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Nurses Endorse Measures for Gun Safety, Death Penalty Repeal, Lower Drug Prices

Published

10 years ago

October 11, 2016

The California Nurses Association (CAN) /National Nurses United has announced support for several initiatives on the California November ballot, including Proposition 63, to strengthen gun safety, and Proposition 62, the latest bid to repeal the death penalty in California. CNA, the major nurses’ organization in California, is also stepping up efforts to pass Prop. 61, the initiative to rein in the pharmaceutical industry’s predatory pricing practices.

Nurses endorsed Prop. 61 in April and have begun joining a bus tour across the state launched by the Yes on 61 campaign.

Prop. 63, initiated by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, is intended to reduce gun violence by strengthening state restrictions on the possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines and the requirement for background checks for individuals to purchase ammunition.

“Reducing the plague of gun violence is, first and foremost, a health and safety issue. Nurses commend Lt. Gov. Newsom for pressing this issue to increase protection for Californians,” said CNA Co-President Malinda Markowitz.

Prop. 62 would repeal California’s death penalty replacing it with life imprisonment without parole as the maximum penalty for what are now death penalty convictions

CNA has supported prior efforts to end the use of the death penalty in California, including Prop. 34, which narrowly failed in 2012. Worldwide 140 countries have now abolished the death penalty entirely.
Concurrently, CNA will oppose Prop. 66, which is intended to hasten death penalty executions in California.

Meanwhile, CNA members are increasing their support for passage of Prop. 61 to protect California patients and families by directing the state to negotiate with drug companies to pay no more for prescription drugs than is paid for those same medications by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, producing huge savings for Californians as the VA pays up to 40 percent below what other public agencies pay.

Last week, CNA members joined the Los Angeles kickoff of a Yes on 61 campaign bus tour across California. The Yes on 61 bus, which has also made stops in Orange County and Bakersfield, is headed for stops in the coming days in Fresno, San Francisco, and other locations.

In a recent commentary in the San Diego Union Tribune, Markowitz and San Diego RN Dahlia Tayag wrote, “As nurses, we see families who can’t afford the medications they or their children need, or they have to give up other basic necessities. It’s heartbreaking and it’s unconscionable. Californians can take some control back by voting yes on Proposition 61.”

On other ballot measures, CNA also endorsed:

Yes on Prop. 58 – encourages bilingual education in California schools, reversing some of the more onerous restrictions imposed by the anti-immigrant Prop. 227 in 1998.

Yes on Prop. 57 – initiated by Gov. Brown, increases parole opportunities for felons convicted of nonviolent behavior to help reduce prison over crowding.

Yes on Prop. 59 – referendum to put California on record in favor of overturning the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which opened the floodgates for unchecked corporate spending in elections.

All CNA endorsements on state and local ballot measures and candidates may be viewed at http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/legislation/entry/ca-endorsements

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Related Topics:California Nurses Association Prop. 57 Prop. 58 Prop. 59 Proposition 63

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Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

Published

4 days ago

September 7, 2026

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”
The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.

The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.