Long Beach City Council Passes Sanctuary City Policy
The Long Beach City Council voted 6-2 yesterday to approve a sanctuary city policy, the Long Beach Values Act, which expands upon the already enacted California Values Act. Councilmembers Daryl Supernaw, 4th District, and Stacy Mungo, 5th District, were the dissenting votes, while 8th District Councilmember Al Austin was absent. The city’s policy expands upon the state’s by prohibiting city departments from sharing immigration information with federal immigration officials. The council also voted 5-3, with 3rd District Councilmember Suzie Price joining Supernaw and Mungo in dissenting, to create a legal defense fund for Long Beach residents facing deportation.
Poll Shows Local Support For Rent Control
Housing Long Beach released poll results today that indicated strong support for its proposed rent control ordinance. Poll results show 70% of respondents support limits on annual rent increases by landlords, 61% are concerned about gentrification and 58% of homeowners support rent control. Conducted by David Binder Research, the poll surveyed 300 registered voters in Long Beach and has a ±5.7% margin of error.
Aetna Shareholders Approve Merger With CVS
Aetna shareholders approved the health insurance firm’s merger with CVS Health yesterday. A statement from Aetna indicated that the deal should be completed in the second half of 2018, pending approval by government regulators. The nontraditional merger between the health insurance company and a pharmacy chain has been touted by both firms as an opportunity to reduce health care costs.
Construction Costs Increasing, New Tariffs May Continue Trend
The producer price index, a measure of goods and services used in construction projects, rose 0.6% in February, after a 4.2% increase in 2017, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. From 2016 to 2017, the producer price index for aluminum, steel and copper products rose 11.6%, 4.8% and 10%, respectively. New tariffs introduced by the Trump administration could increase construction costs further, “making many projects unaffordable,” according to a press release.
CalChamber Takes Positions On Ballot Initiatives
The California Chamber of Commerce has announced its support for one potential ballot initiative and opposition to two others. The three proposals have not yet qualified for the ballot. The “People’s Initiative to Protect Proposition 13 Savings” initiative would remove geographic restrictions on the portability of the Proposition 13 property tax basis for homeowners buying a different home elsewhere in the state. CalChamber opposes the California Care Act, which would impose a 1% surcharge on taxable income over $1 million to pay for health care programs, as well as the California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2018, which proposes a split-roll property tax on commercial and industrial properties.
Report Honors More Than 100 MemorialCare Physicians As ‘Super Doctors’
The 2018 Southern California Super Doctors report recognized more than 100 physicians from MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and MemorialCare Community Medical Center Long Beach. The report honored the top 5% of doctors in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The results were based on nominations from area physicians. They were asked, “If you needed medical care, which doctor would you choose?” Candidates’ professional achievements were also taken into account.