SENATOR,
SENATOR, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. LET'S GET RIGHT TO THE FIRST
TEXT FOR YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF GOVERNOR
NEWSOM'S APPROACH TO THE COVID-
19 CRISIS, WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> THAT'S PROVEN SUCCESSFUL FOR
CALIFORNIA.
I MEAN IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE'RE
SEEING AND CERTAINLY THE LIVES
WE'VE LOST AND THE PEOPLE WHO
CONTRACTED COVID-19 I THINK
CALIFORNIA IS SHOW THAT WE HAVE
A PLAN IN PLACE, ALBEIT, YOU
KNOW, WE HAD TO DO IT QUICKLY
AROUND IT'S BEEN EVOLVING AND
FLUID.
I THINK THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN
EXTRAORDINARY IN TERMS OF HIS
RESPONSE, HIS CALM MEASURED
APPROACH.
I THINK HIS LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN
GREAT IN A PANDEMIC.
AND THE LEGISLATURE WE ARE
WORKING CLOSELY WITH HIM AS WE
CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
SERVING CALIFORNIA.
SO, I'M PROUD OF WHAT
CALIFORNIA HAS DONE AND I'M
PROUD OF WHAT OUR GOVERNOR HAS
BEEN ABLE TO DO.
>> WHAT -- FOR YOU AND THE
SENATE, WHAT HAS BEEN THE
SENATE'S ROLE, IS IT A COMPLETE
SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNOR?
DO YOU SOMETIMES MAYBE YOURSELF
RAISE YOUR HAND AND GO, I'M 99%
ON BOARD?
HOW ABOUT WE LOOK AT SOMETHING
DIFFERENT, DO YOU DO THAT?
>> WELL WE HAVE QUESTIONS.
THAT IS OUR ROLE.
THE LEGISLATOR CREASE ROLE IS
OVERSIGHT, MONITORING, ALSO
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP.
YOU SAW THAT WHEN WE WERE LAST
AT THE CAPITAL ON MARCH 16th WE
APPROACHED A BUDGET OF $1.1
BILLION.
$500MILLION TO GO DIRECTLY INTO
SERVICES AND COMMUNITIES.
ANOTHER -- THE REST OF THAT
MONEY IN $50 MILLION INCREMENTS
TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS, OUR SCHOOLS
WHO ARE LOSING
REVENUE, CLEAN THE SCHOOLS,
SUPPORT THE TEACHERS.
BUT, IT ISN'T WITHOUT
QUESTIONS.
THAT IS OUR ROLE.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE QUESTIONS
AS DO MANY.
AND I THINK THE GOVERNOR IS
WORKING HE SAYS IN REAL TIME TO
TRY TO RESPOND TO SO MANY
DIFFERENT ISSUES.
OF COURSE IT'S FLUID.
WE HAVE BUDGET HEARING TODAY,
LATER THIS AFTERNOON TO LOOK AT
THE EXPENDITURES OF COVID-19
EXPENDITURES, TO
LOOK AT THE REVENUES AND
RESOURCES COMING FROM THE THREE
STIMULUS PACKAGES.
AND WHAT THESE GOING TO MEAN
FOR CALIFORNIA.
SO, WE'RE FULLY ENGAGED, WE'RE
WORKING.
THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, HIS TALK
WITH MY DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS AND
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS ON A WEEKLY
BASES.
I TALK WITH THE GOVERNOR AT
LEAST TWICE A WEEK MYSELF.
WE EXCHANGE QUESTIONS, IDEAS,
UPDATES.
WHAT WE'RE HEARING ON THE
GROUND, I'M FULLY WORKING IN MY
OWN DISTRICT IN SAN DIEGO.
SO, IT'S A GOOD PROJECTION, WE
DO HAVE QUESTIONS, THAT'S PART
OF TODAY'S HEARING AND YOU ARE
GOING TO SEE US
UNVEIL A FEW OTHER THINGS SO WE
CAN FEEL LIKE WE ARE
RESPONSIBLY DOING OUR ROLE
ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT PHYSICALLY
AT THE CAPITAL, THERE IS A LOT
GOING ON.
>> NEXT TEXT COMING IN FOR
SENATOR ATKINS, WHAT CAN
LAWMAKERS DO TO HELP
FREELANCERS AND GIG ECONOMY
WORKERS
WHO ARE STRUGGLING BECAUSE OF
WHAT IS GOING ON.
>> RIGHT, IT'S A GREAT
QUESTION.
I THINK YOU HEARD THE GOVERNOR
START TO MAKE COMMENT BUS THAT,
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS,
CLEARLY THE
LEGISLATURE WAS LOOKING AT THE
IMPACTS OF AB 5. HONE DOWN A
LITTLE BIT ON THE CATEGORIES OF
WORKERS TO MAKE SURE THAT AB 5
IS PROTECTING THE WORKERS AND
DEFINING EMPLOYEES AS THEY ARE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME LOOKING AT
THOSE CATEGORIES OF WORKERS TO
HELP.
THE GOVERNOR TALKED ABOUT HOW
TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO GIG
ECONOMY WORKERS NOW.
WE CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE FURTHER
DISCUSSIO WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOT
ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROCESS.
SO HERE LOOKING AT THAT WE'RE
WORKING ON THAT.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE
GOVERNOR, AND I THINK YOU ARE
HEARING HIM DAY BY DAY AS THE
LABOR SECRETARY JULIE WHO WORKS
SOME OF THESE ISSUES WITH HER
STAFF.
MORE TO COME, WE'VE TAKEN THIS
SERIOUSLY.
IT IS ABOUT HELPING INDIVIDUALS
AND FAMILIES AND THAT IS WHERE
OUR FOCUS IS.
>> THAT IS A LOT GOING ON.
I REALIZE YOU HAVE A MILLION