News

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal discusses his bill, AB 2223, with the Sacramento Bee. AB 2223 would establish reporting standards for health care staffing contracts at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

“A California lawmaker wants more transparency around how state prisons use contract workers instead of civil service employees after an audit found that several facilities have increasingly relied on private contractors, who often cost the state more in hourly wages, to meet required staffing levels.

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal sat down with the Long Beach Post to discuss his bill, AB 1709, which would limit social media for kids under 16 years of age.

“Democratic Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal said the recent landmark court verdicts in New Mexico and Los Angeles ‘reaffirm our need to keep kids safe online.’ Yet while the rulings ‘are a good start,’ they don’t protect children aside from the plaintiffs. Lowenthal aims to change that, demanding oversight of the multi-trillion-dollar industry of social media.”

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal’s op-ed in Capitol Weekly on the need for greater social media regulation in the wake of the New Mexico and Los Angeles social media trials.

“Right now, our regulatory system for digital platforms is woefully outdated. We regulate automobiles, pharmaceuticals and food products precisely because we recognize that unregulated markets can and do produce harmful outcomes.

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal responds to the landmark social media verdicts in New Mexico and Los Angeles.

“Meta and YouTube, along with TikTok and Snap, have built platforms that are like casinos. They’re marketing them like they’re toys,” said Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, the Long Beach Democrat spearheading California’s effort to restrict social media access for kids under 16. “And now, they have to pay the price.”

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal is a proud author of AB 3216. 

"The legislation is expected to be signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who urged educators as the academic year began to enact restrictions, citing the 'mental health, scholastic, and social risks' of phone use in classrooms. California would be the fifth state to require school districts to limit students’ phone usage, joining Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia."

WomenShelter of Long Beach was recognized by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, as Assembly District 69’s “Nonprofit of the Month” for August.

This award is an important way to recognize and showcase the work that individuals and organizations are doing in the community to improve people’s quality of life, Lowenthal said during an interview.

On June 26, the inaugural California PANS/PANDAS Advocacy Day was held at the state capitol. It was hosted by the California Coalition for PANS/PANDAS Advocacy and Assemblymember Lowenthal, sponsor of AB2105. Families, doctors, and advocates were present to build support for the serious medical condition that can be misdiagnosed and devastating for children who have it, and for their family members.

The Port of Hueneme is excited to support and enhance the movement of goods across the state of California and throughout the supply chain with the announcement of a $3.935 million award from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). This historic investment, known as the California Port Data Partnership, will revolutionize direct cloud-based data management and sharing amongst California’s five containerized ports to accelerate climate adaptation and resiliency, workforce development, zero-emission vehicle deployment, and increased grid support and reliability.

Across California, hundreds of bar owners have been hanging signs that read, “Don’t get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here.”

If they don’t post the signs — or if they don’t have kits available for patrons to test their drinks to determine if they’ve been drugged — the proprietors run the risk of state fines or having their liquor licenses suspended.

Bars required to offer test kits and signage in hopes of cutting down on attacks