The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) voted to endorse a resolution opposing West Sacramento’s “Gang Injunction” because it permits law enforcement authorities to act without evidence of wrongdoing. The “Gang Injunction” allows West Sacramento police to arrest individuals for associating with gang members – even their family members. It also allows West Sacramento police to abuse Sacramento’s sovereignty and arrest people in Sacramento who have violated no Sacramento law. DPSC member and California Democratic Party Executive Board member, Christine Thomas said, “Wrongful prosecution, accusations, and tracking individuals in databases for the rest of their lives without providin

On Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., approximately 2,000 members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) gathered on the west steps of the Capitol in a powerful end to Tuesday's outcry rally over the state’s budget decisions, which would cut the salaries of state workers by 15 percent. A giant screen was set up to project the image of the speakers. Tents were scattered providing first aid, food and information on how to contact the governor. Participants sat on the grass and milled around, but once Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker took the stage, most remained standing to listen intently to her words. Walker addressed SEIU's grievances with the state legislature's handling of the bu

On Tuesday evening, hundreds of workers with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) congregated at the steps of the Capitol to voice their frustrations with how the state legislature is handling the budget. Yvonne Walker, President of the SEIU, opened the rally with a fiery speech about how state workers “are on the tipping point,” with the continued proposals to cut state workers’ pay and adding a third furlough day. Walker described the two-day furlough already in place for state workers as “the equivalent of one month’s pay.” She explained an additional day of unpaid leave would increase the financial burden on state workers, causing some to lose their homes. Workers were w

Monday, June 29 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. Five people from the California State Parks Foundation will be having an informational display on the north steps of the Capitol. 9-10 a.m. About 100 students from the California 4-H Youth Development program will be taking a photograph near the traffic circle on the west side of the Capitol. Tuesday, June 30 11 a.m.- Noon California Primary Care Association will be holding a health care rally on the west steps of the Capitol. About 150 people are expected in the rally. 3-5 p.m. The ACLU will be holding a rally on the north steps of the Capitol. About 150 people are expected to participate. 2 p.m. (Tuesday, June 30)- 2:30 p.m. (Wednesday, July 1) SEIU L

From under a tent erected to protect them from the rain, three state workers addressed the media as nearly 30 Service Employees Union International (SEUI) members stood behind to show solidarity, and answer questions. A few dozen state workers gathered on the steps in front of the Department of Social Services in downtown Sacramento on the first-ever "Furlough Friday." State worker Rod Gonzalez, a Geographical Information Systems Analyst for the Department of Fish and Game said, "the Governor wants to save $1.3 billion, but [furlough days] will have a negative impact on the economy, costing nearly $3 billion to the state. It's like taking one step forward and two steps back." One of the

While riding through the downtown area today I spotted a group of people walking down the street heading toward the plaza. After following them around for a few minutes to investigate, I quickly realized that they were protesters. This small group of 8 was heading for the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza in downtown Sacramento this morning, chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, budget caps have got to go.” I followed these protestors for a block or so, before they finally stopped in front of the conference room at Holiday Inn. Apparently the legislature was having a meeting in this hotel working on ways to cap California’s budget. There I found out that the protestors were actually part of the SEIU of Cali

Thursday, less than two hours after Governor Schwarzenegger finished his State of the State address, a few hundred members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 gathered to protest on the south steps of the State Capitol. The SEIU, whose mission is to improve the lives of workers and their families, held seven simultaneous protests against budget cuts for state workers, including gatherings in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. For many California families, problems with our national economy compounds the problems within the state's budget. Although the crowd was roughly half the size of the previous day's protest, today's chants were louder and led by s