SACRAMENTO, Calif.— With the unofficial end of summer approaching this Labor Day holiday weekend, California State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) is reminding boaters and water enthusiasts to take extra precautions to stay safe and prevent tragedies on the water. Taking a boating safety course, wearing a life jacket while recreating in the water and actively supervising children when in or near a body of water are simple actions all can take to help improve safety on California’s waterways.

Here are some key safety tips:

• Always wear a life jacket. Life jackets are the easiest way to reduce the chances of drowning and increase your chances of survival if you are involved in an accident.
  • By California law, all children under 13 are required to wear life jackets on a moving vessel, and DBW urges everyone on a vessel, regardless of age, to always wear a life jacket as a preventative measure.
  • Life jackets are also required on personal watercrafts, also known as Jet Skis, regardless of age. Paddle sports, including stand-up paddleboards and kayaks, are considered vessels and the same life jacket rules apply to people aboard the paddle craft.
  • Ensure each life jacket is U.S. Coast Guard-approved, the right fit for the user and approved for the intended activity by checking the label. The label can be found on the inside of each life jacket along with the U.S. Coast Guard approval number.
  • If you don’t have a life jacket, borrow one through DBW’s Life Jacket Loaner Program.
• Take a boating safety course and get your California Boater Card. Even the most experienced boaters can learn from boating safety courses. As of Jan. 1, 2023, all operators of motorized vessels on California waterways who are 50 years of age and younger are required to carry a lifetime boater card. By 2025, all operators of motorized vessels will be required to carry one, regardless of age.
• File a float plan before you head out. Share a float plan with a family member or friend with the details of your trip in the event of an emergency.
• Check the weather. Know the latest weather forecast prior to going out and check regularly for changing conditions.
• Leave the alcohol at home. Alcohol and boating never mix. It is against the law to operate a boat with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more. You can be arrested even when the BAC is less than 0.08% if conditions are deemed to be unsafe. The sun, wind and wave action intensify the effects of alcohol.
• Protect your loved ones:
  • Always supervise children by appointing a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults. Do not assume that someone is watching your children.
  • Know your limits. Swimming in a lake, ocean or river is different than swimming in a pool.
  • If someone is in distress, seek help from a lifeguard or call 911 if one is not available.
• Stow it, don’t throw it. Keep your trash on board. Never throw cigarette butts, fishing lines or any other garbage into waterways. Take advantage of shoreside facilities to recycle plastic, glass, metal and paper. Avoid excess packaging. Used fishing line can be deposited at a fishing line recycling station.

Download helpful boating apps to your phone. The BoatCA App is a free mobile app with information on boating facilities, life jacket loan stations, laws, boat registration and more.

Subscribe to California State Parks News online at parks.ca.gov/newsroom.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more at parks.ca.gov.

With more than 60 events at over 40 California State Parks

More activities taking place week of September 2-10

California State Parks invites the public to become community scientists and celebrate California Biodiversity Day, September 7. More than 40 parks statewide will be hosting more than 60 special events and engaging activities all week long from September 2 to 10. The public is also invited to a friendly bioblitz competition to see who can record the highest number of species of plants and animals in California’s State Park System. Humboldt Redwoods State Park currently holds the record of 380 species identified in 2022.

This year marks the fifth annual celebration of California Biodiversity Day since it was first established in 2018. Since then, several executive orders and other actions by the Newsom Administration – such as the Pathways to 30×30 strategy, California’s initiative to conserve 30 percent of lands and coastal waters by 2030 – have built on this foundation to understand and protect California’s unique and precious natural resources.

In 2023, the public can choose from a variety of activities like “Perk Up in the Park” where visitors can enjoy a hot beverage and learn about Mount Tamalpais State Park’s unique biodiversity or appreciate birds with an environmental scientist at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, or they can go on self-guided bioblitzes. Using the free iNaturalist app, participants can use their smartphones to record the different species of animals, insects, plants, fungi and more thriving within the parks. The photographs and locations of species captured during the bioblitzes in iNaturalist will help monitor the presence and range of species and contribute to an overall understanding of California’s extraordinary biodiversity.

Below are additional activities taking place throughout the week of September 2 to 10:

• Salton Sea State Recreation Area – During California Biodiversity Week, visitors can go on self-guided bioblitzes and observe as many species as they can to show off the amazing biodiversity the desert has to offer. Download the iNaturalist app, take a picture, and share your findings. Get more details on the iNaturalist app.
• Sue-meg State Park – Participate in a tidepool bioblitz from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 2. Join the interpreters to explore the tidepools at Agate Beach and learn about the plants and animals that live there. Meet at the Agate Beach trailhead at 8 a.m. to hike down to the tidepools with the interpreters or meet them at the tidepools anytime from 8 to 10 a.m. The hike to Agate Beach is approximately half a mile downhill.
• Crystal Cove State Park – Celebrate California Biodiversity Day on September 7 at 9 a.m. with a biodiversity bioblitz hike. Join staff for an easy one-mile hike down Moro Canyon to explore the park’s beautiful backcountry while identifying and documenting animal and plant species using the iNaturalist app. Ages 8 and up are welcome. Wear sturdy hiking shoes, bring water, and dress in layers. No registration necessary. Participants can meet at the Berns Amphitheater in the lower Moro Day Use Area.
• Folsom Lake State Recreation Area – Join staff for a biodiversity themed Junior Ranger program on Saturday, September 9, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Nimbus Flat and Black Miners Bar Day Use Areas. The event may include a scavenger hunt and introduction to iNaturalist. Get more details on the iNaturalist app.

Past events in celebration of California Biodiversity Day have included a wide range of activities that help the public observe, understand, appreciate, and protect the amazing diversity of life in California’s State Park System. Some favorite activities have included guided nature hikes, birding walks, tide pool tours, nighttime forays, creek sampling and virtual events. The public can find this year’s full list of events at parks.ca.gov/Biodiversity and additional events at California Natural Resources Agency’s Biodiversity Day website.

What will you find during California Biodiversity Week? Observe and record the unique diversity of life within California’s State Park System using the iNaturalist app.

Subscribe to California State Parks News online at parks.ca.gov/newsroom.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more at parks.ca.gov.

Urges voters, taxpayers to call the Capitol to protect Prop 13, see committee members phone numbers below

ACA 1 would make it easier to raise local special taxes by removing the Prop. 13 taxpayer protection of the two-thirds vote of the electorate required to pass

ACA 13 was just introduced last week as a devious attempt to stop the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act from passing when it’s on the ballot in Nov. 2024.

By Jon Coupal

Prior to the successful passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, Howard Jarvis tried several times to bring property tax relief to beleaguered California homeowners. While coming close, it wasn’t until 1978 when voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 13 over the opposition of virtually every political institution and newspaper in California.

As they say, timing is everything. What changed the political dynamic so abruptly in 1978 was the fact that thousands of California homeowners were being taxed out of their homes. That also explains why, to this day, Proposition 13 retains its popularity even as the state has become more “progressive.”

Last week there were two competing press events over Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 (ACA 1), a proposal that would erase part of Proposition 13. As the head of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, I was joined at a news conference on the Capitol’s west steps on Wednesday by several legislators who have unequivocally expressed their continued support for Proposition 13 and opposition to ACA 1. Also present were several representatives of other taxpayer groups as well as business organizations suffering under California’s excessive tax burdens.

ACA 1 is a direct attack on Proposition 13 because it would cut the vote threshold needed to pass local special taxes, dropping it from the current two-thirds vote required by Proposition 13 to only 55%. That change would make it easier for local governments to raise taxes.

Since Proposition 13 was enacted in 1978, voters have continued to support the important two-thirds vote protection. That support was reaffirmed with the passage of pro-taxpayer initiatives in 1986, 1996 and 2010.

Many people may not know that the two-thirds vote requirement did not originate in 1978. It has been in the California Constitution since 1879! For more than a century, local property owners have been protected against excessive bond debt by the requirement that local bonds – repaid only by property owners – need a two-thirds vote of the local electorate.

ACA 1 repeals the two-thirds vote protection for tax increases to support “infrastructure,” a term so expansive that local governments would be able to raise taxes for almost any purpose with a vote of just 55% of the electorate. This is a hatchet that chops away at the taxpayer protections in Proposition 13.

ACA 1 proponents are aware of Prop. 13’s enduring popularity, so not once in their over one-hour press event did they mention Proposition 13 by name. Instead, they talked about “protecting democracy,” “local control,” and taking on “right-wing interests.” (Are Californians “right wing” for wanting to keep their home instead of being taxed out of it?) Nor did the supporters of ACA 1 provide any specific example of exactly what lowering the two-thirds vote would purchase, other than to claim that it was essential to address California’s dual crises of housing and homelessness.

Opponents of ACA 1 have noted that making it easier to raise taxes makes no sense in one of the highest taxed states in America. No other state comes close to California’s 13.3% top marginal income tax rate, and we also have the highest state sales tax in America as well as the highest gas tax, not to mention gas prices. And even with Prop. 13, we rank 14th out of 50 states in per capita property tax collections. Californians pay enough.

This is a critical time. As of this writing, ACA 1 has cleared one legislative committee and may be heard by the full Assembly as early as this week. However, its main proponent, Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, admitted at her press conference that she didn’t quite have the votes yet. For that reason, the time is now for all defenders of Proposition 13 and advocates for limited taxation to contact their Assembly representatives and let them know that a vote for ACA 1 is a vote against Proposition 13.

This issue is so important to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association that we will withhold our endorsement from any current legislator who fails to vote no on ACA 1.

Committee Hearings this Week, Taxpayers Urged to Call the Capitol

Your immediate help is needed to fight against two proposed constitutional amendments moving fast through the state Assembly. Both of these measures are attacks on PROPOSITION 13. We’re asking all HJTA members and supporters to please call the members of two committees that will be hearing these bills on Wednesday. Please call as soon as possible! Here’s all the information:

NO on ACA 1 – Hearing date: Wednesday, 8/23, Assembly Appropriations Committee

ACA 1 is a direct attack on Proposition 13 that would remove the taxpayer protection of the two-thirds vote of the electorate required to pass local special taxes. If this measure is enacted, local taxes and bonds for “infrastructure” (nearly everything) and public housing projects would pass with just 55% of the vote instead of 66.67%. This makes it easier to raise taxes, and your taxes could go up after every election.
Please call the members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and urge a NO vote on ACA 1:

Chris Holden (Chair) – (916) 319-2041
Megan Dahle (Vice Chair) – (916) 319-2001
Isaac Bryan – (916) 319-2055
Lisa Calderon – (916) 319-2056
Wendy Carrillo – (916) 319-2052
Diane Dixon – (916) 319-2072 (Please thank Assemblywoman Dixon for opposing ACA 1)
Mike Fong – (916) 319-2049
Gregg Hart – (916) 319-2037
Josh Lowenthal – (916) 319-2069
Devon Mathis – (916) 319-2033 (Please thank Assemblyman Mathis for opposing ACA 1)
Diane Papan – (916) 319-2021
Gail Pellerin – (916) 319-2028
Kate A. Sanchez – (916) 319-2071
Esmeralda Soria – (916) 319-2027
Akilah Weber, M.D. – (916) 319-2079
Lori Wilson – (916) 319-2011 – Represents portions of Eastern Contra Costa County

NO on ACA13 – Hearing date: Wednesday, 8/23, Assembly Elections Committee

ACA 13 was just introduced last week as a devious attempt to stop the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act from passing when it’s on the ballot in November 2024. The Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act is our initiative constitutional amendment that will restore the Proposition 13 protections that have been eroded by the courts. 

Some of the measure’s key provisions include:

• Require all new taxes passed by the Legislature to be approved by voters
• Restore two-thirds voter approval for all new local special tax increases
• Clearly define what is a tax or fee
• Require truthful descriptions of new tax proposals
• Hold politicians accountable by requiring them to clearly identify how revenue will be spent before any tax or fee is enacted

But ACA 13 would create special rules that make it harder to pass citizen initiatives like this one. If ACA 13 is enacted, the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act would require a two-thirds vote to pass, instead of the simple majority vote that has been required for all other constitutional amendments since 1849!

Please call the members of the Assembly Elections Committee and urge a NO vote on ACA 13:

Gail Pellerin (Chair) – (916) 319-2028
Tom Lackey (Vice Chair) – (916) 319-2034
Steve Bennett – (916) 319-2038
Bill Essayli – (916) 319-2063
Alex Lee – (916) 319-2024
Evan Low – (916) 319-2026
Blanca Rubio – (916) 319-2048

Please also call your own state representatives and urge them to vote NO on ACA 1 and NO on ACA 13. You can look up their names and contact information at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.

Thank you for your help in this critical fight to protect Proposition 13. We greatly appreciate you!
Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

Awards more than $40 million statewide for Resilient Workforce Program, invests in workforce opportunities that advance job quality and environmental resilience.

By Anna Champe, Communications Manager, CA Workforce Development Board

The California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), in partnership with the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency, recently awarded more than $41 million to 18 projects across the state to advance High Road Training Partnerships (HRTPs) that move underserved populations into better jobs. Today’s funding announcement is part of a larger, multi-level state investment to promote workforce development efforts that prioritize equity, quality jobs, and climate reliance while meeting regional labor market needs.

“HRTPs invest in industry-led, worker-informed efforts to deliver on the promise of a California for All,” said CWDB Executive Director Tim Rainey. “HRTP’s Resilient Workforce Program is part of California’s high road vision for the state’s workforce development system that focuses on the principles of job quality, worker voice, equity, and environmental sustainability.”

HRTPs are industry-based, worker-focused training partnerships that develop talent for California’s “high road” employers — firms that compete based on the quality of product and service achieved through innovation and investment in human capital and thus can generate family-supporting jobs where workers have agency and voice. The HRTP Resilient Workforce Program initiative will increase access to existing high-road jobs for underserved populations and create pathways for job growth for incumbents already employed with high-road employers.

Projects receiving funding include $500,000 to the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County for the East Bay Health Equity Initiative.

The East Bay Health Equity Initiative (EBHEI), which includes East Bay Workforce Boards and the Bay Area Health Workforce Partnership, received funding to replicate a successful Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) training program and other in-demand health careers. The project will focus efforts on local schools providing career training in a variety of health professions and includes additional resources to enhance financial, academic and career support.

Over the last two years, the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County’s (WDBCCC) has established a proven model by identifying existing training providers and then adding supplemental services and resources to make those programs more accessible and better meet the needs of low-income workers, immigrants/refugees, justice-involved, veterans and other priority groups.

The project is expected to begin implementation in Spring 2024. 

• $5 million for Scaling Proven Allied Healthcare Adult Training Pathways– Jewish Vocational and Career Counseling Service will deliver established allied healthcare training programs in the Bay Area and work to scale them throughout the state using strategic partnerships with various healthcare institutions. 
• $5 million for Public Pathways – the Aggie Square Community Partnership will connect underserved populations with career, education, training, and skills in high-road, high-demand career pathways, including public sector/business, healthcare, biotechnology, and community workers.
• $5 million for HRTP- Behavioral Health Expansion (BHE) – to expand substance use disorder career pathways in San Diego with the support of many diverse, invested local partners and five different education partners. 
• $4.8 million for Golden State Pathway to Teaching and Leading – to create no-cost pathways for paraeducators and others to earn a teaching license. The Teachers College of Western Governors University will provide education, training, and in-classroom experiences.
• $4.6 million for High Road to Microelectronics– for specific company-specific and worker-customized training and certificate programs at three community colleges in the Bay Area to bring workers into quality semiconductor careers.
• $4.5 million for High Road to Correctional Health Professions – to support strategic partnership between Service Employees International Union Local 1000, California Correctional Health Care Services, and multiple community colleges to expand the LVN and RN apprenticeship program, launch an RN residency program, and provide training for correctional health workers.

A complete list of awardees can be found on CWDB’s website.

Mt. Diablo State Park temporarily closes North Gate Road for emergency slide repair through mid-Sept.
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.— California State Parks announced on May 17, 2023 the temporary closure of North Gate Road at Mount Diablo State Park to pedestrians, vehicles, equestrians and bicyclists. The road will be closed May 19 through mid-September to stabilize and rebuild a section damaged by the 2023 winter storms. (Apologies to our readers. The Herald publisher just learned of this, yesterday).

Visitors will be able to access the summit and developed areas of the park from the South Gate Entrance (2675 Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard in Blackhawk, 94506) on the Danville side of the mountain. Whether driving or riding your bike, please ensure you are travelling at a safe speed for you, wildlife, and fellow visitors.

For updates on the progress of the project, visit Mount Diablo’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/MountDiabloStatePark.

About Mount Diablo State Park

Located in the San Francisco Bay Area to the east of Walnut Creek, people have been drawn for generations to Mount Diablo for its spectacular views from the summit which extend over 100 miles in all directions on a clear day. Visitors have been attracted by the complex geology that has created amazing rock formations such as the “wind caves” at Rock City, and by the mountain’s variety of habitats which are home to over 600 species of plants and an amazing array of wildlife such as butterflies, bats and birds of prey, tarantulas, bobcats, lizards, snakes, and deer.

In 2021 Mount Diablo celebrated its 100th year as a state park. Though more than 100-years is a long history as a park, the importance of Mount Diablo was recognized long before that. For thousands of years Native Americans were the caretakers of this land. Many groups considered and treated the mountain as a sacred place and continue to do so today.

Since becoming a park in 1921, Mount Diablo has been protected as a natural area, and over the past 100 years the park has grown from only a few hundred acres to over 20,000 acres. Today it is a destination for those who would like to view wildlife and wildflowers, experience beautiful views, hike, camp, picnic, run, cycle, climb, ride horses, or gaze at the stars.

July 29th in Brentwood

By Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media

The Contra Costa Commission for Women and Girls is partnering with California Women Lead to host a State of California Commissions Appointments Workshop on July 29.

The workshop will provide information on state and local commissions, the application process, and tips for strong applications. The Commission encourages participation of active community members seeking to learn about public governance, preparing for elected office, or aiming to make more significant community impact. Learn about the value of serving on boards and commissions and why there needs to be more women at the table.

Date and Location:

Saturday, July 29 – 11 am to 1:30 pm

Brentwood Library – 104 Oak Street, Brentwood

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/669132712957

The Contra Costa Commission for Women and Girls was formed in 1984 as an advisory committee to the Board of Supervisors. The Commission provides information and advice to the Board relating to the health and welfare of women and girls in the County. The Commission strives to increase awareness of women’s and girls’ issues, celebrate achievements of local deserving women, champion opportunities for women and girls, and recommend legislative solutions at the city, county, state, and federal levels.

For further information about the California Commissions Appointments Workshop and the Contra Costa Commission for Women and Girls, please email cccwomenscommission@gmail.com.

More than 11 million arrest and conviction records automatically cleared including old arrests that never turned into charges and provides relief to people who completed all conditions of their sentence

Due to legislation pioneered by Los Angeles DA George Gascón

By Max Szabo, Prosecutors Alliance of California

SACRAMENTO–New data from the California Department of Justice (CAL DOJ) indicates that 11,164,458 records of arrest and conviction were automatically cleared between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 pursuant to Assembly Bill 1076. The historic reform automated a process that individuals were already entitled to but had to seek out through an arduous process. AB 1076 requires CAL DOJ to automatically clear old arrests that never turned into charges and provides relief to people who completed all the conditions of their sentence, thereby expanding education, employment and housing opportunities for countless Californians.

“People who were arrested or convicted of low-level crimes and did what was asked of them are entitled to a second chance under the law, but bureaucratic barriers kept them in a paper prison,” said Cristine DeBerry, Founder and Executive Director of the Prosecutors Alliance of California.  “That wasn’t just unfair, it was unsafe, as a criminal record hangs over people, hampering their access to employment and housing opportunities, primary factors that drive recidivism. The system had taken away hope and opportunity, but commonsense and technology enabled one of the most important reforms in years.” 

The automated record clearance is due to a 2019 law, Assembly Bill 1076, which was authored by Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by then-San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón.  The legislation mandated that the state Department of Justice automatically clear records of arrests that did not result in a conviction after the statute of limitations had passed as well as convictions involving probation and jail once an offender’s sentence was completed. Individuals sentenced to prison and anyone who had to register as a sex offender or who violated their probation is not eligible.  The record clearance largely benefits individuals who had committed drugs or property crimes.

“It’s a vicious cycle, as communities of color are more likely to be arrested, they are therefore more likely to have a record that includes an arrest or conviction, and yet they were less likely to be aware that they were entitled to relief,” said LA County District Attorney George Gascón.  “These were unnecessary barriers that make it more difficult to successfully reenter and break the cycle by limiting access to jobs, education and housing.  Breaking down these barriers makes our system more just and our communities more safe.”

During the appropriations process that bill was limited to prospective arrests and convictions.  However, a subsequent effort in 2021, AB 1038, authored again by Assemblymember Ting, and sponsored by the Prosecutors Alliance of California, made the record clearance provided under AB 1076 retroactive.  That bill took effect July 1, 2023.  The newly released DOJ data indicates that the relief granted thus far was pursuant to AB 1076, the initial authorizing legislation only, suggesting that the expanded eligibility profile now in effect under AB 1038 will result in the clearance of millions of additional records.  

Prior to the automated record clearance, 8 million California residents had criminal convictions on their records that hampered their ability to find work and housing, secure public benefits, or even get admitted to college.  Studies indicate approximately two million of them were eligible for record clearance. Millions more have old arrests on their record that never resulted in a conviction but, remain as obstacles to employment.  

Under the law arrests that didn’t result in a conviction may be cleared. Convictions that carry probation or jail time are also eligible for record clearance after the individual completes all the terms and conditions of their sentence. Prior to AB 1076, however, this required individuals to be aware of their eligibility and to retain an attorney to proactively file the necessary petition.  As a result, millions of Californians have been entitled to relief for years that they never realized because they had to jump through hoops to get it. In fact, nationally, only 6.5% of eligible people have been estimated to obtain record clearance within five years of eligibility. With more affluent communities more able to afford a private attorney, this bureaucracy disproportionately impacted socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and communities of color in particular.

Nearly 90% of employers, 80% of landlords, and 60% of colleges screen applicants’ criminal records.  According to a 2012 study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, many prospective employees and housing applicants are rejected solely based on having an arrest record on file.  Studies also show people with unsealed arrest records have a substantially increased chance of living in poverty, earning lower wages, with fewer educational opportunities.

The concept for the legislation grew out of DA Gascón’s effort to clear old cannabis convictions that were eligible for clearance pursuant to Proposition 64.  That effort has now been adopted by prosecutors’ offices across the nation.  Notably, the algorithm that enabled automated record clearance pursuant to AB 1076–much like the cannabis clearance effort–would not be possible without the help and support of Code For America. Research by the California Policy Lab of the University of California provided supporting evidence regarding the feasibility of large-scale record clearance automation, as well as its enormous potential impact on the lives of Californians.  Assemblymember Phil Ting has the sincere gratitude of the Prosecutors Alliance for leading the historic initiative and seeing that all eligible and impacted Californians would obtain the relief to which they are entitled.  

The Prosecutors Alliance of California is fiscally sponsored by Tides Advocacy, a social welfare organization. Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton is a founding member. For more information about the Prosecutors Alliance go to www.ProsecutorsAlliance.org and keep up with our work on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Five Antioch homes included

By Moorea Warren, Information Officer, California Department of Cannabis Control

Thanks to the continued dedication and collaboration of the Governor’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) 20 East Bay illegal indoor cannabis cultivators were shut down on June 20, and a total estimated value of over $15.3 million of illegal cannabis was seized.

An investigation spanning several weeks culminated in the operation led by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). There were 20 search warrants served by four units of officers and local and state partners, including the Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the California National Guard, and local law enforcement – five in Antioch (according to a witness two with addresses of 2460 and 2480 Stanford Way), three in Brentwood, two in Discovery Bay and ten in Pittsburg, resulting in the seizures of:

• 742 pounds of cannabis flower estimated valued of $1,244,762
• 17,121 cannabis plants estimated valued of $14,124,825
• 7 firearms (including 1 assault rifle)
• $24,197 in cash

Several of the locations were red-tagged for safety and code violations.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.