ABC 7/KGO-TV: Nearly two million calls per week poured in to the EDD call center at the height of the pandemic, but a state audit found fewer than one percent were getting through..."Let's have modern call center technology. I represent Silicon Valley and know that it's just not that hard to set up a call center where people get a call back or they understand how long the wait time is," said State Senator Josh Becker.
In the News
ProPublica: California’s Senate majority leader and two other legislators have urged the state’s Air Resources Board to review its forest offset program, citing reports from ProPublica and MIT Technology Review that showed it issued tens of millions of carbon credits that may not have provided real climate benefits...“We’re at risk of undermining the cap-and-trade market by allowing cheap, questionable offsets to substitute for real emissions reductions,” Becker said in an interview. “That keeps the market price artificially low and reduces the incentives for companies to make the change we need to drive down emissions."
ABC 7/KGO: When the whole state locked down, EDD buildings were shut down too. However, when the state reopened on June 15, the unemployment offices stayed shut -- and not just because of the pandemic. It turns out, unemployment offices have been closed for the past 25 years. "It's part of this ongoing litany where it's tough to correspond with the EDD," added State Senator Josh Becker.
Patch.com:Bistro Vida in Menlo Park was named the small business of the year in the Peninsula by state Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park). Becker applauded owner Ali El Safy's community spirit and effort to adapt during the pandemic, which included engaging nearby businesses in building parklets and turning Santa Cruz Avenue into a "temporary community plaza." "That group effort Downtown, encouraged by Ali's boundless good cheer, has warmed — and won — many hearts in our community," Becker said.
GovTech.com: Sen. Josh Becker, who introduced the bill earlier this year, said many schools need guidance or support to train teachers how to use new technologies effectively in the classroom. This has only become more pressing as demand for remote and hybrid learning options increased during COVID-19. Becker said, "That’s what this bill is all about – it’s really about technical support and training for teachers to use technology,"
The Almanac News: "In my district, these moves would increase rates by a projected 30% — a strong step toward the professional wage rate care providers deserve," said state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, in a statement. Becker called the increased funding "truly historic." "It's easy to get lost in the terminology of rate reform or childcare slots, but at the end of the day there are kids that are going to be served (because of this legislation)," he said. "Women and men who are going to get back to work. ... Child care work force pay is so low; everybody knows this is a critical time at brain development."
An event Aug. 21 in San Mateo’s Central Park is being organized by youth aligned with Citizens Climate Lobby and will feature speakers such as state Sen. Josh Becker, Assemblymember Kevin Mullin, Supervisor Dave Pine and San Mateo Deputy Mayor Rick Bonilla.
San Mateo Daily Journal: Additional state guidance was released mid-Wednesday, just ahead of the local return, requiring teachers and school staff to either get vaccinated or to access COVID-19 testing at least once a week State Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, lauded the order, having called for such a move last week and advocating for teachers and school staff to be prioritized during initial vaccine efforts. “Vaccinations are our best weapon to beat COVID-19. The governor’s move today ensures that everyone — our kids, teachers and all school staff — are better protected as California comes back to school with in-person learning."