LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Fire Protection District Board has approved the purchase of new water equipment to bolster the agency’s rescue capabilities.
In a special meeting on June 13, the board supported the request from Chief Patrick Reitz to purchase two Jet Skis and a trailer for the district’s water rescue program.
District officials said the special meeting was necessary because the item had inadvertently been left off the agenda for the regular meeting that took place immediately before it.
The district is purchasing two 2015 Yamaha VX Cruiser WaveRunners and a trailer from Mike Pate of Lockeford.
In his report, Reitz said the goal was to purchase the equipment before the end of June, in order to keep it within the 2022-23 fiscal year.
The equipment was found in an advertisement and a good faith deposit of $500 was put down on it before the purchase was finalized by the board.
Reitz said the purchase, expected to be completed by June 20, totaled $22,000.
That’s over his $20,000 spending limit, which required Reitz to go to the board for final approval.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will hold a community meeting next week to discuss a military equipment report.
The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 6, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors chambers, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport and via Zoom.
During the meeting, the sheriff’s office will present its AB 481 military equipment annual report and answer any questions or address any concerns from the community.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will honor a group of graduating high schoolers who have been involved in assisting law enforcement.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 27, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 980 6005 6312, pass code 805618. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,98060056312#,,,,*805618#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
On Tuesday, the board will meet the pet of the week at 9:07 a.m.
At 9:10 a.m., the board will present a proclamation recognizing Kelseyville High School K-Corps graduating Class of 2023.
In untimed items, the board will consider hiring a consultant to provide a Lampson Field airport expansion conceptual plan.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation recognizing Kelseyville High School K-Corps Graduating Class of 2023.
5.2: Adopt resolution approving Agreement No. 22-1695-011-SF with California Department of Food and Agriculture for compliance with the European Grapevine Moth Detection Program in the amount of $19,572 for period Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023.
5.3: Adopt resolution establishing 2023-2024 appropriations limit for the county of Lake and Special Districts Governed by the Board of Supervisors.
5.4: Approve memorandum of understanding and electronic data sharing agreement between Lake County Behavioral Health Services and California Correctional Health Care Services and authorize the department head to sign the county secure file transfer protocol and authorize the board chair to sign the MOU.
5.5: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Konocti Senior Support Inc. for senior support counseling services in the amount of $120,083.00 for fiscal years 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.6: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Care Coordination Systems for the Pathways hub referral system software in the amount of $40,500.00 for fiscal years 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.7: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Drug Medi-Cal service provider Redwood Community Services Inc. Tule House (SUD) perinatal residential services in the amount of $131,427.85 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.8: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. Phoenix House crisis residential treatment facility in the amount of $50,000 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.9: Adopt resolution re-establishing two petty cash funds for the Lake County Behavioral Health Services Department for Lake County Behavioral Health Services Department.
5.10: Approve agreement between county of Lake and crisis support services of Alameda County for after hours crisis support services in the amount of $88,200.00 for FY 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.11: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Crackerjack Cleaning for janitorial services from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, not to exceed $30,000, and authorize the department head to sign.
5.12: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for June 6 and June 13, 2023.
5.13: Adopt resolution authorizing the 2023-2024 Grant Project-Lake County Victim Witness Assistance Program and authorize the chair to sign the certification of compliance.
5.14: (a) Approve the District Attorney's equitable sharing agreement and certification for the fiscal year July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) authorize Doris Lankford to electronically submit the report.
5.15: Approve out-of-state travel for Health Services staff Leila Romero and Jennifer Thorup to attend the NACCHO360 conference in Denver, Colorado from July 9 to July 14, 2023.
5.16: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between Lake County Health Services and Lake County Office of Education Healthy Start Youth and Family Services Program for the Oral Health Program Provided by county of Lake Public Health Division for fiscal year 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26, 2026-27 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.17: Adopt the following resolutions to clarify and correct benefit language as required by CalPERS and authorize the chair to sign: a) resolution clarifying Resolution 2023-18 establishing salary and benefits for Confidential Unit, Section A, for the periods of Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021, and Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; b) resolution clarifying resolution 2023-19 establishing salary and benefits for Confidential Unit, Section B, for the periods of Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021, and Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; c) resolution clarifying Resolution 2023-20 establishing salary and benefits for management employees for the periods of Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025; d) resolution clarifying Resolution 2023-21 resolution amending the memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association and the county of Lake for the periods of Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025.
5.18: Approve the following side letters to clarify and correct benefit language as required by CalPERS and authorize the chair to sign: a) side letter to clarify the MOU dated Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025, establishing salary and benefits for the Lake County Employee's Association Unit 3,4,5 and Correct Benefit Language as Required by CalPERS; b) side letter to clarify the MOU dated Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025, establishing salary and benefits for the Lake County Deputy District Attorney Association Unit 8 and correct benefit language as required by CalPERS; c) side letter to clarify the MOU dated Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025, establishing salary and benefits for the Lake County Safety Employee's Association Unit 10 and correct benefit language as required by CalPERS; d) side letter to clarify the MOU dated Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025, establishing salary and benefits for the Lake County Sheriff's Management Association Unit 17 and correct benefit language as required by CalPERS; e) side letter to clarify the MOU dated Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025, establishing salary and benefits for the Lake County Correctional Officer's Association Unit 6 and correct benefit language as required by CalPERS; f) side letter to clarify the MOU dated Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025, establishing salary and benefits for the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association Unit 16 and correct benefit language as required by CalPERS.
5.19: Approve the facility space license agreement with Digital Path Inc. for continued access to the county-owned Buckingham Peak communications site and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
5.20: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.3, as it is not in the public interest due to the determination that competitive bidding would produce no economic benefit, and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center for consulting services related to hazardous tree removal as part of the Soda Bay Corridor Evacuation Route Grant Project, and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
5.21: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, per Ordinance No. 2406, Purchasing Code 38.1, as this is an annual contract for services that have not increased more than the consumer price index; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and Helico Sonoma Helicopters for fiscal year 2023/24 in the amount of $75,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.22: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, per Ordinance No. 2406, Purchasing Code 38.1, as this is an annual contract for services that have not increased more than the consumer price index; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and A&P Helicopters for Fiscal Year 2022/23 in the amount of $75,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.23: Approve Amendment No. 1 agreement with Praeses LLC for management, consulting, compliance and reconciliation services for inmate telephones, inmate tablets and ancillary communication services and authorize the sheriff and the chairperson to sign.
5.24: (a) Approve agreement between the Lake County Sheriff's Department and U.S. Forest Service for 2023 annual operating and financial plan, in the amount of $20,000 for Pillsbury Patrol; and (b) approve agreement between the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Forest Service for 2023 annual operating and financial plan, in the amount of $10,000 for controlled substance operations, and (c) authorize the sheriff and the chair to sign.
5.25: Approve late travel claims for Correctional Deputy Jacob Masdeo in the amounts of $58, $58, $58 and $24 and Daniel Constancio in the amounts of $126 and $126 and authorize the auditor to issue payment.
5.26: Approve contract between county of Lake and Lake County Office of Education for foster youth services, in the amount of $45,000 per fiscal year from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.27: Adopt resolution to affirm the establishment of the PSA 26 Area Agency on Aging legal business name, physical address, U.S. state of incorporation and start year.
5.28: Approve contract between county of Lake and Brain Learning Psychological Corp. for learning disability testing, in the amount of $45,000 per fiscal year from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.29: Approve seventh amendment to contract between county of Lake and Ewing and Associates for the Child Welfare Services parking lot located on South Forbes Street in Lakeport, for the amount of $4,800 from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.30: Approve seventh amendment to the lease agreement between county of Lake and NL Family Trust/KLA Family Trust for the property Located at 1216, 1222, and 1228 S. Main St. in Lakeport, for $21,783 per fiscal year from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.31: Approve first amendment to contract between county of Lake and Fiscal Experts for time study service, in the amount of $16,560 from June 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.32: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District, Board of Directors, adopt resolution approving an exception to Lake County Sewer Code Sec. 205, allowing APN 012-026-140, located at 9586 S State Highway 29 in Lower Lake, to remain on a private septic system.
5.33: Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District, (a) waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County’s Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services and (b) authorize the Water Resources director, on behalf of the Lake County Watershed Protection District, to sign and enter into an agreement with CivicWell for independent contractor services through the AmeriCorps CivicSpark Fellowship in the amount of $31,000 for one CivicSpark Fellow to develop an aquatic invasive species outreach assessment and improvement plan.
5.34: Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District, a) approve agreement with Lake Marine Construction for the abatement services of lakebed structures in the amount not to exceed $250,000 and b) authorize the chair of the board of directors of the Watershed Protection District to sign the agreement.
5.35: Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District, a) approve agreement with All In One Auto Repair & Towing for the abatement services for abandoned and surrendered vessel abatement towing and disposal services, in the amount not to exceed $100,000 and b) authorize the chair of the board of directors of the Watershed Protection District to sign the agreement.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation recognizing Kelseyville High School K-Corps Graduating Class of 2023.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of requesting Armstrong Consultant to provide a Lampson Field airport expansion conceptual plan.
7.3: Consideration of district and board of supervisors newsletter options.
7.4: Consideration of agreement between county of Lake and Hilltop Recovery Services for substance use disorder treatment services in the amount of $547,500 for FY 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
7.5: Consideration of amendment number one to the agreement between county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Lake County Wrap Program, Foster Care Program, and Intensive Services Foster Care Program for specialty mental health services in the amount of $3,600,000 for fiscal years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 and authorize the board chair to sign.
7.6: Consideration of agreement between county of Lake and North Valley Behavioral Health for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in the amount of $400,000 for FY 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
7.7: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: IHSS Public Authority Advisory Committee and Mental Health Board.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b) (1): Interviews for Public Health officer appointment of Public Health officer.
8.2: Public employee evaluation: County Administrative Officer Susan Parker.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) – FERC Project No. 77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Beginning at noon on Wednesday, June 28, “safe and sane” fireworks will go on sale in many communities across California, but the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, is reminding everyone to do their part to have a safe holiday and help prevent fires and injuries caused by fireworks.
As you gather to celebrate the Fourth of July, make sure your festivities are both enjoyable and safe.
Check your local laws and ordinances to find out if fireworks are illegal where you live, or if certain “safe and sane” fireworks are permitted.
In Lake County, safe and sane fireworks are only allowed in the city of Lakeport and only during a four-day window ending on the July 4 holiday.
In certain areas of California — including all areas of Lake County outside of Lakeport — all fireworks are illegal.
Since 2013, in the state of California, there have been over 20,000 acres burned with fireworks being the ignition source and a total of $59.3 million in property loss, with $25.7 million of that total occurring in 2022 alone.
“Our arson and bomb investigators and law enforcement officers have been busy assisting with numerous illegal fireworks enforcement operations, and members of the Arson and Bomb Unit have successfully seized over 245,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from all over California since July 2022,” said acting State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant.
“We have a zero tolerance toward the use, transportation, and possession of illegal fireworks. Even ‘safe and sane’ fireworks are banned in many communities and bring large fines for their illegal use,” Berlant said.
It is illegal to sell, transport or use fireworks that do not carry the safe and sane seal, as well as possess or use fireworks in a community where they are not permitted.
Over the past few months Cal Fire-Office of the State Fire Marshal’s specialized arson and bomb investigators have been providing intelligence and support to local and federal illegal fireworks enforcement efforts.
If convicted, a violator could be fined up to $50,000, as well as be sent to jail for up to one year.
Illegal fireworks include:
• Skyrockets; • Bottle rockets; • Roman candles; • Aerial shells; • Firecrackers; • Other fireworks that explode, go into the air, or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner.
“The wet winter has been an anomaly, but any belief of a less intense fire year as a result of the precipitation is a mistake,” said Chief Joe Tyler, Cal Fire director and fire chief. “As the weather conditions continue to get warmer and drier, the vegetation — including grass, brush and timber — will become more susceptible to burning. Make no mistake, fire conditions are elevated, as seen in the increase of wildland fires over the past few weeks, and the 4th of July, along with the use of fireworks, will contribute to the increased risk for wildfires.”
As California develops rules to ensure the state recycles most packaging and plastic food service waste, and decreases the amount produced, CalRecycle wants input from the public and other interested parties.
The public’s next opportunity to weigh in is 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 28, and Thursday, June 29.
California’s new law, SB 54, goes further than any other state to cut plastics production at the source.
SB 54 requires that 25% of plastic packaging be cut by 2032, 65% of single-use packaging be recycled by 2032 and that 100% of packaging be recyclable by 2032.
“We need our industry partners to come forward to help make our system fully circular,” CalRecycle Director Rachel Machi Wagoner said. “A circular economy will make better use of finite resources, reduce climate-heating pollution and protect human health.”
CalRecycle wants to hear from the public and other interested parties, such as:
• The packaging industry, retailers and grocers; • Local governments, recyclers, composters and haulers; • Nonprofits, environmental justice organizations and community groups.
The June 28 workshop topics will include covered material category list, and recyclability and compostability.
On June 29, workshop topics will be independent producers, small producers and retailers/wholesalers, local jurisdiction impacts and economic impact assessment data.
Both workshops take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CalEPA, 1001 I St., Byron Sher Auditorium (second floor), in Sacramento.
Remote participation is available.
Sign up for the June 28 webcast here and for the June 29 webcast here.
While the holidays are a time of celebration for the public, they can also be a time of concern for the California Highway Patrol and the California Office of Traffic Safety.
The CHP and its public safety partner, the California Office of Traffic Safety, or OTS, are working together ahead of Independence Day to address the crisis on California’s roadways by encouraging safe driving behaviors through education and enforcement.
“Reckless driving is a serious concern on California’s roadways, and it is the responsibility of CHP and OTS to help keep the public safe,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “Every year, speed is the leading cause of roadway crashes in our state, resulting in thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths. Slow down and help us make our roads safer for everyone.”
To help people arrive safely at their destination, the CHP will implement a statewide maximum enforcement period, or MEP, beginning at 6:01 p.m. on Friday, June 30, and continuing through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4.
Throughout the extended holiday weekend, all available uniformed members of the Department will be on patrol to enhance public safety, deter unsafe driving behavior, and, when necessary, take appropriate enforcement action.
“Maximum enforcement helps save lives and protects everyone on our roads by holding drivers accountable for dangerous, unlawful behaviors like speeding and impaired driving,” said OTS Director Barbara Rooney. “Whether you are traveling near or far, make a plan to go safely before heading to your destination. We want you and your loved ones to enjoy a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend.”
Forty-four people were killed in crashes in California during last year’s Independence Day weekend.
In addition, CHP made nearly 1,000 arrests for driving under the influence throughout the 78-hour holiday enforcement effort.
Keep yourself and others who are on the road safe by designating a sober driver or using public transit or a ride-share service.
If you see or suspect an impaired driver, call 9-1-1 immediately. Be prepared to provide the dispatcher a description of the vehicle, the license plate number, location, and direction of travel. Your phone call may save someone’s life.
“We encourage you to safely enjoy your holiday weekend,” added Commissioner Duryee. “Travel at a safe speed, avoid distraction behind the wheel, buckle up, and drive sober. Rest assured, CHP officers will be working diligently to protect those who are traveling on California’s roadways.”
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced its allocation of funding to deploy high-speed Internet access to everyone in America.
California will receive $1.86 billion in funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD program, as part of President Joe Biden’s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Together with the Biden-Harris Administration, we’re connecting millions of Californians with reliable, affordable high-speed Internet. With the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, billions of dollars are headed our way, boosting our efforts to provide all Californians — regardless of zip code — access to the internet,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“This infusion of funding will help build on the work done in recent years with the Legislature to cut red tape around broadband infrastructure projects and get high-speed Internet access to more Californians, helping make the digital divide a thing of the past,” Newsom said.
This historic allocation nearly doubles the amount of available funding for “last-mile” broadband infrastructure in California.
In 2021, the governor signed historic legislation allocating $6 billion for achieving Broadband for All, including $2 billion for similar “last-mile” projects and $3.25 billion for the middle-mile network, and last year’s budget put an additional $550 million toward the project as it moves into construction.
As part of the 2021 funding, Gov. Newsom and the Legislature streamlined state permitting regulations for the middle-mile project — through CEQA exemptions and alternative delivery methods — that have cut project permitting timelines from 30 months to under one year.
The governor is working this year on similar streamlining to boost critical infrastructure construction across the state.
Last year, California began construction on the nearly $4 billion broadband statewide “middle mile” initiative, which will be the nation’s largest broadband backbone infrastructure network.
Roughly one in five Californians do not have access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet.
Once complete, funding for “last mile” efforts will support internet connections from “middle mile” lines to homes and businesses, as well as efforts to ensure individuals can afford broadband service where it already exists.
Details related to the federal funding are available on InternetForAll.gov.
Californians interested in seeing if they qualify for discounted high-speed internet services available now may learn more at the state’s Broadband for All website here.
Males and the Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations experienced a disproportionately large number of deaths from 2019 to 2020, the year that includes the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deaths for the total U.S. population increased 19% in 2020, but some groups were more affected than others, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 Population Estimates released today — the first to contain final 2020 mortality data by demographic characteristics.
Increases in deaths during 2020 were reflected in previous estimates releases, but the latest data show the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on mortality by race/ethnicity and sex.
How we measure deaths
The U.S. Census Bureau’s annual estimates are based on final 2020 data and provisional totals from the National Center for Health Statistics, or NCHS.
To capture more recent trends in deaths during the entire estimates series (April 1, 2020-July 1, 2022), including those from the pandemic, we relied on newly available 2021 final data and 2022 provisional data from NCHS.
These data are subject to revision. The patterns described here, specifically for 2022, may differ slightly from those included in our next vintage estimates (Vintage 2023) which will be updated with final data.
Mortality trends by characteristics
There were large increases in deaths across all demographic groups between 2019 and 2020, and smaller increases for most groups from 2020 to 2021 (Table 1). Deaths declined for all groups from 2021 to 2022.
Mortality by sex
Males have historically had higher deaths than females and for most of the last decade, the gap between the two sexes had been growing prior to the pandemic (Figure 1). In 2012, for example, 50.1% of deaths were male. By 2019, the share had increased to 51.6%.
Between 2019 and 2020, male deaths increased by 296,061 (20.1%) and female deaths by 232,830 (16.9%). The trend continued in 2021, with 68,208 (3.9%) more male deaths and 12,298 (0.8%) more female deaths.
In 2021, 53.1% of those who died were male. Provisional 2022 NCHS data show larger declines for males but the share of male deaths (52.4%) was still larger than in pre-pandemic years.
The growing difference in deaths between males and females in 2020 and 2021 suggests the COVID-19 pandemic had a larger impact on the mortality of males than it did on females.
Hispanic origin
Because the Hispanic population comprises a much smaller share of the total population relative to the non-Hispanic group, the majority of deaths are non-Hispanic (Figure 2).
Similarly, as the share of the Hispanic population increased from 2010 to 2020, so did the share of deaths among this group, which went from 6.2% in 2012 to 7.0% in 2017 and 7.4% in 2019.
The increase in Hispanic deaths between 2019 and 2020, however, represents a notable break in the time series, jumping from 7.4% to 9.0% of all deaths in a single year. The Hispanic population’s share of mortality increased again (9.1%) in 2021, the first full year of the pandemic.
The increase in Hispanic mortality during the pandemic was higher relative to the non-Hispanic U.S. population, though it declined slightly to 8.4% of total deaths in 2022, according to provisional data.
Race groups
All race groups had higher-than-normal increases in deaths from 2019 to 2020 (Figure 3). But during the pandemic’s first year, every race group other than the White population experienced single-year percentage increases higher than the 18.5% increase in deaths for the total population.
Prior to the pandemic, mortality increases in the previous decade were relatively small and did not vary as much annually across races (Figure 3).
Figure 3 highlights the following trends in mortality rates:
• In 2020, the largest mortality increase occurred in the American Indian and Alaska Native population (36.7%), followed by the Black (29.7%) and Asian (29.4%) populations. • In 2021, there was more variation in the magnitude and direction of change across groups. Black deaths decreased by less than 1% between 2020 and 2021, while the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (15.9%), Two or More Races (11.7%), and American Indian and Alaska Native (10.1%) populations continued to experience larger percentage increases in deaths than the total population. • White deaths (2.65%) were also slightly higher than the total increase (2.38%). • Provisional 2022 data show declines in mortality for all race groups between 2021 and 2022, with the largest declines occurring among the American Indian and Alaska Native (-12.9%) and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (-11.4%) populations.
Pandemic’s impact on national deaths
The data released offer the most comprehensive look at the impact of COVID-19 mortality in the Census Bureau’s annual population estimates series to date.
Final 2020 data allowed us to account for mortality differences across race groups during the early years of the pandemic. As more final data become available, we will continue to revise the estimates and improve our understanding of how the pandemic affected the nation’s population.
Of particular interest is whether the declines in deaths for 2022 shown in provisional data will result in a return to pre-pandemic levels for mortality, similar to what we are observing for international and domestic migration.
Shannon Sabo is a statistician/demographer in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. Sandra Johnson is chief of the Population Division’s Population Evaluation, Analysis, and Projections Branch.
For months, legislators, legal scholars and people simply interested in democracy and elections were fixated on a case before the Supreme Court, Moore v. Harper. Those following the case, which asked the justices to rule on the “independent state legislature doctrine,” have held their collective breath awaiting the outcome, which could have changed fundamental aspects of U.S. elections and politics.
Henry L. Chambers Jr., a law professor at the University of Richmond, wrote earlier for The Conversation about the case, saying “Adoption of a strong independent state legislature doctrine would leave partisan gerrymandering unregulated at both the state and federal levels. State legislatures, unconstrained by state law, could then create aggressively gerrymandered congressional districts, possibly leading to an ever more partisan Congress with accompanying gridlock and policy failures.”
We asked Chambers to help readers understand the court’s opinion, issued on June 27, 2023.
What question did the Supreme Court answer in this opinion?
The court considered whether a state legislature could have the last word, with no review by state courts, regarding gerrymandered congressional districts they created. State legislatures have always been bound by the U.S. Constitution and by federal laws, so they had to draw lines consistent with the federal Voting Rights Act, for example. But the question was whether a state legislature could draw whatever congressional districts it wanted without review by state courts under state law. If so, state legislatures might also have more freedom to affect the choice of state electors in presidential elections.
At issue was a legal theory called the “independent state legislature doctrine,” which the court considered in a dispute over gerrymandered North Carolina congressional districts. In early 2022, North Carolina state courts found the Legislature violated the state constitution when it drew congressional districts favoring Republicans. The Legislature claimed the U.S. Constitution gives it authority, unfettered by state courts’ interpretation of the state constitution or laws, to regulate congressional elections, and asked the Supreme Court to agree.
The court did not agree.
In cases that involve the legislative action, courts typically consider whether the legislature has contravened state law. If the legislature has, it has made a mistake, and the legislative action tends to be reversed.
This decision merely reiterates what most people always thought the law was: Legislatures cannot legislate in ways that are inconsistent with the law that governs their actions and their state. This conclusion seems obvious, like saying the sky is blue or water is wet.
Does this decision apply only to partisan gerrymandering by state legislatures?
This case focused on partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts. However, it may apply more generally to rules for congressional elections, such as where, when and how such elections will be run. If the state constitution explains how congressional elections will be run, the state legislature must abide by those provisions.
What happens next in terms of partisan gerrymanders drawn by state legislatures?
Partisan gerrymanders are subject only to state constitutional and statutory law – the written laws enacted by the legislature. In the 2019 ruling, Rucho v. Common Cause, the Supreme Court deemed partisan gerrymandering a political question, not subject to regulation by the federal Constitution. In that ruling, the court noted state constitutional and statutory law could be used to stop partisan gerrymandering.
However, states need not regulate partisan gerrymandering. A state constitution may allow partisan gerrymandering by failing to prohibit it, essentially saying, “The people don’t care about partisan gerrymandering.”
Racial gerrymandering is still subject to regulation by the U.S. Constitution, federal law, such as the Voting Rights Act, and state law.
Now that the court has clarified that a legislature’s congressional redistricting is subject to review by state courts, the issue will become whether a state court has appropriately interpreted state statutory law or state constitutional law if it strikes down a congressional redistricting plan.
If a court interprets state law reasonably in invalidating a redistricting plan, it acts appropriately. If a court interprets state law too aggressively in invalidating a redistricting plan, it invades the legislature’s prerogatives.
Federal courts will decide when the state courts have gone too far. The less obvious the interpretation used by the court to limit the state legislature, the less likely federal courts will allow that interpretation to constrain the legislature. However, the Supreme Court provided no guidance in this decision on when state courts have gone too far.
Will this ruling affect the 2024 presidential election?
Had the court decided the case differently, bedlam could have ensued. Legislatures might have attempted to circumvent state law that defines how presidential electors are chosen.
Many folks argue such chicanery could never happen, because once presidential electors are chosen on Election Day, then that’s it. But if the court had suggested a legislature is not bound by its state constitution, some people might make arguments to sow discontent during the weeks between the election and the inauguration.
Other safeguards might have stopped the harm, but the fear of trouble would have been real.
Because only 25 states had publicly reported this data as of June 22, the actual number of people who lost coverage through Medicaid, the government’s main health insurance program for low-income people and people with certain disabilities, is surely much higher.
The federal government has estimated that 15 million people will lose their coverage, including 5.3 million children, by mid-2024 due to the end of the continuous enrollment policy.
States now must phase out their continuous enrollment policies, but they are doing it on different schedules. Some began in April 2023; others started to send out termination letters in May or June. There are also states that will not begin this process until later in the year or are taking steps to minimize the number of people losing their coverage.
For about 3 in 4 of the people who lost their Medicaid coverage, it was for procedural reasons, such as not filing required paperwork. The remaining 1 in 4 probably became ineligible due to an increase in their income.
Gains from Medicaid
There is mounting evidence that Medicaid has many benefits for society – especially children.
Researchers have also determined that the federal government and state governments can get boosts in tax revenue when families obtain this health insurance coverage through Medicaid and CHIP that exceed government spending on these programs. That’s because having better access to health care in the long term is associated with being healthier, staying in school longer and eventually earning a higher income.
The toll that the steep decline in health insurance coverage now underway will take on Americans remains to be seen.
For only the fourth time on record, Americans gave less than they did the previous year without accounting for inflation, according to the newest annual Giving USA report. The research, released by the Giving USA Foundation, in partnership with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, found that total giving fell 10.5% in inflation-adjusted terms, the steepest decline since the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Giving in nominal dollars, without that adjustment, dropped by 3.4%.
Giving declined across the board with lower levels of donations from individuals, foundations, the estates of deceased donors, and corporations – when accounting for inflation.
Giving in 2021 was even stronger than we first estimated, reaching $517 billion that year, surpassing half a trillion dollars for the first time. This revision was based primarily on updates that the U.S. government makes to tax data – an annual practice.
The large total amount that Americans gave to charity in 2021, which followed another strong year in 2020, helps to explain why giving declined so much in 2022. Donations fell in 2022 from unusually high levels reached when Americans responded to needs that arose due to the pandemic and calls for social justice.
Donors at all income levels likely scaled back
Individual donors, who comprise the largest share of giving, gave $319 billion in 2022 – 13.4% less than they did in the previous year after adjusting for inflation. Unlike in recent years, when market gains boosted the net worth of wealthy Americans, the stock market fell in 2022 by more than any year since 2008, reducing the net worth of many U.S. households.
Despite declines in the stock market, the job market in 2022 was strong – which can be a good sign for the financial stability of less affluent households. Employment levels rose, with the jobless rate dipping to about 3.5%.
Wages also grew in 2022; however, that growth did not keep up with inflation. Instead, many Americans were forced to use their savings to stay on top of their bills, as they paid more for food, housing and other expenses.
The Giving USA data shows that people give about 2% of their disposable personal income – the money available after they pay taxes – to charity. Because inflation-adjusted disposable personal income fell by more than 6% in 2022, Americans had less money to give away.
Americans had grown accustomed to far lower levels of inflation, which averaged a bit below 3% in the 40 years prior to 2022.
As a consequence, donors may not have taken into account the fact that annual gifts simply did not go as far in 2022 as they did in 2021. If you gave your local food pantry $100 in 2021 and then did the same in 2022, you might think that your giving didn’t change. But in a year of high inflation rates, that seemingly steady donation was actually a smaller gift in terms of what the food pantry could do with the money.
Foundations and corporations also gave less than they did the year before, and bequests from the estates of people who have died also declined after adjusting for inflation.
Similarly, giving to nearly all of the nine categories that Giving USA tracks fell in 2022 in inflation-adjusted dollars.
One of the two exceptions was gifts to foundations, which grew 1.9%. This small uptick was probably caused by one or two large gifts to new or existing foundations.
We also saw some promising signs. For example, giving for international causes grew by 2.7%, likely driven by support for Ukraine following Russia’s attack. This is in keeping with another pattern in the data: Americans give charitably as a way to address pressing issues. In the Great Recession, Americans increased giving to support basic social services, such as gifts to food banks, even when overall giving declined.
Finally, it is important to acknowledge that giving did remain close to record levels in 2022, at nearly $500 billion for the year. As the report observes, giving eventually bounces back from declines, even when adjusting for inflation.
Patrick Rooney, Glenn Family Chair Emeritus of Economics and Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University; Anna Pruitt, Associate Director of Research, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and Managing Editor, Giving USA, Indiana University, and Jon Bergdoll, Associated Director of Data Partnerships at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University