SACRAMENTO
Gov. Newsom urges Court of Appeals to uphold California’s assault weapons ban
Ahead of oral arguments in Miller v. Bonta, Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a statement urging the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold California’s lifesaving assault weapons ban.
“The Court has a simple choice: uphold one of the nation’s best tools for keeping people safe from gun violence or put millions at risk in the name of the extremist gun lobby.
When guns are the biggest killers of our kids, there is no place for assault weapons – weapons of war – on our streets and in our communities.”
CALIFORNIA’S GUN SAFETY LEADERSHIP:
- California’s gun laws are ranked #1 in the nation, according to the Giffords Law Center and Everytown.
- If every state followed California’s gun safety policy lead, it’s estimated that nearly 300,000 lives would be saved over the next 10 years.
- California has a 43% lower gun death rate than the national average and according to the CDC, California’s gun death rate is the 44th lowest in the nation, with 8.5 gun deaths per 100,000 people – substantially lower than states like Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.
- California’s red flag laws helped prevent at least 58 potential mass shootings since 2016, according to the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis.
- California’s gun homicide rates for women and children are substantially lower than the rest of the nation, according to the California Department of Justice. From 2018 to 2022, California’s gun homicide rate for female victims was 46% below the national average — and 57% below the national average for children victims aged 14 and under.
Since 2019, California has strengthened its nation-leading gun safety laws by making it easier for Californians to sue manufacturers of illegal assault weapons and those bringing them into our communities, allowing lawsuits against irresponsible members of the gun industry, strengthening prohibitions on ghost guns, and restricting marketing to minors. California is the first state in the nation to call for a Constitutional Convention for gun safety.
—Submitted
LAKE COUNTY
Calling all educators: Free environmental education training for Clear Lake and its watershed
The UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science and Center for Regional Change invite educators working with youth to contribute their skills and experience in developing environmental education materials for the Clear Lake region. These materials will support ongoing local efforts dedicated to enhancing the health of Clear Lake, its watershed, and its communities. This project was recommended by the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake and funded by the California Natural Resources Agency.
Over the past year and a half, the project team spoke to over 50 community members, presented at organizational meetings, attended outreach events, and organized a Tribal Environmental Education Advisory Committee. These efforts were undertaken to gather Tribal and community priorities and needs for environmental education in the region. Community perspectives helped inform the environmental education materials, and a draft is now ready for further feedback and pilot testing. They are drafted for use by non-formal educators working with 3rd through 5th grade youth in non-formal expanded learning settings.
Opportunities for Community Involvement:
Review and Provide Feedback: Community members are encouraged to review the drafted materials and share their feedback. The drafted materials are available for public review, and feedback can be submitted through February, 2024.
Training, Piloting, and Feedback (Compensation Available): Formal and non-formal educators interested in a more hands-on experience can receive training on the materials, pilot the materials with youth, and then provide feedback on the pilot experience to the project team. Compensation is available for this time commitment and participation.
How to Get Involved:
Interested community members can fill out the involvement form available on our project page. Alternatively, you can contact Sarah Angulo (sangulo@ucdavis.edu) directly to be added to our interest list.
Important 2024 Dates:
- Public review of drafted materials: January through February
- Training for educators: March
- Piloting of materials with youth in Lake County: April and May
- Feedback on the pilot experience: May and June
Join us in this collaborative effort to empower the youth of Lake County with environmental education and participatory science. Your involvement can make an impact on the future health of Clear Lake and its surrounding watershed.
For further information, please contact: Sarah Angulo sangulo@ucdavis.edu
Project Page Link: https://education.ucdavis.edu/ccs-clear-lake-environmental-education-and-ccs
—Submitted
