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A CALL FOR THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE TO STOP THE EUTHANASIA OF HEALTHY, ADOPTABLE ANIMALS

WHEREAS the Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) has officially expressed that its core values include improving Riverside County through education, humane sheltering, responsible pet placement, progressive law enforcement, and reduction of pet overpopulation and using adoption, education, and veterinary medical
programs as an alternative to euthanasia; and

WHEREAS while Civil Code § 1834.4 provides that in California, no adoptable or treatable animal should be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home, Riverside County has failed repeatedly to address overcapacity issues, resource
constraints, and various community challenges resulting in its having, in 2024, the second highest number of cases of animal shelter euthanasia in the United States with 37,021 killed and, in 2023, only 49% of cats and 73% of dogs entering the shelter leaving alive; and

WHEREAS over two-thirds of the national shelters and an overwhelming majority of California shelters are no-kill shelters;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party urges the County of Riverside to cease red tagging, euthanizing, or terminating the life of any adoptable animal effective immediately and work with staff and community volunteers to ensure that all adoptable pets will thrive in a setting that best fits the animal’s needs.

Author(s): Tari Beer, AD-36; Peggy Mathieson, AD-36

Justice, Equity, and Opportunity for California’s Incarcerated Firefighters

WHEREAS California’s wildfire crisis, driven by the global climate emergency and expected to worsen over time, has created an urgent need for a skilled firefighting workforce that has been met in part by incarcerated individuals in the California Conservation Camp Program, who make up 30 percent of the state’s fire suppression force and risk their lives with minimal training, completing only an eight-day course compared to the year-long training typical for municipal firefighters, and are paid less than 15 percent of what municipal firefighters earn while facing the same life-threatening
conditions; and

WHEREAS Incarcerated firefighters face a disproportionate danger of injury, being four times more likely to be struck by falling objects and eight times more likely to suffer smoke inhalation than municipal firefighters; and while those injured may qualify for workers’ compensation, their benefits are calculated based on their extremely low
inmate pay, underscoring the severe disparities in training, safety, working conditions, and benefits that demand urgent redress; and

WHEREAS Black Californians are incarcerated at 4.7 times the rate expected based on their share of the population, and Latino individuals at 1.15 times their expected rate, resulting in a prison firefighting force that disproportionately consists of people of color; and because of this disparity, the burdens of inadequate training, poor pay, lack of
benefits, and harsh working conditions fall disproportionately on Black and Brown incarcerated individuals; and upon release, these individuals face additional systemic barriers to employment in the fire service, including conviction-based exclusions, EMT certification restrictions, and hiring discrimination, despite their demonstrated experience, skill, and rehabilitation;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED That the Riverside County Democratic Party supports allowing case-by-case expungement regardless of conviction, eliminating licensing barriers such as EMT restrictions, prohibiting discriminatory hiring practices, raising inmate firefighter pay to at least minimum wage with hazard compensation, expanding
benefits, improving safety training, and creating a structured apprenticeship and reentry pathway to professional firefighting careers, and affirms that the continued exploitation of incarcerated firefighters is a moral failure that exposes deep flaws in California’s approach to labor, public safety, and racial equity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That the Riverside County Democratic Party urges the Governor, State Legislature, CAL FIRE, and municipal fire departments to enact these reforms to ensure incarcerated and formerly incarcerated firefighters are protected, respected, and fairly included in a just, effective, and climate-resilient emergency
response system.

Author: Kelly Graziano, AD47