Three years later, Newsom’s CARE trial leaves many disappointed

In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom introduced a new concept for getting seriously mentally ill people the help they need and getting them off the streets. Many Californians, especially family members of people who need extra help, felt encouraged by this promise.

Newsom’s idea became the CARE Court and initially spread to several counties, and by the end of 2024, statewide. CalMatters reporters Marissa Kendall, Jocelyn Wiener, Yue Stella Yu and Erica Yee spent much of the past year investigating the program’s operations.

Although CARE Court has helped some people, many of the families and individuals interviewed for these four stories expressed frustration with the program’s limitations versus what they felt was promised.

• Rhonda Deplasismother fighting to get her son released from CARE Court: “We are so full of hope. I think the disappointment and frustration is more than one can bear. That’s the truth. That’s the most important thing.”

For a detailed and nuanced look at Jocelyn’s experience using CARE Court, click here.

To understand the political story of how the CARE Court came to be, by Stella and Erica, click here.

Could Los Angeles County’s sales tax hike help residents avoid the next big wildfire?

Two nonprofits are pushing the idea report released today details what policymakers, public agencies, and other stakeholders can do to reduce wildfire risks and help communities still struggling after January’s Los Angeles wildfires.

One proposal from Climate Resolve and Resilient Cities Catalyst is raising Los Angeles County’s 9.75 percent sales tax to create a “Los Angeles Resilience District” that would fund projects related to protecting residents from wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

• The report: “Preparedness saves money. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that every dollar invested in disaster prevention saves $13 in avoided damage, cleanup, and lost economic activity. … A quarter-cent sales tax in Los Angeles County would raise $600 million annually, funding important mitigation measures.”

But raising taxes and creating a district would be a tall order, requiring approval from the state Legislature and voters through a 2028 ballot measure — an effort the nonprofits expect to cost about $5 million.

On Wednesday, members of the state Assembly Human Services Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on CalFresh and Nutrition gathered in Alameda to discuss food insecurity and how recent federal actions have affected food programs.

During the hearing, Tess Thorman, a researcher at the Public Policy Institute of California, testified in detail the prevalence of food insecurity in the state and some of the challenges facing CalFresh, the state’s version of the federal SNAP food assistance program.

Using data from the USDA’s annual food insecurity survey, PPIC found that 23% of California households in 2023 experienced some type of food insecurity. Households with children, as well as Hispanic and black households, are more likely to experience food insecurity.

Federal policy changes under President Donald Trump are also expected to worsen the situation: New work requirements for CalFresh enrollees could mean up to 620,000 Californians would lose benefits, according to Thorman. In September, the USDA also said it would stop doing the food insecurity surveyafter a 30-year period, which would make it difficult for politicians to understand and fight hunger.