Newsom on Roe v. Wade | North State student literacy | Bill targets inmate safety

By Sarah Bohannon,

Published May 3, 2022 at 9:50 AM PDT

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Tuesday, May 3.

Gov. Newsom calls Roe v. Wade draft ‘appalling attack’ on rights

Gov. Gavin Newsom and other lawmakers are reacting to a draft document showing the U.S. Supreme Court plans to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed the right to seek an abortion.

In a statement, Newsom called the draft opinion an “appalling attack” on women’s rights and said it will destroy lives and put women in danger. He warned the right-leaning Supreme Court would chip away at other civil rights.

The opinion was leaked to Politico. It says states should decide their own abortion laws but leaves the door open for Congress to act.

If the law is overturned, California abortion providers expect a crush of out-of-state patients seeking the procedure.

State lawmakers are considering a number of bills to expand access. Newsom recently signed a law banning insurers from charging co-pays for an abortion.

— CapRadio Staff

Listen to an interview with Shannon Olivieri Hovis, director of NARAL Pro-Choice California, about what the Roe v. Wade draft document could mean for California in today’s Headlines.

North State schools partner with nonprofit to boost student literacy

Students' reading proficiency has been declining nationwide, and the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the trend. Now, some schools in the North State are partnering with an outside organization to help boost literacy.

At Metteer Elementary School in Red Bluff, students are taking part in one-on-one tutoring sessions over Zoom as part of a pilot program by education nonprofit Ignite! Reading.

"They're all working at their own independent levels, where their needs are, one-on-one for 15 minutes, which is more than I can give them," said Jennie Bachmeyer, a teacher at Metteer with students in the program.

Ignite! Reading announced in April that it was expanding its programs in six states across the country, including three schools in Red Bluff and one in Oakland. It hopes to fill the need for individualized learning created by the shortage of school staff across the state.

An Ignite! representative said Red Bluff schools are paying for the program with federal funding intended to close pandemic-caused learning gaps. Read the full story.

— Alec Stutson, NSPR

California bill targets treatment of mentally ill inmates

State legislation to improve care for the incarcerated is a step closer to becoming law.

A bill from San Diego County Assemblymember Akilah Weber would increase training requirements for jail staff when dealing with mentally ill inmates.

“There is definitely a crisis of incarcerated people dying behind bars,” Weber said. “A jail sentence cannot be a death sentence in our communities.”

The legislation would also ensure that deputies conduct detailed safety checks for at-risk inmates and that medical professionals are included on the Board of State and Community Corrections, which sets minimum standards for jail operations.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the bill recently passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee.

— Saul Gonzalez and KQED Staff, The California Report

Chicken owners should beware of bird flu

California is not yet among the nearly 30 states affected by a highly contagious bird flu killing wild and domestic birds throughout the country. But experts are warning backyard and commercial chicken owners to take precautions.

Maurice Pitesky, poultry specialist at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, said bird flu can be transmitted from animals to humans, though the risk is low.

"These viruses can be zoonotic. In theory, we see a lot more of that type of scenario in Southeast Asia and China than we do in North America,” he said. “But it certainly is important to stress with backyard owners and commercial producers, if they are feeling ill, it's important for them, obviously, to go seek medical help."

He said people who own or work with poultry should be wearing masks and other protective gear.

The avian virus is being spread by migrating birds like ducks, geese and swans. California is part of the Pacific migratory flyway.