Orange County Congressional Race Could Be Key To Control Of House

Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, October 9, 2024…

• In the race for control of Congress, all eyes are on California. Election analysts see more competitive contests for the House of Representatives here than in any other state. One of those is the 47th District in Orange County, where Democrat Dave Min is taking on Republican Scott Baugh.
• State workplace regulators have fined a farm labor contractor near Sacramento more than $17,000 for serious heat safety violations.
• California tenants who used Section 8 housing vouchers were denied rental contracts by more than 200 landlords, according to an undercover investigation.

Open Seat For Congress Going Down To The Wire

The race for control of Congress will likely depend on a handful of races here in California. That includes the 47th District seat in Orange County, pitting Democrat Dave Min against Republican Scott Baugh.

The district covers a coastal portion of Orange County, including Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. And voter registration numbers are just about equal between Democrats and Republicans.

The district is currently represented by Katie Porter, who has been a leader in changing Orange County from reliably Republican to more politically competitive. But Porter ran for U.S. Senate and did not run for reelection, leaving the seat open.

California Contractor Accused of Firing Farmworkers Who Suffered in Extreme Heat Is Fined

California workplace safety regulators have fined a farm labor contractor for heat-related issues, months after former employees alleged they were fired for walking out amid extreme temperatures and called out the contractor as an example of the need for bolstering heat-illness protections for farmworkers.

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, issued nearly $17,600 in initial penalties against Ruiz Farm Labor on Monday for three serious heat-related safety violations, including failing to train employees on steps to prevent overheating.

Six workers who picked tomatoes for Ruiz Farm Labor said they were fired in June after leaving their shifts early during triple-digit heat in Yolo County. Erika Barros, one of the farmworkers now known as the “Yolo Six,” said she experienced heat stroke symptoms, such as nausea and shivering, but didn’t know that she had the right to rest in the shade while on the job.

Barros told KQED she’s hopeful that the Cal/OSHA citations will push her former employer to improve conditions for current and future employees as heat waves continue. “The lack of shade, the lack of water, it was just something he wasn’t doing right,” Barros, a 32-year-old single mother of three who lives in Davis, said in Spanish. “One way or another, he’s going to have to comply with the law.”

Investigation Finds Widespread Discrimination Against Section 8 Tenants In California

California tenants who held Section 8 housing vouchers were refused rental contracts by more than 200 landlords, including major real estate firms, according to an undercover investigation that found widespread discrimination in the state.

The investigative nonprofit Housing Rights Initiative announced Tuesday that it has filed complaints with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging landlords violated a state law against denying leases to renters who pay with vouchers. It seeks penalties against 203 companies and individuals.

The nonprofit is also pushing for more state funding to adequately enforce the law, which Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in 2019.