State Headlines: Newsom legalizes prostitution-related loitering

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law over the weekend that bans arrests for "loitering with the intent of prostitution." 

Senate Bill 357, which was written by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), will get rid of all laws that make it illegal to hang out in a public place with the intention of prostitution or to direct, supervise, recruit, or help someone who is loitering with the intention of prostitution, or to collect or receive all or part of the money from a prostitution act. Also, people who have been found guilty of loitering with the intent to prostitute can now ask the court to dismiss and seal their case or give them a new sentence.

Last year, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers were very against the bill, but it barely passed both the Senate and the Assembly. Senator Wiener stopped sending the bill to the Governor's desk last year because so many people were worried about it. 

Senator Wiener moved the bill up last month in the hopes that the time was right, even though there were still worries that passing the bill would cause a big rise in human trafficking. The fact that the bill was ready to be signed so soon after the election led to rumors that it would be easier to pass since San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin was being recalled and would be leaving office soon.

“To be clear, this bill does not legalize prostitution,” said Newsom after signing SB 357 into law. “It simply revokes provisions of the law that have led to disproportionate harassment of women and transgender adults. Black and Latino women are particularly affected.”

Tulare Chamber of Commerce membership grew despite Covid challenges

As the effects of the pandemic waned in 2021, the Tulare Chamber of Commerce saw an upswing in membership and business activity in support of Tulare.

That's the report Chamber CEO Donnette Silva Carter gave to the Tulare City Council meeting at its recent meeting. 

"2021... was actually a great year for our chamber. As we started working with our businesses, going into recovery, we had some challenges from COVID, but things got better at the end of the year," she said. "And as we stepped into 2022, it's been a much better year for our local businesses and for your Chamber of Commerce, too. We are 687 members strong now."

The chamber grew by 175 members, and 26 others upgraded their memberships.

 

Fred Ynclan named Tulare Police Chief

Tulare police Captain Fred Ynclan was selected to be the city's new police chief.

The move was announced at a Tulare City Council meeting, where City Manager Marc Mondell described a process where they looked for candidates with strong moral character, honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, and cool under pressure.

"He's proven himself to be the candidate that can remain calm and collected under pressure, which is critical for this position and for the department," Mondell said. "He has steadily risen through the ranks of the department for a high level of success. He has served as a captain in the police department since 2015."

Ynclan addressed the council after the announcement, which was met by applause.

Do you know how to keep your youngsters safe while driving?

Do you know how to keep your youngsters safe while driving?

The Tulare County Association of Governments provided these guidelines and a checklist for drivers to review.

Children are required by law to be in a car seat or a booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle until they are 8 years old (California Vehicle Code Section 27363). But does that mean a seatbelt alone is the safest option for your child when they are 8, 9, or even older? 

The 5 Step Test is a great tool to help parents know if their child is ready to come out of a booster seat - or not.

The 5-Step Test:
First, have the child get ready for a “pretend” ride by sitting in the car and buckling up with the lap and shoulder belt in the back seat. And then answer the following questions:

Young readers earn prizes with Tulare Public Library Summer Reading Challenge

There is still time to participate in the Tulare Public Library's Summer Reading Challenge, which ends July 16.

Young readers and teens earn prizes for reading. For every 120 minutes they read they can claim a prize. For every 60 minutes they also earn an entry in a Grand Prize drawing for their age group: 0-5; 6-11; 12-17.

If they read 600 minutes they get to choose a pair of sunglasses as a finishing prize.
Adults 18+ can also read to earn entries in a Grand Prize Drawing and will receive a drawstring backpack when they reach 600 minutes.

The Reading Challenge can be done with our paper reading log, available at the library, or online using Beanstack. For more information, visit our website www.tularepubliclibrary.org or ask staff at the library!

Three arrested for murdered Tipton man

Three gang members were arrested for the shooting death of a Tipton man.

Tulare County Sheriff's deputies were called to the Tipton Overpass at Avenue 152 and Highway 99 for a man down. They found a man who had been shot. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Jose Gonzalez of Tipton.

Not long after that, homicide detectives arrested a 17-year-old boy, 18-year-old Bryan Gomez of Tipton and 18-year-old Daniel Macias of Tulare for Gonzalez’ murder. Detectives were also able to identify the suspects as those involved in a separate drive-by shooting in Pixley about one hour prior to the murder.

Gomez and Macias were booked at the Tulare County South County Facility and the juvenile was booked at the Juvenile Detention Facility on charges of Homicide, Gang Conspiracy, Unlawful Theft of a Vehicle and Shooting at an Inhabited Dwelling.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Sergeant Hector Rodriguez or Detective Jose Melendez with the Tulare County Sheriff's Office at (559) 733-6218.

$18 miminum wage raise won't be on this year's ballot

There won't be a ballot measure to raise the state minimum wage to $18.

If the California Living Wage Act had been passed, base wages would have gone up to $16 an hour next January and to $18 an hour by 2025.

Even though it was backed by many labor groups and paid for by a wealthy investor, a plan to raise the minimum wage to $18 over the next three years did not make it to the November ballot.

The Secretary of State's office said that county election officials had not verified enough signatures by Thursday's deadline for the measure to qualify.