YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 19, No. 1
READ THE DAILY NEWS AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET
2019: A new year, new laws
Freezing Bun Run fun
by Aly Brown
January 4, 2019
Biking For A Worthy Cause
Bikes and Brews donates 35 bikes through three sold-out events. Page 9
Staff Writer
Residents of East County and the world over celebrated the shift from 2018 to 2019 this week, and with the new year came some new laws. Below is a sampling of changes California citizens can expect.
Ringing In The New Year
In the workplace
A schedule set into motion the gradual increase of California’s minimum wage for employers with 26 or more employees. Effective Jan. 1 this year, minimum wage earners will now receive $12 per hour. By 2022, they will receive $15. A bill of interest to the agricultural
Photo by Tony Kukulich
T
y Mellott finishes his turn during 39th annual Frozen Bun Run on Bethel Island, Tuesday, Jan. 1. Skiers, some wearing more than others, took a quick trip from the dock at the Rusty Porthole into the choppy waters of Franks Tract before returning to the dock. To view more photos of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia/slideshows
see Laws page 22
Oakley stomps on youth tobacco use by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The Oakley City Council will soon force tobacco retailers to obtain new city-issued licenses and adhere to other requirements aimed at snuffing out youth tobacco use. And city officials say further stipulations could be ignited if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fails to execute proposed plans to adopt strict regulations on electronic nicotine delivery systems such as e-cigarettes, cigars and other combustible products. “At least with these (city-approved regulations) we’ll get the ball rolling, but I am not going to let this discussion die,” said Oakley Mayor Claire Alaura, who spearheaded the new laws after the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors adopted similar regulations covering the county’s unincorporated areas. “Once the federal laws have been put into effect, whatever they finally do, we will revisit to see if that is enough for our city.” The new city-approved rules, slated to take
effect as soon as mid-January, will require Oakley’s estimated 17 tobacco retailers and all future establishments to follow strict guidelines, including that retail workers selling tobacco products must be at least 18; store employees must check the IDs of all tobacco purchasers who appear to be under age 27; and self-service tobacco displays are prohibited. The city will also cap the number of citywide tobacco retailers at 25, and future businesses will be prohibited from operating within 500 feet of existing tobacco retailers or 1,000 feet of youth-sensitive areas such as parks, playgrounds, libraries, schools and bus stops servicing schools. The city’s five established retailers that are already inside that 1,000-foot buffer are exempt. The new rules are in addition to all other local, state and federal laws regulating tobacco products, paraphernalia and retailing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if smoking continues at the current rate among U.S. youth, about one in 13 Americans age 17 or younger will die early from a smoking-related illness.
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Additionally, one recent national study found that 73 percent of high school students and 56 percent of middle school students who used tobacco products in the past 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time. “These (new regulations) were the only items that we could really come to a consensus about, but it doesn’t mean, at least for me, that I am not going to continue the effort to try to ban flavored tobacco products from access to our youth,” said Alaura. The Oakley Police Department will enforce the new city regulations that include strict noncompliance penalties, including license revocation for at least 10, 30, 90 or 120 days, depending on the number of violations within the last 60 days. Tobacco retailers caught without a license will face similar prohibitions from applying for one. The city’s new laws come on the heels of
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see Tobacco page 22
FAIR Act
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Congressman Jerry McNerney addresses partisan gerrymandering.
Brentwood Senior Citizens Club toasts 2019 and a decade of community service. Page 4
Winning Gold At Jamboree
Heritage High School girls’ basketball team wins West Coast Jamboree Gold Division. Page 15 Calendar................................23 Classifieds.............................18 Cop Logs................................21 Entertainment.......................9 Food..........................................8 Milestones............................11 Opinion..................................13 Pets...........................................6 Sports.....................................15
Rate Changes
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Contra Costa Water District Board considers rate structure change.