Government

The Lookout: Gov. Newsom Signs Bills Written to Fix Injustices

One such restorative measure is Senate Bill 796 introduced by State Sen. Steven Bradford (D – Gardena) that allows Bruce’s Beach, an oceanside plot of land in Los Angeles County, to be returned to the descendants of its original owners.

Published

4 years ago

October 7, 2021

Christy Price

Gavin Newsom/iStock

Watching your tax dollars, elected officials and legislation that affects you.

Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a number of bills lawmakers introduced to address injustices.

“We’re making history by righting historic wrongs. With new legislation that will allow the transfer of Bruce’s Beach back to its rightful owners, we’re taking a step closer to making the CA Dream a reality for all. Thank you to all who have kept the legacy of this place alive,” Newsom tweeted.

Almost a century ago, the Black couple who owned the property now called Bruce’s Beach set it up as a residential enclave and resort for other Black families. They lost their property when the city of Manhattan Beach used eminent domain laws to forcefully and illegally seize their land following white neighbors’ complaints.

Last week, Newsom also signed two criminal justice bills, Assembly Bill (AB) 518 and Senate Bill (SB) 586.

AB 518 will allow a judge to choose someone’s sentence based on their own discretion instead of being required to choose the longest possible sentence.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who authored AB 518, took to Twitter to celebrate the bill becoming law.

“For too long, our laws sought to impose the strictest sentence possible, in every situation — regardless of the circumstance. AB 518 gives judges more discretion when sentencing. A step towards a fairer criminal justice system,” Wicks tweeted.

SB 586, also known as the Kenneth Ross Jr. Decertification Act of 2021 will bar police officers from serving in other California precincts if they were fired for misconduct.

Sen. Bradford named the bill he introduced after Kenneth Ross Jr., an unarmed Black man who was killed by an officer who had been involved in another “questionable” shooting.

Newsom, standing side-by-side with Bradford and other lawmakers, spoke about SB 586 and other criminal justice bills at a press conference he held in a school gym in Oakland last on September 30.

“We have a lot to be proud of but there are areas where we have nothing to brag about,” Newsom said. “California has asserted itself in certain areas but it is remarkable that we still struggle in other areas.”

Newsom went on to express his frustration about California being behind 46 other states when it comes to decertification legislation.

“Why is it so hard to do the right thing,” he asked.

Fouzia Almarou, Kenneth Ross Jr.’s mother, also spoke at the press conference.

“This bill means a lot because it’s going to stop police from attacking, targeting and being racist toward Black and Brown people. I’m tired of it,” she said.

Christy Price

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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3 days ago

March 1, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.