SACRAMENTO – Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass’ legislation that addresses the disparity gaps outlined in the State of Black California Report, which was released earlier this year, passed out of Senate Committees this week.

Assembly Bill 658 (Homicide Prevention Study/Pilot Programs) addresses the disproportionate rate of African American male homicide rates throughout the state particularly in the inner city. The bill calls for the establishment of pilot programs in Oakland and Los Angeles, which has the highest rates of homicide among Black males. As a whole, the black male homicide rate is 10 times that of white males. This bill passed out of the Senate Public Safety Committee with a 3 to 2 opposed vote. 

Assembly Bill 741 (Infant Mortality Reduction Strategies) establishes pilot programs to address the infant mortality rates of African-Americans. The Infant Mortality Rate of Blacks in California mirror rates of third world countries with approximately 11 babies not making it to their first birthday out of every 1,000 African American live births. In contrast, the white infant mortality rate is 4 out of 1,000 live births. The Senate Health Committee approved this bill with an 8 to 3 vote. 

Assembly Bill 1534 (Pay Day Loans), introduced by Speaker Fabian Núñez and co-authored by Majority Leader Bass, examines the pay day loan industry that has cropped up in minority, low income areas throughout state. The goal of the bill is to gather concrete information on the fact that these businesses, which have been called legal loan sharking in the community, are getting residents in poorer areas in serious financial trouble. The legislation requires the Department of Corporations to prepare a report containing the number of customers each year who enter into payday loans; data on the average number of transactions and the transaction amount as well as the number of loans that go into default. This bill was approved in the Senate Business, Professions & Economic Development Committee with a 7 to 2 vote.

“It’s important for all Californians to have the opportunity to experience a good quality of life,” states Majority Leader Bass. “We cannot continue to let the most vulnerable communities in the state continue to suffer disproportionately due to their race and/or economic status. It’s a travesty when we see the people who need the most resources and information not be able to get it.”