Reporter Scott Soriano joins John Howard and Tim foster to talk about his recently published three-part series on California's rape crisis centers. These nongovernmental organizations provide crucial resources and support to survivors of sexual assault, who often have nowhere else to turn. The value of the work performed by the centers is not in dispute - but who should pay for it is. While California has experienced a steady rise in the number of reported rapes (over 5% per year since 2015), the state’s annual General Fund contribution to rape crisis centers over the past decade has been just $45,000 — and all of that money has gone to just one of the state's 84 crisis centers. In the state budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, however, California upped its contribution to $5 million - only to drop funding back to $45,000 for the current fiscal year. No one seems to know why.
Reporter Scott Soriano joins John Howard and Tim foster to talk about his recently published three-part series on California's rape crisis centers. These nongovernmental organizations provide crucial resources and support to survivors of sexual assault, who often have nowhere else to turn. The value of the work performed by the centers is not in dispute - but who should pay for it is. While California has experienced a steady rise in the number of reported rapes (over 5% per year since 2015), the state’s annual General Fund contribution to rape crisis centers over the past decade has been just $45,000 — and all of that money has gone to just one of the state's 84 crisis centers. In the state budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, however, California upped its contribution to $5 million - only to drop funding back to $45,000 for the current fiscal year. No one seems to know why.