California

What makes people happy? California lawmakers want to find out

Published

3 months ago

March 17, 2024

What makes people happy? California lawmakers want to find out

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Assemblyman Anthony Rendon likes to spend his spare time away from the Capitol in Sacramento with his 4-year-old daughter back home near Los Angeles. Last weekend, he took her ice skating and to an indoor playground, then let her get a donut after she agreed to ride her scooter on the way there.

“Those are the types of things that make me happy,” he said this week in an interview outside the state Assembly chambers, where he’s served as a lawmaker for a dozen years.

Now Rendon, a Democrat who was one of the longest-serving Assembly speakers in California history, is spending his last year in office trying to make happiness more central to policymaking. He created a first-in-the-nation group to study the issue, called the Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes, which held its first public hearing this week.

It would be “silly” for lawmakers to not study how they can make people happier, Rendon said.

“Because if we have everybody clothed, everybody housed, everybody has a job and they’re miserable, then we’ve failed at what we’re trying to do,” he said, adding that lawmakers should think about happiness as a priority in policymaking.

In California, three-quarters of adults say they are “very happy” or “pretty happy,” while 26% say they are “not too happy,” according to a September 2023 survey from the Public Policy Institute of California. Adults age 18 to 34, people who are renters, those without a post-high school degree, and Californians with an annual household income of $40,000 or lower tend to be less happy than others.

California is breaking new ground in the United States. At least 12 state legislatures in the nation have committees focused on mental health and substance abuse issues, but no other state legislature has a committee devoted to happiness, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

But the idea to consider happiness in public policy isn’t unprecedented: The landlocked country of Bhutan in South Asia prioritizes happiness as a goal of public policy, measuring it through something written into its constitution called the Gross National Happiness Index. The country surveys residents on their level of happiness, and officials work to increase happiness by providing residents with free health care and education, protecting cultural traditions, and preserving forests, said Phuntsho Norbu, consul general of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United States.

The government cannot make every person happy, but it should “create the right conditions that will allow people to pursue happiness,” Norbu said.

Lawmakers on California’s new committee heard this week from experts about the things that make people happy, what public officials can do to help and what role state and local government can play. The committee isn’t set on any solutions yet but plans to release a report with its findings after lawmakers adjourn for the year at the end of August, said Katie Talbot, Rendon’s spokesperson.

Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo, a Democrat representing part of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, hopes the committee’s work can address poor mental health among youth in California, which her 11-year-old daughter has told her is a big issue in her class at school.

“It’s a true crisis that we have on our hands right now,” Schiavo said. “This is really getting to the heart of what that crisis is about.”

Research demonstrates that leisure activities, social relationships and life circumstances contribute to a person’s happiness, said Meliksah Demir, a professor of happiness at California State University, Sacramento. Public officials can work toward improving happiness by investing in mental health resources, making green spaces more accessible and teaching about the value of happiness early on in schools, Demir said.

Happiness has wide-ranging benefits that include making people more likely to vote, more creative and healthier, he said.

The Public Policy Institute of California’s September survey found that 33% of adults overall say they are very satisfied with their job, 31% say they are very satisfied with their leisure activities and 44% are very satisfied with their housing.

Californians’ level of happiness decreased during the pandemic, but experts are still researching the decline, said Mark Baldassare, the group’s survey director.

California, which is often ahead of other states on issues such as climate policy and civil rights, is behind many parts of the world in prioritizing happiness in policymaking, Rendon said. He was inspired to create the happiness committee in part by a report on happiness released annually by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Last year’s report said that how people view the effectiveness of government — including how well it raises money, delivers services and avoids civil war — can influence their happiness. The United States was 15th in a world happiness ranking based on a three-year average from 2020 to 2022, according to the report. Scandinavian countries, including Finland and Iceland, ranked the highest.

Rendon’s decision to create the happiness committee aligns with his approach to making state policy that focuses on “bigger picture” social issues, longtime labor lobbyist Kristina Bas Hamilton said. People have different perspectives on government involvement in their lives, but the creation of the committee evokes the ultimate purpose of government, she said.

“Government’s role is to provide for its people,” Bas Hamilton said. “The goal is to have happy citizens. That’s the goal of all public policy.”

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California

California doctor who drove Tesla off cliff with family inside won’t face trial, granted mental health diversion

Published

43 mins ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

California doctor who drove Tesla off cliff with family inside won’t face trial, granted mental health diversion

The “suicidal” California doctor accused of intentionally driving his Tesla off a cliff with his wife and two young children inside won’t face trial for attempted murder as he is instead set to begin a mental health diversion program.

Dharmesh Patel, who was granted admission into the two-year program last Thursday at the San Mateo County Court, will remain in jail for “several weeks” before he’s released, the San Mateo District Attorney told NBC News.

The radiologist, who has spent the last 18 months behind bars. will be released from jail to his parent’s home where he will be ordered not to leave.

He will also have to report to court weekly for a progress report.

Patel will be ordered to be tested twice a week “to show medication compliance,” and will have to abstain from drugs and alcohol while also forfeiting his driver’s license and passport, the outlet reported.

The doctor will return to court on July 1 where details of his release will be determined, a spokesperson for District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe told NBC News.

Judge Susan Jakubowski granted Patel admission to the program while the DA’s office “intensely” opposed it.

The radiologist appeared “by all accounts a kind and loving” father, said Jakubowski on Thursday, adding that Patel would be better served in treatment than in jail, the Mercury News reported.

Last week’s ruling was made after evidence was found showing Patel has major depressive disorder.

In April two doctors testified in court that Patel suffered from “major depressive order” and experienced a “psychotic” break during the attempted murder-suicide on Jan. 2, 2023.

The Tesla Model Y plummeted off the 250-foot cliff off “Devil’s Slide” on Highway 1 and landed on the shore of the Pacific Ocean.

Miraculously, Patel, his wife and their two children — a 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son — all survived.

Patel was arrested and later charged with three counts of attempted murder. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges saying the Tesla experienced a malfunction causing the car to careen off the cliff.

His wife Neha later told investigators her husband had suffered from depression before the crash.

“He’s depressed. He’s a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposefully drove off,” Neha told rescuers.

During his testimony, psychologist Mark Patterson said Patel’s delusions were provoked by the nation’s fentanyl crisis, the war in Ukraine and feared his children could be kidnapped and molested, which appeared to have been connected to Patel’s worries about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

In May, Neha Patel begged prosecutors to drop the charges and admit her husband into the program.

“We need him in our lives and it has been over a year and a half since my children or I have seen or spoken to Dharmesh,” she said.

The doctor was deemed a good candidate for the program because he’s at low risk of injuring anyone else and has shown progress with his treatment since the crash, Patterson said.

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California

California Shelves Repeal of 1950 Housing Law That Stoked Racial Tension | KQED

Published

8 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

California Shelves Repeal of 1950 Housing Law That Stoked Racial Tension | KQED

“While SCA 2 was one of many efforts to help address the housing crisis, the November’s ballot will be very crowded, and reaching voters will be difficult and expensive,” Allen said in a statement. “In addition, the legislature recently passed my SB 469, which substantially addresses some of the most significant concerns about how Article 34 might be impacting housing production.”

SB 469 clarifies that the use of state affordable housing dollars does not trigger Article 34’s requirement for voter approval. Allen said his focus is on determining whether these efforts are “making a significant dent in addressing the problem,” adding that quickly building more affordable housing is a priority.

Backed by the California Real Estate Association, the forerunner to the current California Association of Realtors, Article 34 was first adopted by voters in 1950. Realtors played on voters’ fears that affordable housing would lead to greater racial integration of exclusively white neighborhoods.

CAR issued a formal apology in 2022 for its past support of Article 34, with association President Otto Catrina condemning the actions and vowing to address the legacy of its “discriminatory policies and practices.”

The organization “remains a strong supporter of the repeal of Article 34 … which adds unnecessary hurdles and costs to the creation of affordable housing,” CAR spokesperson Sanjay Wagle said in a statement.

Wagle noted that a majority of Californians support repealing the provision but cited research showing a voter education campaign would be needed to explain the article’s effects.

“The cost of such a campaign in an election year with so many initiatives on the ballot made this campaign more costly and difficult, thus making it more logical to pursue a repeal on a future ballot,” Wagle wrote. “We thank Sen. Allen and Sen. Wiener for their efforts on this repeal effort and look forward to working [with] them and other stakeholders on this issue in the future.”

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California

California Quarterback Commits to Penn State’s 2026 Recruiting Class

Published

16 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

California Quarterback Commits to Penn State’s 2026 Recruiting Class

Though Penn State has been busily filling its 2025 recruiting class in June, the program hasn’t stopped looking ahead. The Nittany Lions on Tuesday received a commitment from 4-star California quarterback Troy Huhn, who became the second player in Penn State football’s 2026 recruiting class.

Huhn (6-4, 205 pounds) will be a junior at Mission Hills High, just north of San Diego. He threw for 1,623 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore last season. Huhn quickly built a strong offer sheet that included Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Auburn and Notre Dame, among many others. Huhn took an unofficial visits to Ohio State and Penn State in June, committing to the Nittany Lions two weeks after his trip.

Huhn is the 2026 recruiting class’ 10th-rated quarterback prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite, and a top-15 player in California. On3 ranks Huhn highest among the major recruiting services, slotting him at No. 60 nationally and sixth at quarterback.

Huhn, who committed to Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien, spent time with head coach James Franklin during his unofficial visit. He told Sean Fitz of Blue-White Illustrated that Franklin made an impression.

“Coach O’Brien was great, but really my main thing when I was getting out there was to have more time with coach Franklin. They definitely gave that to me,” Huhn said in his interview with Blue-White Illustrated. “I really felt the love from coach Franklin. He’s very business, he’s awesome, he’s a funny guy. My mom loves him, he loves my mom. That relationship with him is now a lot better and I’m glad I got to spend that time with him.”

Huhn joins Harrisburg athlete Messiah Mickens on the ground floor of Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class. Mickens committed to Penn State in August 2023. Penn State had been recruiting several 2026 quarterbacks alongside Huhn. One of their targets, Dia Bell, recently committed to Texas.

Huhn’s commitment continued a prolific stretch for the Nittany Lions. Franklin and his staff have received commitments from five players in a four-day stretch. Four of them committed to Penn State’s 2025 recruiting class.

The most recent 2025 commitment belonged to Max Granville, a 4-star prospect from Texas and first-team all-state honoree as a junior. Granville, who will be a senior at Fort Bend Christian Academy, is rated as a 4-star linebacker according to the 247Sports Composite. However, the 6-3, 220-pound Granville projects at defensive end and was recruited by Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes. Granville chose Penn State after making an official visit to State College earlier in June. He also visited USC, Texas A&M and Oklahoma in June and took an official visit to Baylor in April.

Penn State opens the 2024 football season Aug. 31 at West Virginia. The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff on FOX.

BREAKING: Four-Star QB Troy Huhn (2026) has Committed to Penn State, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’4 205 QB from San Marcos, CA chose the Nittany Lions over Ohio State and Auburn
Ranked as the No. 6 QB in ‘26 (per On3)
“I’m Home #WEARE”https://t.co/lKvct8u4a2 pic.twitter.com/VtLZZ6xH1I
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 25, 2024

More Penn State Football Recruiting

Penn State receives commitment from 4-star Maryland prospect

Versatile New Jersey prospect commits to the Nittany Lions

Former Penn State linebacker commit switches to Rutgers

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.

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