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In California: Back in class by April? Newsom, lawmakers reach deal to open schools

Julie Makinen   | Paste BN

In California brings you top Golden State stories and commentary from across the Paste BN Network and beyond. Get it free, straight to your inbox. I'm Julie Makinen, California editor for the USA Today Network, bringing you Tuesday's headlines.​​​

But first. Are you — like me — trying to drop the pounds you gained during the pandemic? The Ventura County Star has some tips.

On the other hand, if you're more concerned about when you can go eat indoors at your favorite restaurant, the San Francisco Chronicle notes that California now has the distinction of being the only state where indoor dining is almost universally shut down, with only five rural counties that have met certain thresholds for lowered coronavirus transmission offering it. Check out the story to see when might it reopen more broadly.

Back in school by April?

California legislators on Thursday OKd a $6.5 billion proposal aimed at getting students back in classrooms this spring following months of closures because of the pandemic.

The “Safe and Open Schools” plan would overhaul a $2 billion proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom that was criticized by school superintendents, unions and lawmakers. The proposal unveiled by Newsom in December would have rewarded schools that reopened with additional funding for safety measures. Critics said it set unrealistic timelines, didn’t include enough money to pay for COVID-19 testing of students and teachers, and failed to address the vaccination of teachers.

The new plan would:

  • triple the funding for schools;
  • require county public health departments to offer vaccinations to school staff who return to in-person classes;
  • push back the timeline for reopening;
  • gives school districts greater freedom in how to spend the funding, which each district would receive based on its student population. 

 “Here are two truths – California’s students need to get back in the classroom, and there is no easy solution to getting them there in the midst of the pandemic. These bills move us closer, and build on the governor’s framework," said state Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, a Democrat from San Diego.  

The legislation would not force schools to reopen. But it would provide more funding to those that do.

In order to get the money, school districts must offer in-person classes by April 15 to “vulnerable” students, including English learners, homeless students, those without computers and foster children. The proposal also requires schools that receive the money to reopen for all students in grades K-6 when case rates in their counties drop below seven per 100,0000 — and to all vulnerable student groups in higher grades.

Regardless of funding, the proposal requires all schools to adopt a COVID-19 safety plan by April 1 that has been approved by labor unions.

Winter storms delay COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Southern California

Winter storms throughout the country have caused COVID-19 vaccine supply delays to Southern California, prompting the closure of some sites across the region, The Desert Sun reports. 

Vaccination appointments have been postponed in both Riverside County and the city of Los Angeles. Weather-related delays of vaccine shipments also have forced the closure of vaccination sites in Orange County and is causing delays in San Diego County.

The southeastern U.S., walloped by power outages and icy conditions, is experiencing the same trouble. Some vaccination sites canceled appointments, and vaccine shipments continue to be delayed, the White House acknowledged. 

Though the recommended interval between doses is 21 days for the Pfizer vaccine and 28 days for the Moderna vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance saying that it is OK to receive a second dose of either vaccine up to 42 days after the initial dose.

Immigration legislation unveiled on Capitol Hill

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill and the White House Thursday unveiled President Joe Biden's sweeping immigration legislation, including a proposal for a path to citizenship for roughly 11 million migrants living without legal status in the United States. Among those introducing the bill was California Sen. Alex Padilla, whose parents immigrated from Mexico.

The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 includes an eight-year pathway to citizenship, a shorter process to legal status for agriculture workers and recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and an enforcement plan that includes deploying technology to patrol the border. In provisions sure to please Silicon Valley, the bill would make it easier for STEM advanced degree holders from U.S. universities to stay, and give dependents of H-1B holders work authorization, preventing children of H-1B holders from aging out of the system.

“For too long, our immigration system has failed to live up to the ideals and principles our nation was founded on. We must enact bold, robust immigration reform that meets the urgency this moment demands — and that millions of hard-working immigrants have earned,” said Padilla. He said the legislation would “restore humanity to our immigration system and give everyone a fair shot at achieving the American dream.”

The plan is based on the comprehensive immigration legislation proposal that Biden introduced on his first day in office. U.S. Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, said he was reviewing the president’s legislation and was hopeful "our broken immigration system" would be improved. "As the son of immigrants, immigration is a topic close to my heart," Valadao said. "I  support a reasonable and responsible pathway to citizenship for those wishing to enter our country and those already here." 

Joshua Tree visits drop — briefly 

Joshua Tree National Park saw a drop in visitors in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated park closures, marking the first time in seven years that annual visitation at the Southern California park didn't set a new record.

More than 2.4 million visitors came through the park last year, compared to nearly 3 million in 2019, according to early data from the National Park Service. That number could change slightly as annual numbers are finalized.

However, the park likely would have set more records if it had been open for the entire 12 months. "Annual visitation numbers are skewed this year due to park closures and the pandemic," Hannah Schwalbe, park spokesperson, said in an email.

January, February, July, August, September, October and November all saw increased visitation in 2020 compared to 2019. The park saw the most visits in November, with more than 360,000 people entering its gates, a 23.7% increase from the year before, according to data from NPS. 

Officials are warning that visitation is expected to surge this spring, and advised travelers to come on weekdays. 

Remembering the internment of Japanese Americans

The annual Day of Remembrance for Japanese Americans is held each year on Feb. 19, — the date in 1942 that President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced relocation of more than 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry to internment camps. Activists say that amid a rise in anti-Asian attacks lately, these commemorations have taken on new urgency.

Some online events to check out:

 In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: Associated Press.

Julie Makinen is California editor for the USA Today Network. Follow her on Twitter at @Julie_Makinen

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