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Vol. 63 No. 15
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Thursday, April 13, 2023
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Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 63 Years
American DemocracY
As Nation Mourns, California Debates Concealed Firearm Laws
By Maxim Elramsisy
CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA On March 28, one day after three children and three adults were shot at the Covenant School, a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tenn., the California Senate Public Safety Committee heard arguments for and against Senate Bill (SB) 2, legislation proposing enhancements to California’s existing concealed carry permit law.
“God bless the families of those little kids,” said the bill’s author, Senator Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) at the hearing. “Gun violence inflicts a terrible toll on our communities. Last year, nearly 20,000 people were killed in gun related homicides in the United States. To put that in perspective, it’s enough people to fill forty Boeing 747s, and sadly, the number keeps rising.” See CALIFORNIA page 2
Dies in Tennessee By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA NEWSWIRE SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Editor’s Note: Expelled state lawmaker Justin Jones was reinstated to the Tennessee House early Monday evening, on April 10, 2023, after receiving all 36 council votes cast.
A
merican democracy took another stake through the heart in Tennessee, where Republicans in the state House of Representatives shamelessly ignored the will of voters and ousted two Black elected Democrats who joined a protest against gun violence. The GOP supermajority in Tennessee declined to remove Rep. Gloria Johnson, a white Democrat who joined the protest.
PHOTO: Courtesy of NNPA
“I am a 60-year-old white woman, and [the two ousted] are two young Black men,” Johnson asserted. “It’s pretty clear why,” she continued, insisting that the move primarily results from racism. Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, along with Johnson, protested on the House floor after the murder of three 9-year-old students and three adults at an elementary school in Nashville. The trio called for gun reform and led chants inside the House chamber.
The California Black Media
By Tanu Henry
‘ALL THE SMOKE’ TOURNAMENT DAY
“I remain steadfast in my dedication to serve the residents of the 11th Assembly District,” Wilson said.
Assemblymember Akilah Weber to Run for State Senate On April 6, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) announced she is entering the race to replace Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins, who is termed out at the end of this year.
PEACE IN THE PARK SEE PAGE 9
14,727
22,255
20,905
25,160
18,511
12,530
92102
92105
92113
92114
92115
92139
SOURCE: County of San Diego [Updated 4/6/2023]
1Includes Black Astronaut By Marcia Dunn
California Legislative Black Caucus Chair Lori Wilson Is Receiving Medical Treatment for Cancer
The lawmaker, who was elected last year, thanked supporters for all the love and support she has received and assured constituents that she will still be fighting for their interests.
See DEMOCRACY page 2
st Moon Crew In 50 Years
In the news: Black Caucus Chair Lori Wilson is receiving medical treatment for cancer, Weber running for state senate and Tennessee Three
On Friday, California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) Chair Lori Wilson (D-Suisun) announced that she is receiving treatment for Breast Cancer.
Republican Reps. Bud Hulsey, Andrew Farmer, and Gino Bulso followed up by removing all three elected Democrats from their committee assignments and issuing three resolutions calling for their ouster from the state legislature.
Covid-19 cases in southeast
SEE PAGE 8
CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
They said they were blocked from speaking about gun violence, and GOP leaders cut their microphones, leading them to use a bullhorn to get their message across.
PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER & COVID UPDATES – SEE PAGE 12
Political Playback Stories you may have missed last week
Jones and Pearson were expelled.
AP AEROSPACE WRITER NASA on Monday named the four astronauts who will fly around the moon late next year, including the first woman and the first African American assigned to a lunar mission.
CLBC Chair Assemblymember Lori Wilson in a committee hearing, June 2022. PHOTO: Antonio Ray Harvey/CBM
Weber, who is also a physician, represents the 79th Assembly District in the greater San Diego area. “I have successfully fought to improve access to quality healthcare, strengthen our education system, protect our environment, and further economic prosperity,” Weber said in a statement. “As State Senator for District 39, I will continue this fight.” Weber’s announcement came roughly a week after County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher withdrew from the race citing his battle with alcohol abuse and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Fletcher is also facing allegations of sexual harassment and infidelity.
In 2021, Weber won a special election to replace her mother, Shirley N. Weber, in the Assembly after the elder Weber was appointed Secretary of State by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
California Leaders Condemn Expulsion of Black Lawmakers in Tennessee The Republican Majority in the Tennessee House of Representatives took the unprecedented move last week to expel two Black Democratic lawmakers, former Rep. Justin Jones and former Rep. Justin Pearson, for protesting for gun control during session. See PLAYBACK page 2
PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN
The first moon crew in 50 years — three Americans and one Canadian — was introduced during a ceremony in Houston, home to the nation’s astronauts as well as Mission Control. “This is humanity’s crew,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The four astronauts will be the first to fly NASA’s Orion capsule, launching atop a Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than late 2024. They will not land or even go into lunar orbit, but rather fly around the moon and head straight back to Earth, a prelude to a lunar landing by two others a year later.
Victor J. Glover, Jr. (Captain, U.S. Navy) NASA Astronaut. PHOTO: NASA.GOV
The mission’s commander, Reid Wiseman, will be joined by Victor Glover, an African American naval aviator; Christina Koch, who holds the world record for the longest spaceSee ASTRONAUT page 2
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