May 31, 2006 - Assemblymember Jones' Legislation To End Child Poverty Passes State Assembly

ASSEMBLYMEMBER DAVE JONES
9TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
For Immediate Release: May 31, 2006
Contact: Janice Rocco
Phone: (916) 319-2009

SACRAMENTO – Today, legislation authored by Assemblymember Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) to end child poverty passed the California State Assembly. Assembly Bill 2556 sets a goal for the State of California to cut child poverty in half over the next decade and end it entirely by 2026. The bill also requires the Legislative Analyst’s Office to analyze the Governor’s annual budget proposal in light of how it would impact the state’s goal of reducing child poverty. This will allow Legislators to consider how the budget proposal would impact the state’s goal to end child poverty before they amend and adopt the annual budget.

In California, one in five children is living in poverty. Poverty and hunger put children at high risk for health, developmental and behavioral problems. The children at greatest risk are those who experience poverty when they are young and children who experience persistent and deep poverty. Child poverty is also associated with difficulties later in life such as dropping out of school, poor adolescent and adult health, teenage pregnancy, and poor employment outcomes.

“Children are our future and we are failing far too many of them. One in every five children in California is living in poverty and we have a moral obligation to our children to address this issue,” explained Assemblymember Dave Jones.

The bill is co-sponsored by Children NOW and Daughters of Charity Health System. It is supported by organizations including the National Center for Youth Law, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, CA National Organization for Women (NOW), the Children’s Advocacy Institute, the CA Commission on the Status of Women, the CA Catholic Conference, the National Association of Social Workers and the CA Association of Nonprofits.

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