After years of delay, a new California regulation to protect indoor workers from extreme heat is now in effect.
A workplace safety board approved the rule in late June , and asked other state administrative agencies to fast-track putting it on the books. The rule went into effect Tuesday as another wave of triple-digit days sweeps through parts of the state. Worker advocates had been concerned that without the sped-up process, the rule wouldn’t be official until October.
Lorena Gonzalez , president of the California Federation of Labor, in a statement: “This long overdue victory for workers cannot be overstated: these protections from extreme heat will save countless lives. We will continue pushing Cal/OSHA to prioritize enforcement so that bad employers can’t get away with subjecting workers to life-threatening working conditions from indoor heat exposure.”
Businesses where employees work indoors must now provide cooling areas and monitor workers for signs of heat illness when it’s 82 degrees. If it is 87 degrees, employers would have to cool the worksite, offer more breaks, rotate schedules or take other measures. The rule is primarily expected to affect warehouses, restaurant kitchens and other worksites that are often not air conditioned. At the behest of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, the standard does not cover state prisons.
Workplace safety regulators in California received 550 complaints related to indoor heat last year, and 90 through July 9 this year, they said.
Speaking of support for Californians: About 1.7 million Californians who depend on Covered California, the state-run marketplace for health insurance, are looking at a 7.9% average increase in premiums for 2025 . As CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra explains, the hike is attributed to rising prescription drug costs and wage increases in the health care industry.
The rate hike will hit various regions and insurance carriers differently: For example, in San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties (which is one of the most expensive health care markets in the U.S.), the average rate increase is 15.7%.
Because government-funded subsidies rise when premiums rise, however, most enrollees will be shielded from the price hike. The recent state budget included $165 million to eliminate or lower deductibles, and reduce copays for enrollees. Federal law also ensures patients don’t spend more than 8.5% of their income on health insurance premiums.
But some of the federal assistance is expected to expire next year. If not extended through congressional action, roughly 150,000 Covered California enrollees could lose coverage.
Diana Douglas , director of policy and advocacy at the advocacy group Health Access California, in a statement: “As Californians struggle with higher costs of living, the worst thing we could do is increase their health care costs. Congress must act as soon as possible to make the premium subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act permanent.”
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Newsom: Harris is ‘lighting it up’
Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, arrives at Indianapolis International Airport on July 24, 2024. Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Pool via Reuters
Gov. Newsom has been relatively quiet about the seismic shift in the presidential race, other than praising President Joe Biden and then, eventually, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democratic nominee.
Newsom also praised Harris’ campaign launch, including her first speeches and fundraising: She is “lighting it up, light-ing it up.”
Newsom: “I pity Donald Trump right now. He was not prepared for this to happen. He’s flat footed.”
Ballot props: To help California voters get up to speed even earlier, CalMatters is starting to publish pages on the 10 statewide ballot measures, including our popular one-minute videos.
First up: Proposition 5 , which would make it easier for local governments to borrow to build affordable housing and other infrastructure projects. CalMatters housing reporter Ben Christopher explains what it would do, how it got on the November ballot and what supporters and opponents say. He summarizes it all in the video . Also, CalMatters data reporter Erica Yee put together a quiz to help you see where you stand .
Minimum wage: CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang is looking to talk with workers and business owners about a ballot measure that would raise the California minimum wage. She’s seeking workers who make between $16 and $18 an hour, and employers who have employees in that pay range. If that’s you and you’d like to talk to her for an article, contact Jeanne at jeanne@calmatters.org or (916) 572-4287.
Local resistance on housing
One of the proposed sites for housing, a parking lot at the corner of 5th and D streets in Eureka, on June 17, 2024. Photo by Mark McKenna for CalMatters
Like other local governments, Eureka — home to roughly 26,000 people in Humboldt County — is under a state mandate to plan for more housing : 952 new housing units, with 40% set aside for low-income tenants. City officials proposed building on some city-owned parking lots.
But the Citizens for a Better Eureka, a coalition of about 50 businesses and property owners, is pushing back, raising concerns about crime, traffic and the loss of parking. It is backed by Robin P. Arkley II, who owns Security National, one of the city’s largest employers.
The group has filed four lawsuits challenging the proposal and put a measure on the November ballot to not only kill the plan, but also require any new housing to preserve all existing parking.
But developers and city officials argue that the ballot measure essentially bans development. If passed, Eureka could also run afoul with state law, opening itself to litigation with the attorney general’s office. It’s a conundrum that has cropped up in other California cities , including Alameda and Sausalito.
CalMatters columnist Jim Newton: With Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Los Angeles politics could move further to the left .
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