As California kicks off Maternal Mental Health Month, advocates from across the state are celebrating a major step forward in the fight for maternal health justice. SB 626, authored by Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) and principal co-authored by Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), advanced through the Senate Health Committee this week after a groundswell of advocacy from survivors, clinicians and community leaders.
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Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) will join maternal mental health survivors, advocates, healthcare providers and lawmakers at the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 29 for “From Pain to Power: A Storytelling & Advocacy Day to Transform Perinatal Mental Health in California.”
La Senadora estatal Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (demócrata por Los Ángeles) convocó a más de 75 líderes de los sectores laboral, empresarial y público en el LA Trade Technical College el viernes para una cumbre única en su tipo, enfocada en ampliar el acceso equitativo a empleos bien remunerados en tres industrias emergentes: infraestructura verde, cannabis e inteligencia artificial (IA, por sus siglas en inglés).
State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) convened more than 75 leaders of labor, business and the public sectors at LA Trade Technical College on Friday for a first-of-its-kind summit focused on expanding equitable access to good paying jobs in three emerging industries – Green Infrastructure, Cannabis, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Led by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, the summit served as a call-to-action to develop a long-term workforce equity strategy tailored to California’s rapidly changing economy.
Senator Smallwood-Cuevas has joined the California Coalition for Perinatal Mental Health and Justice in announcing the introduction of her bill SB 626 – critical legislation aimed at addressing the urgent needs of birthing people across California. The bill seeks to transform the perinatal mental health care system around detection, treatment and access to care.
Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) has released the following statement regarding the State Legislature approving a $2.5 billion budget in response to the LA wildfires as well as approving $50 million to defend California against federal actions by the Trump Administration:
“Hoy, la Legislatura de California aprobó fondos críticos para ayudar a Los Ángeles a recuperarse de devastadores incendios forestales. A principios de esta semana, organicé una sesión de escucha en Altadena, una histórica comunidad afroamericana que soportó políticas de vivienda discriminatorias para convertirse en un símbolo de esperanza y oportunidad. El legado de Altadena como refugio para las familias afroamericanas durante la era de los derechos civiles nos recuerda la importancia de proteger su importancia cultural e histórica.
State Senators Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) and Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) brought together Altadena residents, community leaders and service agency representatives for an “Equitable Recovery for Altadena: A Listening Session” held on King Day at Pasadena Church East Campus. The event, which gave Altadena residents impacted by the wildfires an opportunity to voice their experiences, provided a platform for an urgent discussion on ensuring that community members – regardless of their background – receive equal access to relief and rebuilding efforts.