California assembly member Blanca Rubio’s Assembly Bill 323, which requires state agencies to give preference to local news organizations, specifically ethnic media and community organizations, in contracts and subcontracts for marketing and outreach advertising services, has passed the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee by a unanimous 5-0 vote.
Rubio stated:
“A functioning democracy is dependent on a well-informed constituency. The demise of newspapers will mean many lost jobs, and will leave many communities without local journalism.
“As an immigrant to this country that represents an extremely diverse section of Los Angeles County, I am particularly concerned about the future of ethnic media. In my district alone, I am aware of at least 46 ethnic news publications that provide service in my community. In fact, my Father, who is now 80 years old, has relied on La Opinion as his primary source of news for many years. The decline in community news is not only costing us jobs, but it is also harming both ethnic communities and seniors who are accustomed to getting news from physical papers.”
AB 323 is now going to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.
