California legislators advance bills aimed at toxic chemicals, pesticides, lead

Friedman, Gabriel, Lowenthal, Holden, Rivas, Allen push bills to protect children, farmworkers, and all

Assemblymember Laura Friedman, D-Burbank, is pushing a bill to ban the herbicide paraquat, which has been linked to a 64% increase in the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

AB 1963 has the support of famous labor leader Dolores Huerta who spoke before the state Assembly about the disproportionate impact the chemical has on Latino farmworkers. “This dangerous weedkiller has been used since the 1960s, endangering millions of essential agricultural workers, their families, and local residents,” she said. “Farmworkers feed America’s families. We must do better by them.”