Governors Briefs: National Guard to Support Food Banks, State to Sue Fed’s if Troops Sent to SF and CA. to Train More Than 22,000 Workers

California to Deploy National Guard to Support Food Banks

SACRAMENTO  — Gov. Gavin Newsom Oct. 22 announced that he will deploy the California National Guard under his command and California Volunteers on a humanitarian mission to support food banks as the federal government shutdown delays food benefits for millions of California families.

In addition to the California National Guard, Gov. Newsom is fast-tracking upwards of $80 million in state support ahead of funding delays triggered by the shutdown. The deployment mirrors the Governor’s action in March 2020, where the California National Guard supported food banks during the pandemic. At that time, California created an urgent force overseeing the deployment of the California National Guard, the California Service Corps, and tens of thousands of volunteers to support food bank operations during the pandemic, serving more than 800 million meals.

The California National Guard will not be acting as law enforcement. Service members regularly provide support to state civilian authorities, including for Governor-directed missions to support wildfire preparedness and response, tackle deadly drug trafficking, and surge medical capacity during the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

The federal government has directed states to hold November 2025 benefit data that would normally allow CalFresh funds to be allocated to persons with CalFresh benefit cards. This impact is immediate and first affects persons newly enrolling in CalFresh during the second half of October and then all 5.5 million enrollees after October 23, unless President Trump and Congress reopen the federal government by this date or take action to fund benefits.

Gov. Newsom to Trump: We’re suing if you send troops to San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO  — Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta Oct. 21 announced the state will file a lawsuit immediately if the President breaks the law again by sending federalized members of the military to San Francisco.  

“There is no basis to send National Guard troops to San Francisco. No emergency. No rebellion. No invasion. Not even unrest,” said Attorney General Bonta. “President Trump has long abandoned any pretenses for the illegal federalization and deployment of California’s National Guard. He does not care about satisfying the conditions of the law; he cares about himself, and he cares about power. Trump has made no secret of his intentions: To use our National Guard as his own Royal Army and our cities as a training ground for the military. This is outrageous, indefensible—and most importantly illegal. San Francisco may be the President’s latest target, but California is no stranger to the President’s political games and unconstitutional tactics. We’re ready to go to court immediately if the President follows through on this latest illegal plan.”

In recent weeks, Trump has publicly stated his intention to unlawfully send in the National Guard to San Francisco.

Community partners and local leaders have vehemently disagreed with the President and have said no to this domestic military intervention in the city  – public safety is up and crime is down all because of significant investments and meaningful partnerships between state and local leaders.

California Strengthens Pipeline for Good-Paying Jobs, Providing $25 Million to Train More Than 22,000 Workers

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom Oct. 20 announced the approval of $25 million in grants for 88 apprenticeship programs through the Employment Training Panel (ETP) that will train 22,208 California workers in the skilled trades. Many of those who will join the apprenticeships funded Friday are women, justice-involved individuals, veterans and people transitioning from unemployment or low-paying jobs. This announcement follows the $30 million investment announced last week in apprenticeship funding to fill high-demand jobs in health care, education, and technology. 

The Employment Training Panel or ETP provides funding to California employers to upgrade worker skills for long-term jobs. The awards are funded by the Employment Training Tax on employers and do not come out of the state’s General Fund.

Supporting California’s construction industry

The construction industry, one of California’s economic anchors as outlined in the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, generates more than $156 billion in annual economic activity and employs close to one million Californians. Additionally, labor market information division data shows that careers in construction account for 12 of the 15 top occupations accessible with a high school diploma or less, making apprenticeships and careers in construction a reliable and accessible on-ramp to a high-paying career.

Apprenticeships are integral to the health of the construction sector as they predictably supply employers with a skilled workforce built upon a highly-structured training system that is typically jointly developed by labor unions and employers based on the future supply of jobs.