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After Governor Jerry Brown signed into law an unprecedented number of LGBT-focused bills last legislative session, most of them became law January 1.

Ranging from bills aimed at benefiting LGBT homeless youth to the requirement of sexual orientation training for peace officers, 10 of the 12 pieces of LGBT-focused legislation are now law. The remaining two will take effect January 1, 2020. Two other bills that passed in 2017 will also be implemented this year, bringing the total number of new LGBT laws to 12.

When one went into teaching, the other followed suit. When one went to East Los Angeles College, the other did as well. They’ve been practically inseparable for much of their lives.

Now, the Rubio sisters will only be separated by a hallway at the Capitol.

On Friday, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill aimed at increasing protections for survivors of domestic violence from gun violence.

The Bill, AB 3129, authored by Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), will prohibit a person who is convicted on or after January 1, 2019, of a misdemeanor violation of willful infliction of corporal injury upon a spouse, cohabitant, or other specified person, from ever possessing a firearm. The bill would make the violation of that prohibition punishable as either a misdemeanor or as a felony.

For the past year, Ana Estevez has been increasing her advocacy work, meeting with members of Congress and California lawmakers, pushing for a resolution named after her son, who was murdered by his own father.

Since her 5-year-old son, Aramazd “Piqui” Andressian Jr., was slain by her ex-husband, Ana Estevez has become an advocate for parents who feel unable to protect their children because of prohibitive child custody laws.

Despite Estevez’s efforts to gain sole custody and allegations of domestic violence against ex-husband Aramazd Andressian Sr., the two agreed to share joint custody of Piqui between their homes in Baldwin Park and South Pasadena, respectively.

By Anna Almendrala

Caren Latney was too weak to do simple household chores.

The 51-year-old had been diagnosed with lung cancer and, as she began treatment, struggled to stand over her stove long enough to prepare a meal. She didn’t really want to eat, anyway ― her intensive chemotherapy and radiation left her nauseated and exhausted. But high-calorie, protein-rich meals are essential for cancer patients, who face extreme weight loss, according to cancer experts.

For many people at work, looking at the clock means counting down the hours until their workday is done, when they will return home to family, pets, or maybe even see friends.

For me, the clock was my enemy.

Every day at work, I would dread the passage of time. The mornings would be fine, but as 5 p.m. approached, fear would build inside me, knowing I would soon be leaving the safety of my workplace for another night of living in my car.

Assembly Bill (AB) 2183 would create an immediate source of funding for resource families who take in a child on an emergency basis. Introduced by Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), the bill calls on the state to use two existing pots of money to support resource families during the process: the state’s allocation of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant, and the state’s Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program.

California’s working families are too often left out of the conversation on policies that deeply impact them. One policy that would have far-reaching consequences on fuel supply and prices is South Coast Air Quality Management District proposed Rule 1410, which would ban the use of modified hydrofluoric acid at California refineries. This proposed rule is currently being pushed at the AQMD by a handful of activists whose previous attempts at a ban have died or stalled out at the Torrance City Council and in the state legislature.

February 2, 2018 – San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener announced a new bill on Thursday that will expand water recycling in California by developing on-site water use regulations. SB 966, which is coauthored by Wiener's colleagues in assemblymembers Cristina Garcia and Blanca Rubio, would allow local communities to expand the use of graywater, blackwater, rainwater, stormwater, foundation drainage and other reused water by requiring state water board to issue more comprehensive regulations.