Politics
Black State Legislators Hacked by Scott’s Veto Pen
by Derek Joy
Special to the NNPA from The Miami Times
Black State Legislators were among the hardest hit by Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s $461 million cuts from the state budget, which pased at $78 billion.
The 19-day, Special Legislative Session – June 1 to June 19 – ended with bad news for Democrats in general, South Florida and Blacks in particular. This session was called after the Legislature failed to pass a budget during its 60-day regular session.
Black Democrats said their legislation suffered veto after veto, mostly because they supported Medicaid expansion.
Democratic State Rep. Cynthia Stafford, said Scott’s draconian budget cuts was out of control.
“It’s a sad state of affairs,” said Stafford, who represents district 109. “I was very disappointed in the vetoes. My gosh, I would’ve thought he would have shown some balance, especially towards Black communities. That’s where the most need is. I had items in the budget vetoed because I supported Medicaid expansion.”
Scott’s surgeon-like cuts gave rise to questions of whether the vetoes amount to racial and economic discrimination.
“He vetoed what senators put in the budget because of Medicaid expansion. Republican and Democrats in the Senate saw their projects vetoed,” said Sen. Oscar Braynon, who represents District 36. “The vetoes hit South Florida the harder than anywhere else in the state.”
Braynon said he’s not sure the vetoes were “necessarily discrimination,” because South Florida Republican Senators Rene Garcia and Miguel De la Portilla and Rep. Anitere Flores had projects vetoed.
Braynon managed to get $100,000 funding for a water and sewer project in Biscayne Park, but similar projects in the other cities within his District were cut from the budget, as was the $1.5 million for the Opa-locka Cultural Arts Center.
Rep. Sharon Pritchett, a Democrat who represents District 102, was moderate in a succinct assessment.
“We got some things for the Broward portion of the District,” said Pritchett, without being specific. “Republicans got everything they wanted.”
Sen. Dwight Bullard (Dem., District 39) saw his District suffer wholesale cuts from the budget. Among the cut budget items submitted by Bullard were $100,000 for a kitchen incubator to help jumpstart catering businesses; $100,000 for a job incubator; $100,000 for a workforce program; a program for the elderly and several other programs.
Bullard, like Braynon, Pritchett, Stafford and other Black state legislators, suffered cuts to projects designed to help the poor, minority, disadvantaged and minorities.
However, Bullard managed to win approval of $800,000 funding for the Florida Children’s Initiative in a three city — Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami. There was also some funding for Jackson Memorial Hospital and Broward hospitals in Braynon’s District 36 under the Low-Income Pool (LIP) and property tax relief that allows homeowners to argue their tax bills.
“Medicaid expansion was the big thing. When the Governor said he won’t support Medicaid expansion, that was a slap in the face of Blacks and poor. It definitely impacts Blacks and poor,” said Bullard.
Republicans argued they decided against Medicaid because of the lawsuit filed by Scott and others who sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But that argument wasn’t waged by all Republicans, as their Senate majority passed a Medicaid Expansion Bill that was killed in the State House. Moreover, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the ACA was constitutional.
“I am thrilled that the U. S. Supreme Court made the right decision in the King v. Burwell case,” wrote Congresswoman Frederica Wilson in a prepared statement. “There are 1,324,516 individuals and families that could have lost their subsidies, worth $389 million and faced a 359 percent increase in their cost of premiums.
“My District has the third highest number of people in the nation who benefit from the subsidy. It is a relief that those constituents, mostly immigrants, can now rest assured their health care needs can be met.”
That Supreme Court ruling puts Scott and the Republican majority in the State Legislature on the hook for at least $400,000 for funding when they passed on the $51 billion in federal funding had Medicaid expansion been implemented.
Business
Longtime BWOPA Member Brendalyn Goodall Appointed to California Workforce Development Board
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed longtime Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) member Brendalynn Goodall to the California Workforce Development Board. Goodall, an Oakland resident with decades of experience in public service, has held leadership positions focused on
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed longtime Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) member Brendalynn Goodall to the California Workforce Development Board.
Goodall, an Oakland resident with decades of experience in public service, has held leadership positions focused on employment, aging services and assistance for underserved communities.
“Brendalynn will be a great addition to this Board,” said Gay Plair Cobb, who served as former state Assemblyman Sandre Swanson’s alternate to the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB).
“She understands that California’s non-profit organizations serve persons who have the most significant barriers to their labor market success and that the Board should help these groups navigate the complicated requirements of state funding.
“In other words, she will be a strong advocate for our most marginalized populations. Her voice is needed now, more than ever.”
CWDB works with the governor to shape workforce policies, programs and investments designed to strengthen the state’s economy. It collaborates with employers, workers, labor organizations, educational institutions, community groups and California’s 45 local workforce development boards to expand access to quality jobs and respond to regional employment needs.
According to the board, its work includes coordinating state programs and guiding investments in workforce training and development.
BWOPA California celebrated the appointment, describing Goodall as a dedicated advocate for workers, families and older adults.
“Her appointment reflects a lifetime of leadership, service, and unwavering commitment to strengthening California’s workforce and expanding opportunity for all,” the organization stated in a press release.
Goodall served as summer jobs program coordinator in the Oakland Mayor’s Office from 2012 to 2014. In that position, she helped connect young people with employment opportunities and job experience.
Before joining the Mayor’s Office, Goodall was division manager for Aging and Adult Services in the City of Oakland Human Services Department from 2002 to 2011. She previously served as senior services supervisor and program director for the city’s Department of Aging, Health and Human Services from 1990 to 2002.
Goodall is also a member of the California Commission on Aging, which advises the governor and state officials on policies and programs affecting older Californians.
Featured
‘Passing a Law Isn’t The Finish Line’: California Assembly Evaluates Implementation, Results
A separate review found that the California Public Utilities Commission’s implementation of AB 2316 had not fulfilled the law’s intent or produced new community solar projects. In response, Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) introduced AB 1813, legislation to overhaul the state’s renewable energy program and increase access to solar technology.
California lawmakers are finding that laws passed in Sacramento do not always work as intended once implemented. A new Assembly oversight program has identified gaps in laws addressing wildfire recovery, insurance, foster care and clean energy.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) announced Aug. 17 that the Assembly had completed the first year of its Outcomes Review program. Billed as the first initiative of its kind in the nation, the program enlisted 15 Assembly members to evaluate 14 laws they authored or championed. Through public hearings and community meetings, lawmakers assessed whether the measures were producing their intended results.
“Passing a law isn’t the finish line,” said Rivas. “The Outcomes Review project makes sure we’re checking our work.”
The reviews identified both successes and shortcomings. The expansion of telehealth largely improved access to care and provided patients with greater flexibility. Affordable housing financing reforms also strengthened coordination among state agencies and could reduce duplicative paperwork, development costs and delays.
Other reviews uncovered more significant implementation problems.
One focused on Assembly Bill (AB) 238, which was enacted after the Eaton and Palisades fires to provide eligible borrowers with up to 12 months of emergency mortgage forbearance. The review found lender noncompliance, insufficient consumer complaint data and a need for stronger coordination between state and federal agencies.
Those findings helped shape AB 1842 and AB 1847, both victim-protection bills that are currently pending in the Senate.
After discovering that California’s FAIR Plan clearinghouse was failing to transition affected homeowners back into the private insurance market, Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier) introduced AB 69 to fix the issue.
A separate review found that the California Public Utilities Commission’s implementation of AB 2316 had not fulfilled the law’s intent or produced new community solar projects. In response, Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) introduced AB 1813, legislation to overhaul the state’s renewable energy program and increase access to solar technology.
Lawmakers also found that the FAIR Plan clearinghouse was not effectively helping homeowners move into the traditional insurance market, prompting the introduction of AB 69, legislation adding new reporting, notification, and access requirements.
The program identified additional implementation problems related to foster care placement protections, oversight of charitable fundraising and wage theft enforcement.
Rivas said the findings demonstrate the need for lawmakers to continue evaluating legislation after it takes effect.
“This isn’t oversight for its own sake — it’s what accountability looks like, and we’re just getting started,” he said.
The Assembly plans to expand the Outcomes Review program in 2027 by involving more lawmakers and holding additional public hearings and community meetings. The next phase, according to Rivas, will build on the pilot year as lawmakers seek to identify implementation problems earlier and improve how state laws work in practice.
Commentary
OPINION: Angie Nixon Will Turn You Into a Democratic Socialist If Donald Trump Hasn’t Already
The survey defined “comfortable” as spending 50% of income on necessities, 30% on “like-to-haves,” and putting 20% in savings. Are your percentages way out of whack? Like 100% on necessities?
The midterm elections are more important than ever as we fight back.
And we all know “affordability” is the No. 1 issue in the U.S.
So, how are you doing? A new survey says that, for a single person, being comfortable in California requires an income of $126,797. Or $302,682 for a family of four.
Did those numbers make you uncomfortable?
A single person making just $102,794 could be comfortable in Utah. But wouldn’t you rather just look at the Mormon Temple in Oakland from 580?
The survey defined “comfortable” as spending 50% of income on necessities, 30% on “like-to-haves,” and putting 20% in savings.
Are your percentages way out of whack? Like 100% on necessities?
What if the car breaks down? What if the kids need x, y, or z? What if overtime gets cut back? What if Social Security goes bankrupt?
Are you a democratic socialist yet?
That’s not where Blues go Red and turn communist. It’s about a government that puts people before profits. And cares for all of us. Not just the billionaires.
Angie Nixon
In last week’s Florida primary, people around the country saw Florida legislator Angie Nixon win the Democratic U.S. Senate primary with a stunning upset over Alex Vindman.
Vindman was well-funded ($16.3 million to Nixon’s $975,000), and well-connected nationally. But Nixon—an African American with state house cred, union organizing experience, and a fighter who was arrested protesting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ redistricting efforts— proved to be unbeatable. She’s officially aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
That means Nixon, 42, believes in universal health care, a/k/a “Medicare for all,” taxing the wealthy, and a minimum wage of $25 an hour.
Think back to that comfort level survey. At 40 hours a week, $25 an hour is just $1,000 a week or $52,000 a year. It’s not even half what that survey said was needed for a single person to be “comfortable” in California.
We’re forced to get 3-4 low-wage jobs.
Nixon and the DSA want to set the floor, so no one sinks into oblivion.
Republicans would simply let us all sink.
Nixon now goes up against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November. Florida’s Republicans outnumber Dems by 1.5 million voters. And Nixon’s DSA tag makes her a clear underdog, maybe even unelectable.
But the Dems are sticking with her. Voters seem to be turning out for someone who will directly and boldly address affordability.
Meanwhile, Trump is turning the Iran War, which has caused the oil price run-up and high inflation, into an economic war on the world. At the same time, he’s declared a tariff war on our good ally, Canada, guaranteed to raise prices on imports to America.
That could make Nixon the one in Florida 2026. And it would move Dems closer to flipping both houses of Congress, a vote for super normalcy.
Trump is so far down in the polls, he’s resorted to election disruption and voter suppression.
But the antidote in Florida at least is Angie Nixon, a woman worth watching, who’ll turn you into a Democratic Socialist if Donald Trump hasn’t done so already.
About the Author
Emil Amok Guillermo is a veteran journalist, commentator, and comic monologist. He does a micro-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1
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