, the walls do start to feel like they’re closing in. And that’s why I think society we’re at a point — we need whistleblowers so much. They’re often I, I like to say the ‘Fifth Estate.’ They’re they’re a lot of the folks who are actually exposing and holding people to account, but yet we don’t have the even most basic, psycho- psychosocial supports for these people. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And it feels like this kind of vicious cycle as well, too, that, you know, then because you’re under the psychological pressure and you, you know, begin to feel gaslit or what have you or you do take your life, then we see these cases where the employer or the organization can point at them and say, ‘Look, see, we don’t have to believe what they said. They were the ones having trouble. They were the one, you know, they were in mental distress. They were crazy.’ And so discount their reports even after, you know, their deaths. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean, first of all, that’s not good logic. And secondly, I hope that the folks, the other folks that that message is directed to, which, of course, is the other employees can recognize how circular that logic is and how self-serving, and how it simply doesn’t reflect the truth. And again, that’s why it’s so important that those whistleblowers who are in a position to do so can be public and can come forward and say, ‘Look: I did this. I survived, and this is what the process looks like.’ No one sets out to be a whistleblower. No one. You know, this is not anyone’s life goal or career aspiration. It happens. You’re forced into it for all sorts of different reasons. And knowing that people have come before and have made it through to the other side is really important. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Totally agree. And I think one of the one of the hardest things for whistleblowers that results in these, very desperate situations in terms of whistleblowers taking their own lives, I think, is that whistleblowers start out not thinking that they’re whistleblowers at all. They’re just trying to expose wrongdoing. And then the world gets turned upside down and the wrongdoing is ignored and the spotlight gets turned on them, that they’re the problem. What makes it so difficult is that I think they have an abiding sense of, ‘There’s an injustice, there’s something wrong, and it hasn’t been addressed. And yet all of this energy, like enormous amounts of energy and resources which could have been used to address the problem, are now being focused on me as the problem.’\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think those are just- it’s so hard to reconcile that. And I think one of the best services that Poppy and I can offer is to describe the playbook to the whistleblower and say, ‘If you talk to me early on, I’m going to spell out for you how this is going to go.’ And then at least it takes some of the sting out of it. And it’s, it’s really quite ironic. Our clients are like, ‘You are completely prescient. Do you have a crystal ball? Like, how did you know this was going to happen?’ And we just said, unfortunately, this is just the path. And so if you know that that’s going to happen and you can try and plan for it, it does help whistleblowers to at least absorb those blows. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I think that, like you’re talking about the psychological journey of the whistleblower. And I think, you know, especially for Sergeant Kevin Steele, he… he really did you kind of see this arc of his, you know, disillusionment with his institution and that the place that he begins in is one of such faith in these, you know, pillars that he believed in and that were of, you know, fairness and accountability. And, you know, he’s just so kind of by the book, dude. And the betrayal that he experienced when he did try to report misconduct and having that not be taken seriously was incredibly crushing to him. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I mean, I think with Sergeant Steele, it’s a particularly acute scenario because in addition to him feeling, you know, having the expectation that all of these policies and, you know, oaths that they took would be taken seriously. And to have the scales fall from your eyes is, you know, it’s a very disillusioning process. But I think what magnified it for him and amplified it, is that he became close with Valentino’s father and he was really traumatized by Valentino’s death, and this question of whether or not this was, you know, a suspicious death. Whether he died under particular circumstances. So I think there was also a level of guilt, because Valentino was on his team and someone that he should protect. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is absolutely the same thing we see. I- we see this day in and day out with whistleblowers in terms of the journeys that they have. And I think that a lot of us have observed this that there’s sort of this culture, at least, at least in the United States, as to whistleblowing that they’re either heroes or villains. And I think a lot of us believe that one of the best things, psychologically, for whistleblowers is if we could normalize it. They don’t want to be either. And I think that that is probably one of the things that they get caught up in \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is in this, in this sort of dilemma. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We saw with the MeToo movement that a lot of this is- the psychological journey can also involve gaslighting and starting to doubt yourself. I think that’s what we see with Sergeant Steele is that he believed all of these things to be true. And then his reality started to change. And then that really makes you start to doubt yourself. And, and the circling the wagons phenomenon that Poppy talked about just makes this worse, is that everybody else is trying to suggest that this is not how it happened. And you start to then that makes even more self-doubt, which can be a very vicious cycle. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s interesting. There’s some studies that talk a lot about what happens to whistleblowers. Because of the pressures they lose their friends, they lose their social network. And so the New England Journal of Medicine did a study on pharmaceutical whistleblowers who expose the pharmaceutical industry. You know, they’re seeing higher incidences of divorce, of depression, anxiety, substance abuse. I think these are all outward indicators of tools that- and the occasion of what happens when, you know, you expose something and then, instead of it being corrected, it gets covered up. And then you yourself, as the whistleblower, often become persona non grata. The retaliation is done by your employer as a way to send a signal to other whistleblowers, ‘You shouldn’t do this.’ So your sort of almost made, basically made an example of. So I think all of these are, you know, is an environment that’s just incredibly difficult. And it adds insult to injury. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You mentioned the MeToo movement, and I think one of the things that we have found in our reporting as well, is how, you know, discrimination, misogyny, racism also become tools to enforce the code of silence and to keep people from speaking up. I mean, I know as a woman, that feeling of like, oh, I’ve got to be cool to get along. You know, I’m not going to like, rock the boat or push back if somebody makes an inappropriate comment — you know, taken to a much more serious level, obviously, with Valentino Rodriguez. But does that translate to other contexts outside the prison as well? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absolutely. Unfortunately, we see this a lot. It is rarer than any of us would like to see female whistleblowers, to see whistleblowers of color. And so much of that has to do with that mentality you just mentioned. That, you know, ‘we’re trained to get along,’ and we’re trained that ‘to get along’ means to value the traditional workplace culture of white cis men. And that obviously is amplified in the prison context. But that’s true everywhere. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I- this is my completely uneducated guess, but I do feel like we’re starting to see a shift there. And certainly starting to see more female whistleblowers just coming in the door. And I do wonder how much of that is the MeToo movement. I wonder how much of that is people just being fed up with that attitude. But it still is very much a problem. And, you know, as Mary said, we have this tradition of we either see whistleblowers as heroes or villains, but either way, it’s oftentimes this sort of mentality of, you know, the single man standing alone on the hilltop shouting, you know, shouting the truth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And that’s not true. Women have been whistleblowers forever. People of color have been whistleblowers forever. They have found other ways to make sure that that information gets out. You know, some have been very public about it. Erin Brockovich is, you know, maybe the quintessential example on some level. But, and other people do it in different ways. They help their community. They make sure that the information gets out via a whisper network, what have you. There’s all sorts of strategies to make sure that the truth gets told. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when it comes to this sort of ‘in-group outgroup mentality’ of making sure that you were sort of getting along in a confined space, whether that’s a workplace, whether that’s a prison, whether that’s whatever it might be, there certainly are added incentives to put your head down, do your work, ignore what is oftentimes right in front of your face as a wrong. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I agree, the power differential is something that is really significant, right? In terms of you see, a lot of studies have shown that women and people of color are more likely to leave an organization than to report. And I do think that MeToo started to show us a way that, if we can create a solidarity among whistleblowers, I think that’s one of the strongest way we can encourage, reporting. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I would love to see us have more avenues to find ways to bring whistleblowers together. So it isn’t, just that lone wolf as Poppy said. But that there are multiple people linking arms, saying that this happened to them as well. And then you really do have to pay, give it more credence than if it’s just one sole person. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Ad break]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think within, you know, the California Department of Corrections and going back to the policy of their, you know, ban on the code of silence, there’s been an unintended consequence, at least according — or maybe it’s intended, I don’t know — but at least according to the correctional officers that we spoke to, which is that if you don’t report right away, you can then get in trouble when you report later. Like, if you see an incident happen, excessive use of force, maybe you’re fearful to come forward initially, and then you- you gather that internal fortitude and you decide to make that report, you can often then get disciplined for, you know, holding to the code of silence thus far. And it creates a disincentive to come forward rather than, you know, the stated purpose of this policy, which is to create an incentive to come forward. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s such a challenge. You know, we have clients who come forward sometimes and tell us about information that’s many, many years old. And there’s lots of reasons why they might suddenly wake up one day and say, ‘Now’s the time. I have to tell someone.’ Of course, it’s probably better in terms of trying to solve problems, when people come to us with fresh information, we can usually do more with it. But that doesn’t mean that that’s a less valid whistleblower simply because they waited. It usually means that there’s something else going on in their lives that prevented them from coming forward first. And we need to recognize that in how we design our policies and how we think through this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, we’ve heard from a number of correctional officers since the podcast came out saying that just hearing these stories made them feel like, you know, they might have an opportunity to speak up. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And that’s, you know, really heartening, obviously, in terms of just the rewarding work of getting these voices out into the world. But I’ve also talked to correctional officers who have, you know, tried to get whistleblower protections, and often they want to do it before they blow the whistle. They want to know, like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be protected ahead of time. Like, where do I go to, you know, get my whistleblower card or whatever.’ \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And, you know, from my understanding, it really doesn’t work like that. Like it’s very based on, you know, retroactive retaliation. And if you can prove that you were retaliated against, maybe you can get some retroactive protection. But can either of you address that issue? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think there really, it can be very difficult to prove retaliation. Sort of the statistics of the ability of someone to succeed in a retaliation claim in the United States are very dire. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They’re not great. And I think part of that is because it’s very difficult to prove that you were retaliated against for speaking up as compared to some- any other reason that someone can pretextual come up with, right? Like, oh, you’re chronically late, even though your chronic lateness was something that everyone tolerated for years. But until you spoke up, then all of a sudden that becomes a problem. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Is there something that needs to change in the law to make that an easier argument to make, or to, you know, the lower the standard of proof that you have to reach in order to prove that retaliation happened? What are some fixes that you see for that? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, it’s interesting, in Europe there’s now something called the European Whistleblowing Directive. And one of the changes that they made that I would love to see being made across all of the various retaliation protections laws, is this burden- shifting the burden of proof. That the burden initially, and for too long, remains on the plaintiff. To have to prove that, you know, they were retaliated against because they spoke up. And if we can reverse- shift that burden of proof and put it on the employer, actually, to prove that, you know, they did do it for a legitimate reason, I think that would be one concrete way that we could improve the odds that people could succeed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think the, you know, looking domestically, I think the SEC also provides a really excellent model here where the SEC takes very seriously any accusations of retaliation related to someone who has reported securities fraud to the, to the agency. And they take it very seriously and they, you know, will tell employers at every opportunity that they take it very seriously. And that public messaging has been extremely important and protective. And then oftentimes it then puts whistleblowers in the somewhat uncomfortable position of having to decide where they’re going to publicly declare to the company that they, in fact, did report to the SEC, because then that does provide them some level of protection. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That only applies to some small subset of the whistle blowing world. But there’s no reason that has to be true. There’s lots of other ways to try to build off of that same level of protection that we see. There’s other agencies that are involved and whistle-blowing in all sorts of forms, we have- you know, OSHA is involved in many of these cases. There’s- we have lots of agencies here. So I think there’s lots of other strategies to try to build in more of a protection. But it does. It always starts with culture. Right? And that’s culture both from the government side of telling companies and telling organizations what’s important. And then of course, it starts on the company side. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I think the- the long tail of fear that correctional officers experience after- even after they leave… Like, they’ve retired for years, but they’re still afraid to speak up. They don’t know if their pension can be taken away. They don’t know what power the institution still has over them. There’s also, you know, obviously just their their friendship groups and their culture that they’re afraid of losing. But there’s just this very long tail of oppression, I would say, that they experience psychologically and that it’s not entirely dissipated when they leave the prison at all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absolutely. And you know, so, so many times prisons, right, are and very small towns. And so even if you’re not working at the prison, you’re still- most other people in the town are going to be. And that then means there’s really no way to sort of escape that. But of course, you shouldn’t have to. You shouldn’t have to lose all your friends and community simply because you’re willing to take a stand and tell the truth. That should never be a consequence of telling the truth. And- but of course it acts as a disincentive for coming forward, for speaking out against the pack, for what have you, which can only be remedied by changing the culture, can only be remedied by encouraging people to see that as a good. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And Sukey, you’re right that the retaliation doesn’t stop when they leave the prison. And there’s sort of a long tail of retaliation, right? Which is often when you go to that next job, unfortunately that next employer will often call for a recommendation or a reference to your existing employer. And, we often see that even if they’re not doing it directly, there’s word of mouth that, ‘You don’t want this person. This is, this person is disloyal. They, you know, they’ve exposed us and created all this difficulty. They’re a troublemaker and you shouldn’t hire them.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so that certainly, you know, in the case of my whistleblower client that was featured in \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The New Yorker\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, that was really ultimately his undoing, right? Is that he ended up, because he couldn’t leave the, the part of Florida where he was practicing. He would get interviews and get to a certain place, and then in, in getting his next job position. And when it got to that reference point and they’d say like, ‘Oh, he seems great.’ And you get all these signals. And then all of a sudden when it came to closing the deal, they would never hire him. So that ends up in you draining your 401K, you now don’t have, you know, you’re no longer gainfully employed, and now you’re blocklisted or blacklisted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I think that is one of the other problems that just makes it, again, incredibly insidious that… I always talk about there’s this ‘Scarlet W’ on your chest that’s emblazoned. And that you may want to put it down, you may even want to put down the mantle of whistleblower, but often you’re not allowed to. And that is a cross that you are bearing again and again. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, one of the things that really struck me just doing this reporting is the disconnect between the formal institutional stance, which says, you know, ‘The code of silence is banned. And we want, you know, we take all reports of employee misconduct very seriously, and we want people to come forward.’ And then that what actually happens in response to that. And I’m just wondering if either of you can speak to… is there a policy change that can fix this? Or because there is this disconnect already between policy and action, you know, do we need a different intervention? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a cultural problem much more than a policy problem. Though the policies obviously are then tied together because if you know that the company’s policy is that they’re going to, you know, they’re going to take every whistleblower complaint with this huge grain of salt, they’re not going to start from the presumption that the whistleblower is correct. They’re not going to start from the presumption, which is usually true, that the whistleblower is reporting this because they love the company or the organization or, you know, the group. They’re doing it out of love. They’re doing it because they want it to be better. They’ve, you know, they found a problem and they want to fix the problem, and they want to do it before someone from the outside finds out about the problem. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That so often is what the energy is that our clients bring when they’re coming forward. And what they’re met with is this culture of silence there. You know, you talk into a black box, you never hear what happens again. All too often, our clients say to us that we are the first person to ever listen to them about what they’re talking about. And that’s sad because we are never someone’s first call. We really aren’t. They’re always trying to get some change to happen before they resort to calling a whistleblower attorney — as as they should be, quite honestly. And if smart organizations and smart companies would just listen to their whistleblowers, they would put us out of a job. But that’s good. That would be better for everybody. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I agree, and there’s some really great empirical data and research coming out of George Washington University and the University of Utah that really reinforces this idea that whistleblowers are actually your best risk management tool. They’re the canaries in the coal mine that actually help you see a problem before we’re all overtaken by noxious fumes. And this research really basically underscores that companies that actually see whistleblowers in this way as, as, you know, people who can help mitigate risks and deal with problems before they metastasize into something like a big public relations scandal… If you use them in this way, it actually allows companies to be more profitable. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I think one of the biggest things that needs to happen is just an education on who whistleblowers really are. As Poppy said, whistleblowers are- not only are they not disloyal, they are your \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">most\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> loyal employees because it takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to be the type of employee who is going to tell you the hard truths at considerable potential risk to themselves. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you for coming into the studio and just lending your expertise and your empathy to this conversation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mary Inman: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it’s been a real pleasure to be on this podcast. It’s a real testament that the only way we’re going to get change is, is to, you know, point to really great investigative journalists like this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Poppy Alexander: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absolutely. It’s, it’s a horrible topic, but it brings great joy to talk about it because it’s so important and so misunderstood, quite honestly, I think, so much about the process of whistleblowing. And so every opportunity to be able to talk about it and really go in depth as you are in this podcast series is just invaluable. And it’s invaluable for the future whistleblowers, for the next person who finds themself in an uncomfortable situation where they really need to speak up and they don’t know what it means and they don’t know how. You know, the education of learning what that process looks like is something we all need to work on. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sukey Lewis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Again, that was Poppy Alexander and Mary Inman. They are also working right now with federal legislators to try and introduce a bill that would provide mental health support for whistleblowers. We have a link to Mary and Poppy’s website in our episode description, along with other resources for whistleblowers. Please continue to send tips or feedback about the series to On Our Watch at K-Q-E-D dot O-R-G. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by me, Sukey Lewis. It was edited by Jen Chien, who is also KQED’s Director of Podcasts. It was produced, scored, and cut by Chris Egusa. Final mixing by Christopher Beale. Original music by Ramtin Arablouei, including our theme song. Additional music from APM Music and Audio Network. Funding for On Our Watch is provided in part by Arnold Ventures and the California Endowment. Thank you to Katie Sprenger, our Podcast Operations Manager, our Managing Editor of News and Enterprise, Otis, R. Taylor, Jr., Ethan Toven-Lindsay, our Vice President of News, and KQED Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And thanks to all of you for listening. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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