Latest Press Releases

The FAIR Education Act ensures that the historical contributions of LGBT people are accurately and fairly portrayed in instructional materials

SACRAMENTO – The FAIR (Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful) Education Act, authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-SF), has passed the Assembly and is now on the Governor's desk.

The Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee has approved legislation that would allow citizens to register to vote via their county’s election office website.

Several other states already offer online registration, yet California has lagged behind awaiting implementation of the statewide online database system known as VoteCal, which has been delayed until at least 2015.

 (SACRAMENTO) – In a historic budget vote, the California State Senate and Assembly have passed a balanced 2011-12 State Budget using the majority-vote powers authorized by voters under Proposition 25. The budget is the most austere fiscal package in a generation, containing $15 billion dollars in cuts and putting our fiscal house in order. Furthermore, the Democratic majority made the tough choices necessary to reduce a $26.5 billion structural deficit at the beginning of the year by 75 percent.

Governor Brown and legislative leaders announced at the Capitol Monday afternoon that they are moving along with passing a state budget without solely with the support of legislative Democrats, as Republicans refused to provide votes for a tax increase extension.  The new plan contains plenty of cuts, but relies on expectations for an improving economy generating more tax revenue for the state, with further budget cuts that would be “triggered” if the taxes do not materialize. 

SAN FRANCISCO – Using the strict scrutiny standard of the First Amendment, the Supreme Court of the United States has struck down California’s law to prevent the sale and rental of excessively violent video games to children. While the decision was 7-2, only five justices (Scalia, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan) believed video games should be off limits to regulation, while two justices (Roberts, Alito) thought a law could be more narrowly tailored and two justices (Breyer, Thomas) believe California’s law was in fact constitutional.

Sacramento – Senator Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) has announced she will introduce legislation to ban the death penalty in California and to convert death penalty sentences to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Hancock is chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee and the Senate Budget Subcommittee, which oversees all funding for the prison system.

SACRAMENTO, CA – The State Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care has voted 5 – 0 in support of Senate Bill 718, authored by State Senator Juan Vargas, which would authorize the County of San Diego and counties across the State of California to offer a confidential internet system for reporting instances of elder abuse.  SB 718 is now headed to the Assembly Floor.

Senator  Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) and others held a press conference at the Capitol to urge support for SB 173, which would require that following a mammogram, individuals with dense breast tissue be informed that:

Governor Brown on Thursday vetoed the Legislature’s state budget, which was passed and sent to the Governor on Wednesday, the constitutional deadline for passing a balanced state budget. 

Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Perez held a joint press conference at the Capitol on Thursday, where they expressed their “dismay” over the Governor’s veto.  Audio files are from the press conference.

The California Legislature on Wednesday, 6/15 – for the first time in years – to passed a balanced 2011- 2012 state budget, by the constitutional deadline for passing a budget and sending it to the Governor.  Senator Steinberg the passage of Proposition 25, in 2010, allowing a state budget to be passed with a simple majority vote, was the catalyst for this on-time passage.