Government watch: Weekend • Oct. 1-2, 2022

AB 2584 would make four distinct procedural changes to state and local recalls. It will address the signature threshold to initiate a recall, extend accuracy standards to the statement of reason and response for a recall, enhance the information provided to recall petition signers regarding the potential fiscal impact of school district-related recall elections and allow additional opportunities to consolidate a local recall election with a regularly scheduled election.

• People incarcerated in California state prisons, as well as those held in state and local juvenile detention facilities, will be able to make and receive phone calls free of charge beginning Jan. 1, after Senate Bill 1008, authored by state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, was signed into law Thursday night by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

SB 1008, the “Keep Families Connected Act,” eliminates the per-minute charges and connection fees that make it expensive for incarcerated men and women to stay in touch with their loved ones, according to Becker’s office.

SB 1008 was approved by the Assembly on a 56-16 vote and by the Senate on a 27-7 vote.

• San Mateo will be one of three counties including Santa Clara and San Francisco to gain the ability to launch a regional free pharmacy to repurpose the multimillion dollars’ worth of surplus medications discarded every year now that the governor signed Senate Bill 1346, authored by state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo.

SB 1346 updates a 2005 law allowing counties to collect unused and unopened prescription medications from licensed skilled nursing facilities, manufacturers and wholesalers to provide them to patients who cannot afford medications. The 2005 law enabled Santa Clara County to establish the Better Health Pharmacy in 2010 as part of its safety net health services, according to Becker’s office.

SB 1346 passed the Assembly and the Senate on unanimous, bipartisan 77-0 and 40-0 votes, respectively, and will take effect on Jan. 1.

• Pedestrians will soon be able to cross the street outside of an intersection without being ticketed, as long as it’s safe to do so, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2147, The “Freedom To Walk Act” authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco.

The bill defines when an officer can stop and cite a pedestrian for jaywalking — specified as only when a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of a collision. AB 2147 is Ting’s second attempt to decriminalize jaywalking in California. The law goes into effect Jan. 1.