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- Written by: California Attorney General's Office
The settlement includes terms to protect low-income subscribers, extend access to underserved communities, protect current T-Mobile and Sprint employees, and create jobs in California.
T-Mobile will reimburse California for the costs and fees of its investigation and its litigation challenging the merger.
This settlement ends the legal challenge brought by Attorney General Becerra leading a multistate coalition, which alleged that the merger was unlawful and would lead to reduced competition and increased prices for consumers.
“Our coalition vigorously challenged the T-Mobile/Sprint telecom merger over concerns that it would thwart competition and leave consumers with higher prices,” said Attorney General Becerra. “We took our case to court to ensure that, no matter its outcome, we'd protect innovation and fair prices. Though the district court approved the merger, its decision also made clear to companies that local markets matter in assessing the competitive impact of a merger and that no one should underestimate the role of state enforcers. Most importantly, today's settlement locks in new jobs and protections for vulnerable consumers, and it extends access to telecom services for our most underserved and rural communities."
As required by the settlement, the merged company is required to:
– Make low-cost plans available in California for at least 5 years, including a plan offering 2 GB of high-speed data at $15 per month and 5 GB of high speed data at $25 per month;
– Extend for at least an additional two years the rate plans offered by T-Mobile pursuant to its earlier FCC commitment, ensuring Californians can retain T-Mobile plans held in February 2019 for a total of five years;
– Offer 100 GB of no-cost broadband internet service per year for five years and a free mobile Wi-Fi hotspot device to 10 million qualifying low-income households not currently connected to broadband nationwide, as well as the option to purchase select Wi-Fi enabled tablets at the company’s cost for each qualifying household;
– Protect California jobs by offering all California T-Mobile and Sprint retail employees in good standing an offer of substantially similar employment. T-Mobile also commits that three years after the closing date, the total number of new T-Mobile employees will be equal to or greater than the total number of employees of the unmerged Sprint and T-Mobile companies;
– Create approximately 1,000 new jobs in California with a customer service center in Kingsburg;
– Increase diversity by increasing the participation rate in its employee Diversity and Inclusion program to 60 percent participation within three years; and
– Reimburse California and other coalition states up to $15 million for the costs of the investigation and litigation challenging the merger.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Attorney General Becerra reminds all Californians that, under Penal Code Section 396, price gouging is illegal in all California communities during the declared state of emergency.
“Communities throughout our state are working to prevent and treat this public health threat,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Californians shouldn’t have to worry about being cheated while dealing with the effects of coronavirus. Our state’s price gouging law protects people impacted by an emergency from illegal price gouging on medical supplies, food, gas, and other essential supplies. I encourage anyone who has been the victim of price gouging, or who has information regarding potential price gouging, to immediately file a complaint through my office’s website, call 800-952-5225, or contact their local police department or sheriff’s office.”
California law generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds, by more than 10 percent, the price of an item before a state or local declaration of emergency. This law applies to those who sell food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials, and gasoline.
The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations, and rental housing.
Exceptions to this prohibition exist if, for example, the price of labor, goods, or materials has increased for the business.
Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in a one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
Violators are also subject to civil enforcement actions including civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, injunctive relief, and mandatory restitution.
The attorney general and local district attorneys can enforce the statute.
A copy of the emergency declaration is available here.
For the latest on the state’s COVID-19 preparedness and response, visit http://cdph.ca.gov .
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Food and Agriculture
The program incentivizes implementation and demonstration of on-farm soil health practices that sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve soil health.
CDFA appropriated $28 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, or GGRF, through the Budget Act of 2019 to support the HSP.
The program has two components: the HSP Incentives Program and the HSP Demonstration Projects:
HSP Incentives Program
The HSP Incentives Program will accept applications on a rolling basis until 5 p.m. PT on June 26, 2020 or until available funds are expended, whichever is earlier. California farmers and ranchers, as well as federal and California-recognized Native American Tribes are eligible to apply. For additional information on eligibility and program requirements, prospective applicants should visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/incentivesprogram.html .
CDFA will hold three no-cost workshops to provide information on incentive program requirements and the application process. Participants can attend in-person or remotely by registering for webinar access:
• March 5, 2020: 10:30 a.m. – noon
Glenn County Office of Education, Grapevine Room
311 S. Villa Ave., Willows, CA 95988
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1617504055016091147
• March 9, 2020: 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Office, Room Demo
1720 S Maple Ave, Fresno, CA 93702
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8158593286632286733
• March 16, 2020: 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Office, Conference Room
1428 Abbott St., Salinas, CA
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6529026894315030029
Additionally, there is free technical assistance for prospective incentive program applicants provided by CDFA-funded Technical Assistance Providers and Climate Smart Agriculture Community Education Specialists at the University of California Cooperative Extension. For details, please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/IncentivesProgram.html and https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/technical/index.html .
HSP Demonstration Projects
The HSP Demonstration Projects showcase California farmers’ and ranchers’ implementation of HSP soil health practices. Demonstration projects enable awardees to help support widespread adoption of soil health management practices throughout the state. Not-for-profits, University Cooperative Extension, federal and university experiment stations, Resource Conservation Districts, federal and California-recognized Native American Indian Tribes, and farmers and ranchers in collaboration with these entities are eligible to apply.
The HSP Demonstration Projects applications are due by 5 p.m. PT on Thursday, April 23, 2020. Late submissions will not be accepted.
For information on eligibility and program requirements, visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/DemonstrationProjects.html .
CDFA will hold three no-cost workshops to provide information on program requirements and the application process. Participants can attend in-person or remotely by registering for webinar access:
• March 5, 2020: 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Glenn County Office of Education, Grapevine Room
311 S. Villa Ave., Willows, CA 95988
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4298861071440913931
• March 9, 2020: 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Office, Room Demo
1720 S Maple Ave, Fresno, CA 93702
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1518913046353556237
• March 16, 2020: 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Office, Conference Room
1428 Abbott St., Salinas, CA
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7220627404767556365
The Healthy Soils Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.
The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture, recycling and much more.
At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities and low-income households across California.
For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov .
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
The council will advise the governor and director of the California Department of Finance Keely Martin Bosler on wide-ranging economic issues and deepen relationships between the Administration and academic researchers to keep California moving toward an economy that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
The council will be co-chaired by Laura Tyson, professor at the Graduate School and faculty director of the Institute for Business & Social Impact at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business, and Fernando Lozano, professor of economics at Pomona College.
The council will include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and the Governor’s Chief Economic and Business Advisor Lenny Mendonca, as well as top academics.
The group will meet and advise the governor upon request, and be convened and guided by the Department of Finance’s Chief Economist Irena Asmundson.
“For California to continue thriving, we need our economy to work for everyone in every corner of the state,” said Gov. Newsom. “Our state is experiencing its longest economic expansion, with record-low unemployment – 3.9 percent – increases in personal income, and billions in investments, but this expansion has unevenly benefited people across the state. We need to invest for the future, adapt to a changing climate and keep our budget balanced. This Council will keep its pulse on what’s happening in our economy while making policy recommendations to prepare us for what’s to come.”
Gov. Newsom announced the following members of the Council of Economic Advisors:
– Fernando Lozano (co-chair), Professor of Economics at Pomona College;
– Laura Tyson (co-chair), professor at the Graduate School and faculty director of the Institute for Business & Social Impact at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business;
– Irena Asmundson, chief economist of the California Department of Finance;
– Susan Athey, economics of technology professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business;
– Renee Bowen, associate professor of economics, pastor faculty fellow, and director of the Center for Commerce and Diplomacy at the University of California, San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy;
– Christopher Costello, professor of natural resource economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Bren School, and director of the Environmental Market Solutions Lab;
– Mary Gray, senior principal researcher at Microsoft Research, E.J. Safra Center for Ethics Fellow, and Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society Faculty Affiliate at Harvard University;
– Hilary Hoynes, professor of public policy and economics and holder of the Haas Distinguished Chair in Economic Disparities at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-director of the Berkeley Opportunity Lab;
– Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California, chair of the Governor’s International Affairs and Trade Development Interagency Committee and the Governor’s representative on international affairs and trade;
– Lenny Mendonca, chief economic and business advisor to the governor and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz);
– Maurice Obstfeld, class of 1958 professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley;
– Marianne Page, professor of economics and director of the Center for Poverty Research at the University of California, Davis;
– Manuel Pastor, distinguished professor of sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California, director of the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration, and the inaugural holder of the Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change.