After ‘Wake Up Call’ From Flint, Lawmaker Offers Mandatory School Lead Testing Bill
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, the bill's author, said a lot of schools may be reluctant to request testing because dealing with lead contamination can be costly. Meanwhile, a therapy dog sniffs out chemical problem at a San Diego school.
KPCC:
Bill Would Force CA Schools To Test Drinking Water For Lead
Most schools in California are not required to test their drinking water for lead, but a bill in the State Assembly would make testing mandatory. The lead crisis in Flint, Michigan, was a "wake up call," said the bill's author, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego). (Lavender, 4/6)
KPBS:
Lead Not The Only Chemical Found In The Water At Southcrest School
San Diego public utility workers began testing water for lead at San Diego Unified schools this week. It's been widely reported a therapy dog at a school in Southcrest sniffed out the potential lead problem. But a district spokesman says the dog actually led custodians to discover another contaminant — one the city water tests won't detect. (Burks, 4/5)
In other news from Sacramento —
Capital Public Radio:
Bill Would Allow Third Gender On Birth Certificates, Driver's Licenses
Californians may soon be able to choose a third gender when filling out government documents such as driver's licenses and birth certificates. The Gender Recognition Act would allow people to identify as "non-binary." Senators Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) co-authored the bill. (Johnson, 4/5)