Electric Semis Are Hitting the Road in California

Deep in the Inland Empire, the vast sprawl of suburbia that extends eastward from Los Angeles, the battery-powered semi trucks are about to start their run. They navigate the congested freeways of L.A. County to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, load or unload, and then complete the round trip to trucking company NFI’s warehouse in Ontario, California. When the day’s run is done, the truck adjourns to the brand-new charging depot next door to fill up its battery for tomorrow’s trip.

These trucks are part of a project called the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative, or JETSI. Funded by a handful of state sustainability agencies, the project aims to prove that electric power really can replace dirty diesel for trucking, at least for regional runs. Soon, about 100 electric trucks divided between two shipping companies will be driving around Southern California, delivering cargo while discovering just how challenging it will be for American trucking to run on battery power.

JETSI took a big leap toward its goal this week as NFI, one of two companies that will operate the electric semis, opened a 50-stall high-power charging depot next to its Ontario warehouse.

Jim O’Leary, vice president of fleet services at NFI, told me his company had already installed a handful of chargers and run a few EV semis as part of early initiatives such as the Daimler Innovation Fleet, a recent test project in which Freightliner EV semi drive hundreds of thousands of test miles. When California wanted a more ambitious test of electric trucking, he said, he thought NFI’s operations were an ideal match.

Electric semis still have a relatively short range and long recharge times, so battery power may not work for long-haul trucking — not for a while anyway. One of NFI’s core businesses, however, is “drayage,” or moving shipping containers on the back of semi trucks between a port and a warehouse. The current slate of EV trucks can make this 110- to 120-mile round trip before needing to recharge. Once they’re done, it takes 90 to 120 minutes to power up again.

“What we realized was going to be the sweet spot for electrification was this short haul, returning to the home base,” O’Leary said. “Electrification would be kind of perfect for that application.”

To streamline the operation, NFI was able to buy the plot of land next to its warehouse for the charging depot, negating the hassle of trucks making a separate trip to plug in. O’Leary said the company plans to install 1 megawatt of solar generating capacity on site. That’s not enough to charge the trucks on sun power, but it is enough to fill up the on-site batteries during the day when the trucks are out working, and then use the saved juice to help charge the vehicles later in the day when the sun has gone down.

While that sounds rosy, the purpose of a pilot project is to discover the pain points. With EV trucking, there are plenty. First: weight. The huge batteries needed to power a semi impart a serious weight penalty. Even though the state gives an extra allowance for zero-emission vehicles, O’Leary said (they may exceed the state’s weight limits by 2,000 lbs), they’re just not a great choice for carrying heavy cargo. That means shippers have to be careful about what they say they can move. “You can’t really haul beverage like you would a diesel,” he said.

Maintenance is a question mark. As Heatmap has noted before, passenger EVs don’t need the same kind of basic upkeep as gasoline cars — no oil changes, no spark plug swaps. But because today’s EVs haven’t gotten old yet, we don’t know for sure how their components will age over a decade or two. The same is true for EV tractor-trailers. “We know that some of the wearables go away — the oil changes and the need to grease,” O’Leary said. But no one can be sure whether electric semis will save money on maintenance in the long term.

Then there’s the question of who’s going to fix them. A trucking company has enough certified mechanics on hand to repair run-down trucks and get them back on the road. Finding enough mechanics with the proper electrical safety certifications and know-how to repair EVs is no easy task.

The big one, of course, is the cost. NFI’s JETSI project cost $45 million all-in, O’Leary said, counting the land purchase, the chargers from Electrify America, the solar power equipment and backup batteries, the trucks, and everything else. California state agencies including California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, and South Coast Air Quality Management District gave money to fund this proof-of-concept, and California cap-and-trade dollars could contribute to electrifying the trucking industry in the future. But JETSI shows just how many hurdles are involved.

“I don’t want to say we were shortsighted, because I think you can’t be shortsighted when you undertake a project like this, and you’re obviously looking to the future in some ways,” he said. “But I don’t think any of us, or our partners, realized the complexities that this project is going to have. Not only the complexities, but the capital investment that it takes to actually make a project like this work. And that’s where I think we are still a ways away from this being the norm.”

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The Inland Empire’s once-unstoppable warehousing industry falls into a slump

For years the growth of warehousing in the Inland Empire was relentless. At the confluence of port-bound freeways and rail spurs along the eastern edge of Los Angeles’ sprawl, box-like fulfillment centers popped up in business parks by the millions of square feet. They were an economic engine, a bringer of jobs, a shortener of commutes, and a workhorse during the pandemic.

But now that’s come to a halt — bringing uncertainty for thousands of workers and an industry that has been an economic bellwether for the region.

After the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the nation in spring 2020, the Inland Empire recovered all of the jobs it lost by the summer of 2021 — more than a year ahead of Orange County and almost two years earlier than Los Angeles County. Despite pandemic restrictions, the area’s machinery of storing and transporting goods kicked into high gear, outpacing better-paying and more glamorous sectors in the state, such as entertainment and tech.

But the tables have turned in the last year. Warehousing and storage jobs in the Inland Empire shrank for the first time in more than two decades. Once-booming truck transportation has been down since early in the summer, and the area’s wholesale trade employment is dropping fast, according to year-over-year data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Industrial building vacancies are up and rents are down.

Logistics businesses nationally are cutting back amid declines in freight volume. United Parcel Service said it would shed 12,000 jobs worldwide over the next several months after more than a $9-billion drop in revenue last year. A company spokesman said it didn’t have a breakdown of where those layoffs would hit, but UPS employs tens of thousands of workers in California.

“Everything is different,” said Victor Ramirez, a Pomona resident who’s worked in warehousing for about 20 years. Speaking in Spanish, he remembered when times were better — much better.

The 59-year-old recalled not only getting full 40-hour workweeks in the past but bonuses during the pandemic. These days, things have slowed so much at his current place of employment, a warehouse that builds pallets, that he has taken on additional work as an Uber driver and canvasser for nonprofits.

“One job isn’t nearly enough,” Ramirez said.

With related business services and real estate also down, the Inland Empire’s overall job growth last year averaged just 1.2%, about half the rate for Southern California and the state as a whole. “We could be the weak link,” said John Husing, the region’s longtime economist based in Redlands.

The pandemic-induced surge of consumer purchases, transportation gridlock and prolonged labor negotiations at the ports all played a role in disrupting the flow of goods and exacerbating an oversupply of warehouses. But even before COVID, the industry was feeling increasing strains from environmental regulations, disputes over independent trucking and rising operating costs that have pushed more businesses to leave the state.

The Inland Empire’s troubles come as the U.S. economy faces an expected slowdown and the tech sector continues to shed jobs. California’s tourism industry, another big economic engine, hasn’t fully recovered, and high interest rates have taken a bite out of the housing market. All of that has left the state trailing the nation in job growth. The latest unemployment rate statewide, as well as for the Inland Empire, was 5.1% in December, well above the U.S. figure of 3.7%.

“Right now I am not an optimist on this economy,” Husing said.

The long shadow of logistics

Thanks to lower housing costs than in Los Angeles and Orange counties, the Inland Empire’s population has been growing for decades. Over the years, many residents found work in a logistics industry that has surged along with the region. Since 2000, the Inland Empire’s population has increased by 45% to 4.7 million last year. And jobs during that period have jumped even faster, up 68% to 1.7 million. That’s about as many as in all of Orange County.

A lot of that came on the back of the logistics industry, which got a big boost from soaring trade with China. Today, about 40% of all containers entering the U.S. from Asia are handled by the ports of L.A. and Long Beach. More than 37,000 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers based in the Inland Empire haul that cargo to rails and some 4,000 warehouses that are scattered across Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ 27,000 square miles, double the land area of the next largest metropolitan area, Phoenix-Scottsdale in Arizona.

The growing number of jobs brought the promise of greater economic security and quality of life as more residents were able to get jobs closer to home. But the growth of the logistics industry has exacerbated environmental concerns in communities with some of the least-healthful air in the United States. And analysts say too many households in the area are struggling to make ends meet as earnings have not kept up with rising costs.

Sheheryar Kaoosji, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Warehouse Worker Resource Center in Ontario, said many logistics jobs are still too close to minimum wage, are temporary or seasonal and are often quick to disappear when the economy softens.

“The average worker is always in a position of uncertainty,” he said.

For all occupations, Inland Empire workers made $27.96 an hour on average in 2022, the latest according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is compared with $33.43 for L.A. and Orange counties combined, and $45.37 for the San Francisco Bay Area.

More than 270,000 people in the Inland Empire work in transportation and material moving occupations. Their median hourly pay in 2022: $21.13. Stockers and order fillers made even less — $19.01 an hour, on average.

California’s statewide minimum wage for larger employers was $15 an hour in 2022. It went up to $16 this year, and for fast-food workers it’ll go to $20 an hour in April.

“It’s a good starter job, but as far as long-term, a lot of people think they’re going to do it for life,” said Byron Williams, 48, of Moreno Valley, referring to logistics jobs at Amazon.

Williams once worked at Amazon, though on the finance side of logistics. The e-commerce behemoth operates more than a dozen distribution facilities in the Inland Empire. Williams said he left because of the pay. “It’s not a for-life position.”

The new boom and bust

Going through boom and bust cycles has been part and parcel of life in the Inland Empire. The area tumbled during the early 1990s downturn that was marked by defense cuts and overbuilding. And it was one of the hardest hit by the subprime mortgage crisis that brought the Great Recession in 2007-09.

The pandemic, at first, seemed to be an exception. The Inland Empire’s economy quickly rebounded thanks to surging orders for all kinds of stuff from people stuck in their homes. Rounds of government stimulus checks added fuel to consumer spending.

But in the last year the industry suddenly fell back, in part as consumer spending shifted more to services, such as travel and entertainment , and less on things such as cars and groceries. High inflation also was a factor, as was the unusual situation at the ports.

Early in the pandemic, dozens of ships were lined up at sea waiting to berth in L.A. and Long Beach ports. When the logjam eased, merchandise flooded into the region, prompting wholesalers and distributors to double down on warehouses and workers.

“We couldn’t hire fast enough,” said Jeff Baldassari, who until August was president of U.S. Rubber Recycling in Colton, which got a burst of pandemic orders of rubber mats for in-home gyms and other uses. “Now the party ended, and it’s the hangover the next day,” he said.

Drawn-out labor talks with longshoremen that lasted more than a year prompted some companies to divert cargo to the East and Gulf Coast ports.

In the last few months, warehouses and distribution centers have shut down in Rialto, Fontana, Jurupa Valley, Perris and Chino, among other cities, according to WARN Act filings with the state. During the summer, the bankrupt trucking firm Yellow Corp. shuttered several terminals in the Inland Empire that eliminated about 1,000 jobs.

The downturn in logistics has spread to other industries too, including finance and real estate. San Francisco-based Prologis, the world’s biggest warehouse developer and a major player in the Inland Empire, reported a 7% drop in rents in the fourth quarter for Southern California. The company said its construction pipeline in the region was half of what it was at year-end 2022.

During a recent conference call with analysts, Prologis’ chief executive, Hamid Moghadam, said it’s always been difficult for retailers and wholesalers to correctly forecast demand and manage inventories. “They’re schizophrenic. They always have too much or too little. You can never get it right.”

Still, he and other developers said they are bullish on the future. The logistics business in Southern California is getting back on its feet after the pandemic, they said. And key drivers of growth remain intact — e-commerce, global trade, demand for larger, more efficient distribution centers, said Iddo Benzeevi, chief executive of Highland Fairview, a developer working on a massive logistics center in Moreno Valley.

But that will also bring more consolidation, he said. Older, smaller facilities will get phased out, and payrolls aren’t likely to grow as fast as before. In the long term, logistics jobs may require higher skills and pay better as facilities become more automated and employ technologies such as driverless trucks — but they could employ fewer workers.

For truck driver Mauricio Perez, a 15-year veteran at UPS who lives in Rancho Cucamonga, it’s the near term that worries him.

Work usually slows after the busy Christmas season, but he said this year looks different. During the holidays, Perez saw 53-foot trailers stacked to the brim with items and packages to be delivered. Nowadays, 28-foot trailers have barely two or three pallets inside.

What’s more, he said that the work-bidding process at UPS suggests that a lot more truckers in the Inland Empire are likely to be on a more flexible schedule that can vary week to week or shunted to the package hub, where they’d work fewer hours. That means drivers who don’t get assigned work may end up taking a “layoff week,” in which they won’t get paid unless they cash out vacation time or accrue pension benefits.

“It’s not looking like the economy is going to get any better in the next few months,” Perez said. “We just gotta brace ourselves for the worst.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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CITY OF ONTARIO HOLIDAY CLOSURES

All City Facilities will be closed on Monday, February 19, in observance of Presidents Day. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, February 20.

In addition, refuse and recycling collection will be provided one day later than your normal pickup day for the remainder of the week.  Police and Fire services will remain available 24/7.

Visit OntarioCA.gov/AboutOntario for more information.

City Hall is open to the public.

 Telephone contact is encouraged.

City Clerk/Records Management (909) 395-2009
Economic Development (909) 395-2005
Business License (909) 395-2022
Fire Plan Check (909) 395-2562
Engineering (909) 395-2025 
Planning (909) 395-2036
Building (909) 395-2023

Book your appointment online. Appointments are available for the following Locations: 

City Hall (Building, Permits, Plan Checks, Business License, Economic Development, Housing, Engineering, Fire, Planning, Passports)

Holiday Schedule

Holiday Trash schedules, please click here. 


In observance of the 2024 holidays listed below, City Hall will be closed on the following days:

New Year’s DayMonday, January 1, 2024 
New Year’s Eve (Observed)Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday, January 15, 2024
Presidents’ DayMonday, February 19, 2024
Memorial DayMonday, May 27, 2024
Independence DayThursday, July 4, 2024 
Labor DayMonday, September 2, 2024
Columbus DayMonday, October 14, 2024
Veterans DayMonday, November 11, 2024
ThanksgivingThursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29
Christmas EveTuesday, December 24, 2024
Christmas DayWednesday, December 25, 2024
Holiday Closure (City Hall Offices)December 26-30, 2024
New Year’s EveTuesday, December 31, 2024

Police and Fire services will remain available 24/7.

*Holiday which falls on a Sunday is observed on the following Monday.

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Inland SoCal United Way will give out cash payments to pregnant persons and former foster youth

Inland SoCal United Way launched a highly anticipated guaranteed income pilot for Riverside and San Bernardino counties on Jan. 25.

The organization will provide unconditional cash payments of $600 per month for 18 months to 500 pregnant individuals and $750 per month to 120 former foster youth.

The pilot uses a randomized controlled trial and will also have a control group that does not receive payments but will receive an incentive to help compare results in the statewide and local evaluations, bringing the total number of participants to 1,240. All participants will receive support with resources and financial stability.

The recipients have not yet been selected. Former foster youth turning 21 during the application period who live in Fontana would be eligible to apply.

“Today, we take a bold step toward a more equitable future for Inland Region residents,” said United Way CEO, Kimberly Starrs. “The launch of our Guaranteed Income Pilot embodies our commitment to eradicating the barriers that hinder the pursuit of dreams. With the support of our board, funders, and partners, we are sowing seeds of change that will grow into a harvest of empowerment for generations to come.”

First announced in November 2022 with the California Department of Social Services award of $5 million, Inland SoCal United Way’s pilot leverages $10 million total in diversified funds to disrupt inequity and test the new solution. Other funding support includes Riverside County’s Children and Families Commission, the Guaranteed Income Pooled Fund, the James Irvine Foundation, US Bank, and private donors.

Inland SoCal United Way is the largest of seven sites in California’s first-ever state-funded guaranteed income pilot program.

“A child’s health and future success begins in the prenatal stage, and it is crucial that we support parents from the very start. This pilot program focuses on an evidenced, informed, yet innovative approach to creating meaningful change in the lives of Riverside County children and families. Supplemental income for new parents supports a strong foundation for a healthy infancy, childhood, and adulthood,” said First 5 Riverside County Commission Chair Zachary Ginder, PsyD.

“As state-funded guaranteed income pilots launch across the state, we look forward to the opportunity to assess the impact of economic interventions during key life transitions,” said California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Director Kim Johnson. “We are excited to partner with Inland Southern California United Way, who will serve pregnant individuals and former foster youth.”

Inland SoCal United Way serves 1 million people in Riverside, San Bernardino, and east Los Angeles counties. Established in 1931, Inland SoCal United Way in the last two decades has focused on providing direct services to disrupt cycles of inequity. Their team of more than 150 employees operates 40 programs to improve health, housing, education, and financial stability.

For more information, visit https://inlandsocaluw.org/guaranteed-income

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Ontario Museum of History & Art Announces New Art Exhibit, Conduit, Inspired by Built on Water

Conduit features art that explores how the diversion of water shapes social, cultural and ecological aspects of modern life

The Ontario Museum of History & Art presents Conduit, its newest art exhibit that is inspired by the recently opened Built on Water: Ontario and Inland Southern California permanent exhibit. Guest curated by Debra Scacco, Conduit uncovers how the diversion of water has shaped the way we live through a critical examination of the tension between urban growth and the natural world. Conduit will open on Thursday, February 15 with a Community Reception on Saturday, February 17 from 6-9pm, in conjunction with the quarterly Ontario Art Walk.

“Cities world-wide are centered around water, and the same is true of Ontario. The rivers, lakes, wetlands and streams that sustained Indigenous peoples for millennia have undergone dramatic transformations, and have been dammed, piped and diverted beyond recognition,” said curator Debra Scacco. “This group of artists has been brought together thanks to their diverse and astute observations of feedback loops. Beginning from the diversion of water, Conduit presents conversations of native and non-native species, availability of plant material for cultural practice, fire, industry and of course water itself. The dialogue between these works explores how abundance quickly followed by scarcity has shaped the modern world. And how history is the most apt teacher of the future.”

The artists showcased in Conduit include: 

  • christy roberts berkowitz: Will showcase drawings of plant life resulting from multiple years of research and her current work with the Indigenous ecosystems of Southern California. At the center of the installation is a drawing of two invasive plant species anchored in a frame of heavy charcoal, a material used to stop the spread of this plant life. Complementing this work is a series of drawings of native plants significant to the local Serrano culture. Her exhibitions have been hosted and/or commissioned by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, MOCA Los Angeles, Getty Museum, Chrysler Museum of Art, Orange County Museum of Art, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, and many others.
  • Lauren Bon: Will showcase works created in the context of the Salton Sea, examining the potential for artists to create new speculative ecologies that advocate for a culture of care. Lauren is an environmental artist from Los Angeles, CA. Her practice, Metabolic Studio, explores self-sustaining and self-diversifying systems of exchange that feed emergent properties that regenerate the life web. 
  • Gerald Clarke: Will create an interior installation focused on water rights, the preservation of sacred sites, and the impact of suburban sprawl on Native lands and communities; as well as off-site water-inspired activation at the cactus garden on the site of the former Fallis Department Store. Gerald is an enrolled citizen of the Cahuilla Band of Indians and is currently a Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California Riverside where he teaches classes in Native American art, history and culture.
  • Noé Montes: Will produce an interior installation of new and archival materials focusing on Pyrite Canyon in Jurupa Valley. One of the first Superfund sites in the U.S., toxic substances have both leached into groundwater and flowed into storm channels. Noé is an award-winning artist based in Los Angeles. For more than 20 years, his work has documented underrepresented communities to effect change through storytelling, education and advocacy around social, economic, and environmental issues.
  • Samantha Morales Johnson: Will show drawings that detail a study she completed on native vs non-native plants on Tongva Conservancy land. Samantha is an Afro-Indigenous (Gabrielino/Tongva) multidisciplinary artist, environmental scientist, and learning ethnobotanist. Her work is inspired by resistance against climate change and the colonist roots underneath the environmental distresses we experience today. 
  • Stuart Palley: Will share photographic work based on a decade-long commitment to documenting California wildfire. He has formal wildland fire training, and is a contractor for the US Forest Service, photographing wildland fires for the federal government as a single resource officially assigned to wildland fire incidents. His monograph, Terra Flamma: Wildfires at Night, defines the state’s drought and urban sprawl challenges.
  • Lorene Sisquoc: Will share her work as a teacher of basket-making and Native Plant Uses and Material Culture/Traditions throughout Southern California. She is the Curator of the Sherman Indian Museum, and is a descendant of the Mountain Cahuilla and a member of the Fort Sill Apache tribe. 

Built on Water: Ontario and Inland Southern California focuses on the history and future of water in the Ontario region. It brings together the story of local water agencies, regional tribes, agriculture, water conservation, and the creation of the City of Ontario. By focusing on local and tangible history, including the traditional ecological knowledge of the Tongva/Gabrielino community and regional indigenous tribes in stewarding and caring for water resources and the environment, as well as partnering with other area water-related institutions, archives and collections, the exhibit aims to increase empathy, access, and engagement on the vital issue of water conservation.

Conduit is made possible, in part, by a grant from The Inland SoCal Creative Corps, a component fund at The Inland Empire Community Foundation. The Ontario Museum of History & Art is located at 225 S. Euclid Avenue, Ontario, CA 91762. The hours are Thursday and Friday, Noon to 4 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM. Admission to the Museum and exhibit is free. To learn more about Conduit visit, www.ontariomuseum.org.

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Ontario welcomes new fire chief and retires another

The Ontario City Council swore in Mike Gerken to lead the Fire Department at its meeting Tuesday, Dec. 19.

Gerken will replace Ontario fire Chief Ray Gayk, who is retiring after a 33-year career that includes a five-year run leading the Fire Department.

Gerken began his career in 1996 as a paramedic in Alhambra. He moved to the Ontario Fire Department in 1998. There, he was promoted to fire captain in 2010 and battalion chief in 2017. He was most recently promoted to deputy fire chief in 2020.

“I look forward to this … I am excited to move forward with this department and to take it to the next stage,” Gerken said Tuesday night.

Gayk’s retirement will go into effect Dec. 30, at which time Gerken will step in.

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Here’s What California Accomplished in 2023

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: From taking on Big Oil to tackling big challenges — from mental health care to housing — California enacted ambitious efforts to improve the safety, health, and well-being of all Californians in 2023.

WHAT GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM SAID: “From taking on global problems to finding community-based solutions, this year California delivered on critical action to make people’s lives better, safer, healthier, and happier. As the country continues to recover and grow under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, California is closing 2023 as a national leader in putting people first, safeguarding freedoms, and creating economic opportunity.” 

WHAT FIRST PARTNER JENNIFER SIEBEL NEWSOM SAID: “In 2023, California led the nation in bolstering the rights and opportunities of women and in ensuring children have the best start in life. From securing new partnerships to support our work to safeguard reproductive freedom and close the pay gap, to increasing students’ access to free, fresh, and nutritious school meals and behavioral health services, we’re creating a state where all women, children, and families can thrive.”

MENTAL HEALTH

✅ TRANSFORMING MENTAL HEALTH CARE: Governor Newsom and legislative leaders led a historic transformation of the state’s behavioral health care system — putting it on the ballot for voters in March 2024.

✅ INVESTING IN CARE: California invested nearly $1.5 billion to continue to build out the state’s mental health and substance use disorder treatment and housing sites, continued to expandthe state’s workforce, and submitted an innovative waiver to leverage federal funding.

✅ EMPOWERING YOUTH: First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom announced a $100 million anti-stigma campaign by the California Department of Public Health aimed at all California youth, especially those most at risk like LGBTQ+ and Indigenous youth, building on the Governor’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health — which launched additional resources this year.

✅ ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY: California continued to hold bad actors accountable, including a historic $200 million settlement with Kaiser for unacceptable wait times for access to behavioral health services.

✅ IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES: The Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-being launched the Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind campaign — and through the Outdoors for All initiative, more than 50,000 passes were downloaded by families.

PUBLIC SAFETY

✅ MAKING COMMUNITIES SAFER: Governor Newsom announced a new effort to transform San Quentin State Prison into a nation-leading facility — and a scalable model — focused on improving public safety through rehabilitation. The Governor convened a multidisciplinary group of experts to submit recommendations that can help build and inform the California Model.

✅ FIGHTING HATE: Addressing a rise of hate across the nation, California launched the CA v Hateinitiative and hotline to empower diverse communities and fight discrimination and hate. 

✅ ADDRESSING THE FENTANYL CRISIS: Cracking down on fentanyl trafficking, Governor Newsom deployed additional resources and a 50% increase in California National Guard personnel at our border’s ports of entry to fight drug trafficking, and launched a new partnership in San Francisco to hold fentanyl traffickers accountable.

✅ CRACKING DOWN ON ORGANIZED CRIME: California awarded over $267 million to 55 cities and counties to combat and increase prosecutions of organized retail crime in communities across the state.

✅ STOPPING GUN VIOLENCE: California passed multiple new gun safety laws to keep more Californians safe, became the first state in America to call for a Constitutional Convention on the Right to Safety, and launched GunSafety.CA.Gov — a website for the public to access life-saving resources.

✅ LEADING EDGE IN WILDFIRE RESPONSE:Investments and innovation in wildfire resilience reduced the wildfire year’s most catastrophic impacts to California’s communities, in a year where the state was recognized for its world-leading innovation in wildfire response.

INFRASTRUCTURE

✅ FIXING THE 10: After an arsonist ignited a major fire under the I-10 Freeway in Los Angeles, Governor Newsom led an all-hands response that resulted in the major economic artery re-opening to traffic in 8 days — months ahead of original estimates. 

✅ HIGH SPEED RAIL: California was awarded more than $6 billion by the Biden-Harris Administration to build high-speed rail throughout California, investing in the whole system — San Francisco, Los Angeles and the Central Valley, creating connectivity north, south and with our neighbors to the east. This investment was the single largest grant for the program — made possible by President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

✅ CONNECTING CALIFORNIANS: Thanks to investments by Governor Newsom and the California legislature, the state continues to make progress in connecting all Californians — leading the nation in affordable internet.

BUILDING CALIFORNIA’S FUTURE

✅ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: With Generative Artificial Intelligence’s (GenAI) wide-ranging potential for Californians and the state’s economy, Governor Newsom earlier this year signed an executive order to study the use cases and risks of GenAI technology throughout the state and to develop a deliberate and responsible process for evaluation and deployment of GenAI within state government. Last month, the Administration released the first report from this Executive Order.

✅ CUTTING RED TAPE: California passed critical legislation to streamline projects — cutting red tape to build green infrastructure — helping meet our state’s aggressive climate goals and creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs.

✅ TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WORKERS: California has exceeded 160,000 apprenticeships — on track to reach the goal of 500,000 by 2029 — creating strong “earn and learn” career pathways, especially for historically excluded workers, and meeting local economic needs.

✅ CREATING GOOD-PAYING JOBS: California created thousands of new jobs welcomed back Disney investments after the company pulled the plug on $1 billion development in Florida, and continued to invest in California’s innovation economy — securing up to $1.2 billion in federal funding to develop a national hub for clean hydrogen production, a project that will create tens of thousands of jobs, and investing in the development of Lithium Valley as a new global hub for electric battery production.

CLIMATE ACTION

✅ ENERGY OF THE FUTURE: California is set to become a national hydrogen hub thanks to up to $1.2 billion in investments by the Department of Energy. This crucial funding will help accelerate innovation and lead to the development and deployment of clean, renewable hydrogen — critical to cutting pollution and expanding the clean energy economy statewide.

✅ NEW PARTNERSHIPS: Governor Newsom built new climate partnerships across the globe, including a trip to China where he laid the foundation for future collaboration and cooperation. At the state level, public-private partnerships were pivotal to building out green infrastructure across California — from battery storage and clean energy production projects to safeguarding waterways and producing good paying blue-collar jobs.

✅ REACHING GOALS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE:California exceeded zero-emissions vehicle goals — both for cars and heavy-duty trucks — 2 years ahead of schedule.

✅ SUING BIG OIL AND HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE: Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a historic lawsuitagainst Big Oil — taking some of the world’s largest oil companies to court for their decades of deception fueling the climate crisis. And with the state’s new anti-gas price gouging law, the Governor called a special session and championed legislation that established the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight to investigate price gouging and hold Big Oil accountable.

✅ BOOSTING WATER SUPPLIES: California continued the critical work of preparing for a hotter, drier future by advancing more projects to help boost the state’s water supply system.

HEALTH CARE

✅ IMPROVING AFFORDABILITY: The Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) launched, holding its first meetings. The Board of the OHCA is charged with providing input and recommendations to help make health care more accessible, affordable, equitable and high-quality for all Californians.

✅ $30 INSULIN: Governor Newsom, during the Tour of the State, announced the CalRx Initiative would be bringing $30 insulin to market.

✅ EXPANDING ACCESS: Thanks to investments made this year, low-income Californians — of all ages and regardless of immigration status – will be able to access Medi-Cal starting in 2024. Older adults and people with disabilities will be able to keep their savings and still qualify for Medi-Cal coverage — another first-in-the-nation expansion. And the reimbursement rate for providers providing Medi-Cal services will be higher, supporting our health care workers like never before.

✅ MASTER PLAN TO ADDRESS FENTANYL CRISIS: Governor Newsom released his Master Plan for Tackling the Opioid & Fentanyl Crisis, which includes the naloxone distribution project, steps to create our own low-cost naloxone supply, and the comprehensive resource: Opioids.CA.Gov.

TACKLING HOMELESSNESS

✅ LAUNCHING CARE COURT: Governor Newsom’s CARE Court program launched in 8 counties across the state, to ensure local governments are held accountable in helping people in need of care for untreated psychosis, including housing. The other counties will launch their CARE Court system by the end of 2024.

✅ CLEAN CALIFORNIA: California is providing $1.2 billion in grants for local governments to clean up blighted areas and create projects that help revive public spaces. Additionally, Governor Newsom continues to find ways to hold local governments accountable like revising their Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention plans to deliver better results.

✅ ENCAMPMENTS TO HOUSING: California has cleared over 5,600 encampments and provided $750 million for encampment resolution grants to move people to housing.

✅ PROVIDING RE-HOUSING: Through Homekey,California has funded the creation of over 14,600 housing units to assist people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

FREEDOM TO SUCCEED

✅ BANNING BOOK BANS: Governor Newsom and state leaders fought back against book bans and censorship, signed a new law banning inappropriate censorship in schools, and highlighted the state’s Family Agenda to promote freedom in education. 

✅ EXPANDING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: The California State Board of Education, with the support of Governor Newsom, unanimously approved a $750.5 million investment — the largest allocation of funds yet under California’s nation-leading initiative — to transform thousands of schools into a community school. These innovative sites provide students and their families the resources and support they need to thrive, including counseling, nutrition programs, tutoring, social services, and health care and mental health care services.

✅ WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW: Governor Newsom launched a new career education effort to prepare all of California’s diverse students and adults, especially those historically disconnected or disadvantaged, for the workforce of tomorrow and directed additional steps to reduce employment barriers for state jobs — including college degree requirements unnecessary to job duties.

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM

✅ SPREADING FREEDOM: Governor Newsom launched the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, which includes 22 governors fighting to protect and advance reproductive health care across the country. Leveraging the Alliance, Governor Newsom sent a joint letter with 13 other Governors to pharmacies across the country asking them to clarify their plans to dispense mifepristone as well as other actions they would take to safeguard reproductive health care — resulting in several independent pharmacies stepping in to provide the drug. 

✅ SAFEGUARDING ACCESS: In the wake of the legal action against medication abortion brought by extreme politicians, Governor Newsom created a stockpile within California to safeguard access and provided additional state resources to continue to make care affordable and accessible.

✅ STRENGTHENING PROTECTIONS: As hostile attacks continue, California invested in protecting health care workers and health care centers — both physical and cyber security — and signed new lawsstrengthening protections for providers and people traveling from other states, establishing first-in-the-nation protections for electronic reproductive health records,, and expanding the reproductive health care workforce.

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New year, new laws for Californians in 2024

 In partnership with the Legislature, Governor Gavin Newsom this year signed landmark legislation to support the reproductive rights of Californians, increase affordable housing, hold Big Oil accountable, and protect the safety, health, and well-being of all Californians.

WHAT GOVERNOR NEWSOM SAID: “California is more than just a state of dreamers, we’re a state of doers. Thanks to the Legislature’s strong partnership in 2023, the state is leading by example to create opportunity, and advance and protect the rights of all Californians.”

Here is a quick look at a few bills that will take effect on January 1, 2024:

FIGHTING FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

What you need to know: As the country continues to reel after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, California is building on its nation-leading efforts to safeguard reproductive freedom for all Californians.

  • Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan’s AB 352requires companies that manage electronic health records to protect all Californians’ and visitors’ electronic medical records related to abortion, gender-affirming care, pregnancy loss, and other sensitive services. This closes a major loophole in privacy protections for people traveling to California for abortion and gender-affirming care.
  • Senator Skinner’s SB 345 protects providers and people from enforcement action in California of other states’ laws that criminalize or limit reproductive and gender-affirming health care services.

ADDRESSING THE OPIOID CRISIS

What you need to know: To combat the opioid crisis, California is expanding lifesaving treatment to communities in need. Assemblymember Haney’s AB 663 allows for more mobile pharmacies to be created in communities across the state and enables them to dispense treatment medications for opioid use disorder.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS

What you need to know: To help ensure Californians can take the time they need to care for themselves and their families, Governor Newsom signed Senator Gonzalez’s SB 616, which expands the number of sick days available to workers from 3 to 5.

INCREASING VOTER ACCESS

What you need to know: California has some of the strongest voting laws in the nation and continues working to make elections more accessible for all. Assemblymember Pellerin’s AB 545 allows voters with a disability to complete a regular ballot outside of any polling place—known as curbside voting—and removes the requirement for a voter to declare under oath that they are unable to mark their ballot in order to receive assistance doing so.

TAKING ON BIG OIL

What you need to know: The Governor is committed to making big oil more accountable for fleecing Californians at the pump. Senator Skinner’s SBX1-2 grants the California Energy Commission new authority to penalize refineries and set a maximum gross gasoline refining margin if necessary to help combat price gouging. It also creates a new independent state watchdog to investigate market or price manipulation.

INCREASING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

What you need to know:  The state is increasing the amount of affordable housing available for Californians. Legislation signed this year aims to speed up the process to secure permits and meet housing goals.

  • Senator Wiener’s SB 423 extends and expands existing law, requiring local governments that are failing to meet state housing planning goals to streamline affordable housing projects. This will increase affordable housing throughout the state in uncooperative cities.
  • Senator Wiener’s SB 4, known as the “Yes in God’s Backyard” bill, allows housing to be developed on property owned by religious or independent higher education institutions. These groups are given this authority “by right,” which requires no discretionary local governance intervention.

ADDRESSING THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

What you need to know: Addressing our nation’s behavioral health crisis, the Governor signed legislation to improve health care delivery systems and make these services more accessible. These efforts will help tens of thousands of Californians and fill critical needs across the state, from homeless Californians with severe behavioral health issues to kids suffering from depression and everyone in between. Together, these reforms will be proposed to the voters for approval on the March 2024 ballot as Proposition 1.

  • Senator Eggman’s SB 326 reforms the Mental Health Services Act—making better use of Mental Health Services Act funding to address today’s needs and increasing accountability to the public.
  • Assemblymember Irwin’s AB 531 would issue $6.38 billion in bonds to fund 11,150 new behavioral health beds and housing as well as 26,700 outpatient treatment slots.

PUBLIC SAFETY

What you need to know: In September, Governor Newsom signed Senator Grove’s SB 14 to steepen penalties for human trafficking of minors in California. The law designates human trafficking of a minor for purposes of a commercial sex act as a serious felony.

STREAMLINING THE UC TRANSFER PROCESS

What you should know: AB 1291 by Assemblymember McCarty establishes the University of California (UC) Associate Degree for Transfer Pilot Program, beginning with UCLA, to prioritize admission of a student who earns an associate degree for transfer (ADT) from selected community colleges and to redirect a student who meets those requirements but is denied admission to the applicable campus and offer admission to at least one other campus. Expanding ADTs to the UC system allows qualified community college transfer students to fulfill the requirements of an ADT and meet the requirements for participating UC and CSU campuses, streamlining the transfer process and saving students money by being able to earn two degrees in four years.

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The 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Friends of the Library

You are invited to attend the celebration 50 years in the making! The Friends of Ontario City Library invite you to join them for their 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, November 4, 2023 from 6 pm – 8 pm. Join us for a fun evening of delicious, hearty appetizers, desserts, beer and wine will all be included. We will be grooving to 70’s music and a curated silent auction will take place.

This after-hours event at the library is 21 years + only. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit: FOCL50.eventbrite.com

Ovitt Family Community Library | $50 per person
215 East C Street, Ontario, CA | Saturday, November 4, 2023 | 6 PM – 8 PM

Tickets

Note: Physical tickets will not be issued. Your name(s) will be added to a guest list and checked upon entering the event.

Donate Can’t attend the Party in the Stacks but still want to give to the Friends of the Ontario City Library fundraiser? Use the Donate button found in “tickets” to make a contribution. Your support is appreciated, thank you!