Support Our Social Workers With Your Vote!

By Rebecca Gonzales, Director of Government Relations and Political Affairs

Election Day is rapidly approaching! Please remember to vote on Tuesday, June 3.  Our CalPACE and Legislative committees have met and discussed candidate elections and state propositions.

                               NASW-CA intern Aaron Court; NASW-CA Director of           Governmental Relations Rebecca Gonzales; NASW-CA intern                                                        Ashley Jones; and Tony Thurmond, MSW

NASW typically does not make candidate endorsements in the primaries, but we do look at the state propositions and make a vote recommendation if there is a clear nexus to social work.

Although we decided not to endorse candidates in this year’s primaries, we are, of course, supporting our social work candidates. Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman, LCSW, PhD is running for re-election in the 13^th Assembly District. If you live in the Stockton area, please vote for her!

We are also supporting Tony Thurmond, MSW, who is running for the 15^th Assembly District. This seat is empty since Assemblymember Nancy Skinner has termed out. This district covers the Berkeley/Oakland area. Please vote for Tony so we can still have two social workers in the State Assembly, now that Assemblymember Mariko Yamada has termed out.

There are only two propositions on the June ballot. We voted to SUPPORT Proposition 41, the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014. This proposition authorizes $600 million in general obligation bonds for affordable multifamily supportive housing to relieve homelessness, affordable transitional housing, affordable rental housing or related facilities for veterans and their families. This measure will allow for unexpended bonds from the CalVet Home and Farm Loan program to be used to construct and rehabilitate housing for California’s large population of homeless veterans. We remained neutral on Proposition 42 since we did not see a nexus to social work.

Please remember to vote!