TUESDAY 9-27-22 KAHI MORNING NEWS

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By Jerry Henry on September 27, 2022.

Mental health therapists rejected Kaiser Permanenteas latest contract offer with a vote of 1,349 to 222, opting to remain out on strike rather than accept what they described as incremental changes that will not remedy patientsa long waits for treatment. The rejection means the strike will head into its seventh week as the union and Kaiser remain at odds over staffing and workload issues. The company and union have been at odds over how much time therapists should have to take care of patientsa needs outside therapy sessions. Mental health providers have said that, in addition to putting their notes in Kaiseras system, they often must connect patients with other resources and use the tools of their profession to assess a patientas conditions.

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California will ban the testing of pesticides, chemical substances and other products on cats and dogs, under a bill signed into law Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The law, which exempts medical and federally required testing from the ban, goes into effect Jan. 1. This isnat Newsomas first pro-animal act. In 2020, he included $50 million in the state budget to fund research at UC Davis on how the state can effectively end animal euthanasia in its shelters. In his time as governor, Newsom also has signed bills ending the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits, banning the sale of new fur products and prohibiting the use of animals like elephants and bears in circus acts.

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The U.S. Forest Service has started a criminal investigation into the cause of the Mosquito Fire and seized equipment belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric Co., according to a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission from PG&E. The utility said in Saturday filing that Forest Service and Cal Fire officials determined in an initial assessment athat the fire started in the area of the utilityas power line on National Forest System lands and that the USFS is performing a criminal investigation into the 2022 Mosquito fire.a  PG&E also said in the filing that Forest Service officials Saturday aremoved and took possession of one of the utilityas transmission poles and attached equipment.a The utility had previously disclosed that its equipment was being investigated for the blaze, which has charred more than 76,781 acres (120 square miles) in Placer and El Dorado counties since it began on Sept. 6. On Friday, residents affected by the Mosquito Fire filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court alleging PG&E is again being accused of putting dollars over public safety.

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