Mitchell, who is chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, asked to know more about PPE in an April 9 letter to California Department of Finance Director Keely Bosler. Referencing the state’s intention to “augment the 2019 Budget Act” by $495 million to enable the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) to buy N95 and surgical masks for health-care and other essential employees during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Los Angeles Democrat said it’s imperative officials are transparent about what's being distributed and to which governments.
“In light of the massive spending commitments made for PPE and other medical equipment, I request that the Administration launch, no later than early next week, a regularly updated webpage that describes the state’s inventory of each major type of equipment and the destinations of each outgoing shipment,” Mitchell wrote. She asked that the website document “quantities shipped by county, city, and categories of users including health facilities and other essential workers” and include the percentages of requested equipment that have been fulfilled by county or public health agencies. She also asked that priority orders for distribution be noted.
The administration has provided her office with the total number of N95 and surgical masks the state has procured and has posted the data online, Mitchell said Tuesday in an email to Techwire. A CalOES spokesman confirmed to Techwire that the state’s existing California Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response website, created last month, added a link Monday to a page with the data, created in Tableau. There, visitors can search numbers of PPE, including N95 respirators, face shields and gloves provided to each of the state's 58 counties.
Mitchell emphasized how helpful this information is for legislators as they make budgetary decisions. The Legislature, which adjourned March 20, is in various stages of reconvening, and the proposed 2020-2021 Fiscal Year budget is a top priority; per the state Constitution, lawmakers must approve a budget by June 15. The Assembly is expected to return Monday; the state Senate – which approved Senate Rule 86 authorizing remote committee meetings before adjourning – is expected back May 11.
“Ultimately, like the Administration, I want to make sure that the precious masks and other PPE get to the frontline workers because they are life-saving supplies and their importance and necessity is not lost on me," Mitchell said. "We want to make sure that all essential employees are being considered as masks and other PPE is distributed.”
