SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Senate approved Senate Bill 300, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). Last year, Senator Padilla authored SB 243, which created the nation’s first guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. SB 300 would build on this effort by further strengthening the protections against exposing minors to sexually explicit material.

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Catherine S. Blakespear, D-Encinitas, issued the following statement on Monday about the killing of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency:

We cannot turn away and ignore what our eyes are clearly seeing all across this nation - a federal government unhinged.
Violent raids are happening routinely. It’s unfathomably cruel. Yesterday, a nurse, last week a poet… children used as bait - in the United States of America.
It’s heartbreaking to see the terror that our own federal government is willingly unleashing in our communities.
California will never stop fighting for kindness and decency. This is a decidedly dark and inhumane time in our country.
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Senator Susan Rubio gives the following statement:
This week alone, we have witnessed a horrifying escalation of federal immigration enforcement that has resulted in the loss of human life — yet again.
Today, Alex Jeffrey Pretti— a U.S citizen was killed during an  ICE operation. It has become a common occurrence that U.S born children are taken scared and unaccompanied by agents. Most recently the images of a five-year-old little boy has broken the hearts of millions.

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Today, Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D–Santa Ana), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the latest shooting by immigration enforcement officials and increased ICE activity in Orange County.

In Monterey Park, concerned residents want answers to determine how a data center of this size might strain the power grid including its impact on utility rates, water usage, and air quality contamination

Sacramento, CA – Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) has announced the introduction of SB 907, which will strengthen California’s DUI enforcement and sentencing laws, particularly for repeat offenders. Having lost his eldest grandchild to a drunk driver, Senator Archuleta hopes to use his families’ tragedy to improve California’s DUI laws for other families.

SACRAMENTO – Today, State Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) issued the following statement in response a new study from Common Sense Media highlighting the potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled toys:

SACRAMENTO – The City of Solana Beach has agreed to accept $300,000 in state funding secured by Sen. Catherine S. Blakespear, D-Encinitas, to help pay for a planned extension to complete the Coastal Rail Trail on the north end of the city.

SACRAMENTO – La ciudad de Solana Beach ha acordado aceptar $300,000 en fondos estatales gestionados por la Senadora Catherine S. Blakespear, D-Encinitas, para ayudar a financiar una ampliación prevista que completará el sendero ferroviario costero en el extremo norte de la ciudad.