Guest host Christina Aanestad talks about new legislation making California the first state in the nation to provide a guaranteed income to former foster youth and low-income pregnant women, then talks about indigenous fire management and cultural practices.
California lawmakers unanimously approved legislation for a $35 million guaranteed income program, making it the first state in the nation to do so. Former foster care youth, aging out of the system and low-income pregnant women will be eligible for the monthly stipend, with no limits on how the money is spent.
Andrea Amavisca, @AndreaAmavisca, is a Legislative Aide to State Senator Dave Cortese and the lead staffer on SB 739, The Universal Basic Income for Transition Age Foster Youth Act. Language of Cortese’s legislation was included in the final trailer bill, that passed unanimously funding the state guaranteed income program.
Melanie Jimenez Perez, Program Manager, for Santa Clara County’s pilot guaranteed income program for youth existing foster care.
To learn about the dozens of jurisdictions, cities and counties moving forward with guaranteed income programs, visit Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.
As wildfires spread across the western United States in another unprecedented fire season, indigenous populations are advocating to practice traditional fire management that they say could slow down the intensity of wildfire seasons.
Elizabeth Azzuz is a member of the Yurok Tribe, from the village of Weitchpec, and is a decedent of the Karuk Tribe from the village of Katamiin in Somes Bar, CA. She is a gatherer of basket materials, traditional foods, and medicines, and a co/lead in the Training Exchange program with the Cultural Fire Management Council and the Nature Conservancy’s Training Exchange program, put on twice a year in Yurok territory, through it’s Fire Learning Network . CFMC is also co/creators of the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network.
Don Hankins is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at California State University, Chico and Field Director for the California State University Chico Ecological Reserves. Part Miwok, he is internationally recognized for his work on Indigenous fire. He serves as an advisor to the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network, is co-lead to the Intertribal Indigenous Stewardship Project, and has been appointed to the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force.
To learn more about impediments to indigenous traditional and cultural burning and prescribed fire in California, view the Good Fire Report.
Photo by Landon Parenteau on Unsplash.