Sponsored by the Randall W. Lewis Family Foundation
Additional contribution by Union Bank
The SoCal Transformation Database is a centralized digital repository for the Southern California region to easily access a diverse variety of expert intelligence on areas of pertinence to the long term reinvention of our region post pandemic times. Creative ideas and best practices from both the public and private sectors will be available for free to best prepare our communities to save lives and jobs when the next crisis occurs.
Community groups, businesses, public agencies, schools, economists, and philanthropic organizations may take advantage of the relevant research available on programs, initiatives, articles, white papers, webinars, websites, forums and videos. These resources will make it easier to research, store, display, share and deliver information to civic, academic and economic leaders.
To submit a URL or upload a document for submission to the database, contact Christopher at christopher.im@bizfed.org.
A Simple Way to Think About Trump’s Confusing Covid Orders
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump issued several new executive orders aimed at extending the Covid-19 economic stimulus that has offered some financial relief to millions of Americans. But instead of bringing clarity, the orders have generated a raft of confusion. Are they even constitutional? Will they go into effect?
Coronavirus: California landlords begin testing state eviction ban
Three landlords across the state are suing to stop the Judicial Council of California’s eviction moratorium, arguing the council has exceeded its powers and should allow some delinquent renters to be removed from their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump signs executive orders enacting $400 unemployment benefit, payroll tax cut after coronavirus stimulus talks stall
With stimulus talks with Congress at an impasse, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders on Saturday to provide temporary relief to Americans who are suffering from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Newsom Budget Points to a Regional, Inclusive Way Forward
With his latest proposal, Governor Newsom has placed the leverage of the state budget behind many priorities of the California Economic Summit and its regional, interconnected approach to solving the state’s complex challenges.
Democrats divided: Newsom’s family-leave plan faces resistance from his own party
The pandemic has revealed a schism between progressive Democrats and moderates, wrestling with the needs of hard-hit businesses and working parents and caregivers.
County of Los Angeles COVID-19 Economic Resiliency Task Force Infrastructure Development and Construction Sector Recommendation Report
In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the County must strengthen its commitment to sustainability, equity, and resilience in order to create a pathway for investment in a safe, healthy, and inclusive future.
Props to you, Californians: A preview of what’s on your November ballot
After a bit of last-minute legislative maneuvering, the list of propositions that California voters will be asked to weigh in on has been — more or less — finalized.
California lawmakers approve budget that delays pain, hopes for future federal funds
California lawmakers voted Friday to send Gov. Gavin Newsom a $202.1 billion budget that avoids deep cuts, despite a projected $54 billion deficit brought on by the coronavirus, by delaying some payments and using reserves.
California cities begin embracing cannabis in desperate search for cash
California local governments scrambling to find tax revenues during the coronavirus pandemic are turning toward an industry they had considered taboo until now: cannabis.
Los Angeles County Minimum Wage Ordinance
Los Angeles City Minimum Wage Ordinance
Los Angeles County Economic Resiliency Task Force Comprehensive Report
Labor wins big on COVID workers’ comp
Essential workers who contract covid-19 get workers comp protection. Company behind collapsed mask deal under investigation. Hospitals are struggling.
California gears up for blockbuster year of ballot measures
Expect fireworks throughout the fall as powerful interest groups compete for airtime and attention during an unprecedented presidential election in a pandemic year.
The Pandemic Ripple Effect: Understanding Marketing and Public Policy Opportunities in the Pharmaceutical Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic placed a heavy weight on a trillion-dollar global pharmaceutical industry already struggling under the opioid crisis and pricing controversies. Although the drug development process typically takes ten or more years, the urgency of COVID-19 forced government regulators to shed tradition for flexibility.
Legislature Returns To Sacramento For Five-Week Lawmaking Sprint
California lawmakers are returning to work Monday for a furious five-week sprint that will include contentious debates about police brutality, unemployment benefits, hospital mergers and a moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Newsom: California on “the edge of a cliff” — more executive orders likely
With a series of temporary protections that helped Californians get through the first few months of the pandemic set to expire soon, Gov. Gavin Newsom hinted he will today extend some programs in another flex of executive power.
Gov. Gavin Newsom Hopes California Lawmakers Will Make Worker Protections Permanent
With state and federal worker assistance set to expire at the end of July, Gov. Gavin Newsom discussed efforts to extend protections for essential workers, but stopped short of further executive orders to lock in those measures.
Governor’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery
List of members of the Governor's Task Force.
Newsom economic task force has star-studded cast. Why can’t it solve the reopening?
Almost 100 days ago, California Gov. Gavin Newsom tapped Apple’s Tim Cook, Disney’s Bob Iger, former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and scores of other business and labor luminaries to chart the state’s economic recovery.
The public is still waiting for a road map.
Newsom’s unwieldy economic task force
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed an 80-member task force to guide California’s economic recovery. We should not have high expectations.
The gathering storm: How the state seized control of two troubled nursing homes as coronavirus crisis loomed
Once a rarity, state takeovers of on-the-edge nursing homes are expected to become more common as the pandemic tips facilities further into chaos.
Coronavirus pandemic puts a spotlight on Stockton’s guaranteed income experiment
Mayors for a Guaranteed Income is the brainchild of Michael Tubbs, the 29-year-old mayor of Stockton, California.
Newsom: California on “the edge of a cliff” — more executive orders likely
With a series of temporary protections that helped Californians get through the first few months of the pandemic set to expire soon, Gov. Gavin Newsom hinted he will today extend some programs in another flex of executive power.
Legislature Returns To Sacramento For Five-Week Lawmaking Sprint
California lawmakers are returning to work Monday for a furious five-week sprint that will include contentious debates about police brutality, unemployment benefits, hospital mergers and a moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus: Oakland gives ‘first dibs’ to laid off airport and hotel workers
Hotel and travel businesses will have to rehire by seniority. Oakland is the latest city to pass a “right to recall” ordinance, following San Francisco and Los Angeles.
State budget ‘balanced’ with massive new debt
Gov. Gavin Newsom says the new California state budget is balanced, but in reality it has a huge deficit that will be covered by indirect borrowing.
In uncertain times, the mission of California’s pension funds is vital
Having learned a hard lesson from the 2008 financial crisis, CalPERS has taken steps over the last couple of years to prepare for another downturn.
Oakland officials move to keep out Trump’s federal troops
Oakland city officials announced legislation today intended to prevent President Trump from sending federal troops to the city — as he threatened to do last week in response to protests — amid heightened concern following Saturday’s demonstration, vandalism and fire to the Alameda County Courthouse.
Enhanced unemployment would drop to $200 per week through September under new Senate proposal
One major section of the HEALS Act proposes a drop in enhanced unemployment benefits from the current $600 per week to a new $200 weekly boost, on top of state-administered aid, until the end of September.
HEALS Act Would Strip $90 Billion in Unemployment Payments, Crush 25+ Million Jobless Families
A plan proposed Monday by Senate Republicans, the HEALS Act, would lower the unemployment insurance (UI) weekly benefit supplement from $600 per week to $200 per week for the next two months, before capping payments at 70 percent of a worker’s prior income. A new analysis by Century Foundation researchers finds that, if enacted, the proposal would have devastating consequences for American families, businesses, and the economy.
Cutting UI benefits by $400 per week will significantly harm U.S. families, jobs, and growth
Currently Senate Republicans are offering a proposal to reduce this weekly $600 supplement to closer to $200. This is better than allowing the $600 benefit to go all the way to zero, but this would still lead to GDP that was lower by 2.5% a year from now, and, would lead to 3.4 million fewer jobs created over the next year.
5 weeks left to find pandemic solutions
State lawmakers have just five weeks to come up with solutions to massive pandemic-related problems and prevent Californians of all stripes — tenants, landlords, small-business owners, essential workers — from falling off the edge of a cliff.
If feds let jobless benefits drop, California Dems may “backdoor borrow” to extend them
California’s constitution requires a balanced budget, leaving the state few options to stimulate the economy or help people without jobs. Democrats, however, have found a loophole: “borrowing” federal dollars to continue benefits for the state’s unemployed.
Public policy and health in the Trump era
This report by the Lancet Commission on Public Policy and Health in the Trump Era assesses the repercussions of President Donald Trump's health-related policies and examines the failures and social schisms that enabled his election.
Presidential Powers and Response to COVID-19
President Trump has declared a national emergency along with 50 governors declaring state emergencies (Figure), which are unprecedented actions. Social distancing aims to flatten the epidemic curve to moderate demand on the health system.
Connect SoCal: Public Health Technical Report
Blind Spot: Lobbying behind California coronavirus contracts can stay secret
Lobbyists are not required to disclose their work on government contracts, leaving the public in the dark about who’s influencing state spending on the pandemic.
Commissioner Lara issues order resulting in workers’ compensation premium savings for California businesses affected by COVID-19
At the Department's telephonic hearing on May 18, 2020, the WCIRB presented its proposed changes to permit, during a statewide California COVID-19 stay-at-home order: (1) a single division of an employee's payroll between Classification 8810, Clerical Office Employees, and a non-standard exception classification when the employee's work is exclusively clerical in nature, and (2) payments made to an employee when the employee is performing no duties of any kind in service of the employer to be excluded from payroll when the payments are equal to or less than the employee's regular rate ofpay.
Governor Newsom Takes Action to Strengthen State Unemployment Insurance Delivery System
Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of actions to better serve workers that have experienced job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the formation of an Employment Development Department (EDD) strike team, and a renewed focus on processing unpaid claims.
Could it pay to quarantine? L.A. weighs giving people with COVID-19 cash to stay home
Not everyone can afford to take a sick day — much less spend a week or more in quarantine — and that’s a real problem in a pandemic, for them, their family, and their community, according to Los Angeles City Council member David Ryu.
He introduced a possible solution Wednesday, a wage-replacement measure meant to slow the virus’ spread, by putting money in the pockets of those who couldn’t otherwise afford to miss work.
Timeline: California reacts to coronavirus
This timeline tracks how California state and local governments tackled the evolving COVID-19 crisis since the first case was detected.
California Democrats divided over COVID-19 stimulus, millionaire tax to fund economic recovery
How should California dig itself out of a $54 billion deficit? A divide between state lawmakers over how to generate revenue mirrors a national reckoning in Democratic politics.
California Democrats divided over COVID-19 stimulus, millionaire tax to fund economic recovery
How should California dig itself out of a $54 billion deficit? A divide between state lawmakers over how to generate revenue mirrors a national reckoning in Democratic politics.
Budget deal shields neediest Californians, shifts burden to middle class
Unless California gets billions in federal money, state workers will lose about 10% of their paychecks and the two university systems will lose a combined $602 million.
At California Capitol, lawmakers want info; protesters want to end coronavirus stay-at-home
Five weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Californians to stay at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, protesters gathered at the state Capitol to call for easing restrictions and lawmakers complained they haven’t had a voice in managing the crisis.
Coronavirus economic fallout sparks more talk of taxing California’s richest
A “CEO tax” targeting San Francisco’s most unequal salaries. A signature-gathering campaign to tax Palo Alto’s millionaires. And now, a new statewide bill that would levy a yearly 0.4 percent tax on every Californian worth more than $30 million.
Newsom: All Californians must wear masks
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement comes as some county public health officers in California face severe pushback for their face mask orders.
California State Budget 2020-2021
Budget deal shields neediest Californians, shifts burden to middle class
Unless California gets billions in federal money, state workers will lose about 10% of their paychecks and the two university systems will lose a combined $602 million.
MLK Had a Dream of Guaranteed Income. As Mayors of 11 U.S. Cities, We Are Bringing That Dream to Life
In the richest nation in the world, King saw no justification for the evil of rampant poverty and chastised the government’s efforts against the ill as “piecemeal and pygmy.” Housing efforts were subject to the whims of the legislature, educational reforms were sluggish, and family assistance programs were neglected; all failed to reach the most profound needs of the poor.