News
City’s Public Ethics Commission Lifts Campaign Spending Limits
The City’s Public Ethics Commission on Thursday announced campaign expenditure ceilings are lifted for candidates in City Council Districts 2, 4 and now District 6, as well as School Board District 4.
“This message confirms that independent expenditures totaling more than $25,000 have been made by committees in Oakland City Council Districts 2, 4, and 6 races as well as in the Oakland Unified School District 4 race,” a City of Oakland press release said.
“Per the Oakland Campaign Reform Act, this means that the campaign expenditure ceilings no longer apply to any candidate seeking election to City Council District 2, City Council District 4, City Council District 6, and School Board District 4.”
Candidates are now allowed to spend over the expenditure ceilings, which were $142,000 for Council District 2, $136,000 for Council District 4, $136,000 for Council District 6, and $91,000 for School Board District 4.
However, individual contribution limits have not changed. Candidates’ individual contribution limits depend on whether they accepted expenditure ceilings at the beginning of the campaign. Though the ceilings are being lifted, contribution limits remain.
According to the press release, candidates who accepted the expenditure ceiling for the 2018 election “may continue to raise money at $800 per individual contributor/$1,600 per broad-based political committee—and the overall campaign expenditure ceiling no longer applies.”
Candidates who did not accept expenditure ceilings at the start of the campaign can still only raise $200 per individual contributor/$400 per broad-based political committee—and the expenditure ceiling, which never applied to the candidate, still doesn’t apply.
Expenditure ceilings for all other races remain in effect.
The Oakland Campaign Reform Act imposes contribution limits and allows contributions at a higher limit for candidates who agree to a voluntary overall campaign expenditure ceiling. This provision is designed to limit overall expenditures in campaigns, reducing the size of war chests.
While Oakland does not impose limits on independent expenditures, which are protected under federal law, the Oakland Campaign Reform Act lifts the expenditure ceiling once independent expenditures reach the threshold for a particular race.
As a result, if an independent expenditure committee spends more than $25,000 on a District City Council or School Board election, “the applicable expenditure ceiling shall no longer be binding on any candidate running for the same office,” the press statement said.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
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California Black Media
Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather
In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.
By California Black Media
In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.
The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.
“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.
The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.
Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”
Barbara Lee
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza
On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.
By California Black Media
On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12).
“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.
The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.
“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.
The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.
Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.
“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.
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