Caucus News

SACRAMENTO – In order to advance California’s goal of providing equitable educational and civic opportunities to girls, Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) introduced SB 363 that will allow the use of public resources in Sacramento for California Boys State only if California Girls State participants receive similar treatment.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, introduced legislation today to make free meals available to every public school student without any burdensome application process or eligibility determination. With provisions that emphasize meals that are freshly prepared with locally grown food, SB 364, School Meals for All, will reduce hunger, improve learning, help families, and support California farmers and food producers. 

Newly sworn-in Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) spoke at a Senate Hearing relating to the Audit of the State’s Employment Development Department’s (EDD) Performance and Management as thousands face delays in receiving their unemployment benefits.

S.B. 213 to provide presumptive eligibility for workers’ compensation for RNs and other health care workers who are injured on the job, including exposure to Covid-19
In response to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, California Nurses Association (CNA) is pleased to cosponsor S.B. 213 (Cortese) to protect California’s frontline nurses and other health care workers by providing presumptive eligibility for workers’ compensation.

SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced Senate Bill 339, the Gas Tax Alternative Pilot. This pilot program, which allows California to explore charging based on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) instead of relying on gas taxes, is a critical strategy as the state transitions away from fossil fuels. Gas taxes fund California’s roads, highway system, and public transportation systems. With our transition to more fuel efficient vehicles — and ultimately away from carbon-fueled vehicles entirely — gas tax revenue will decline and eventually end.

SACRAMENTO—Dr. Richard Pan, pediatrician and state senator representing the Sacramento region made the following statement against the attack on Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s family and home:

“I wish to express my dismay and condemnation of the attack on Mayor Steinberg’s family and home that took place Saturday evening. It is unacceptable in our community to go to a person’s home to taunt and threaten their family, including their children, and damage their property, and the perpetrators should be held accountable.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) introduced legislation sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights that would require private, for-profit detention facilities and prisons operating in California to uphold basic health and safety standards for people being detained in these facilities.

“As we cross the year threshold in this pandemic, we are losing a generation of students to distance learning because there is nothing that can replicate the classroom experience,” said Senator Becker. “By allowing teachers to receive COVID vaccinations now, we are creating a pathway that will make it easier for our students to return to the classroom.”

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) introduced new legislation establishing a permanent grant program for homeless shelters to provide shelter and food to our unhoused neighbors and their animal companions – an effort lauded as “supporting both ends of the leash.”

Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) has introduced SB 300, The Sentencing Reform Act of 2021, to bring sweeping reforms to California’s “felony murder” and special circumstances law.
Right now, in California, there are people on death row and sentenced to die in prison who never killed anyone and never intended for anyone to die.