Caucus News

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, announced today that she has introduced two new bills: SB 776 which will expand and strengthen her landmark police transparency law (SB 1421) passed in 2018, and SB 773 which will begin the process of reforming California’s 911 system so that calls concerning mental health, homelessness, drug overdoses, and other issues not requiring police intervention can go to an appropriate social services agency rather than law enforcement.

SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) released the following statement today regarding the Supreme Court’s 5-to-4 decision to strike down a Louisiana law requiring doctors who provide abortions at clinics to have hospital admitting privileges, calling the law “unconstitutional:”

“The decision by SCOTUS to strike down this latest attempt to erode abortion rights in this country is encouraging and sends a much-needed message to those seeking to strip away women’s rights to govern our own bodies. 

(SACRAMENTO) – Senator Richard D. Roth (D-Riverside) issued the following statement today in response to the final budget deal to be submitted to Governor Newsom:

Long Beach, Calif.- It is incredibly disturbing to see threats of violence directed towards activist and journalist Shaun King which were posted in a California law enforcement private Facebook group. These violent posts were conducted with personal accounts of identified retired Long Beach law enforcement officers. These actions by former law enforcement professionals are not only unacceptable and extremely disappointing, but are completely against the values of the residents I represent and these actions must face immediate consequence.　

(SACRAMENTO, CA)— Today, the California State Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 977, authored by Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) and sponsored by Attorney General Xavier Becerra, off of the Senate Floor.  The bill will considerably strengthen the state’s oversight of unfair healthcare systems’ business practices and safeguard access to affordable healthcare as Californians continue to face the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sacramento, Calif.- Today, the California State Senate approved the "Broadband for California" bill, authored by Senator Lena A. Gonzalez (D- Long Beach). "Broadband for California," or Senate Bill 1130, aims to decrease the digital divide and increase broadband access to all Californians. Despite being a global center for tech innovation, California has been plagued by inequities in internet access, with African American, low-income, Latino, rural, and elderly Californians disproportionately unable to get online.

SACRAMENTO – With a renewed focus on curbing racial inequities in health care, the Senate today overwhelmingly approved legislation from Sens. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles and Assemblymember Autumn Burke, D- Inglewood, to improve access to high-quality maternity treatment in California. Senate Bill 1237, sponsored by the California Nurse-Midwives Association and Black Women for Wellness, would address disparities in outcomes for Black women and infants and counter the obstetrician shortage – projected to be critical in some counties by 2025.

SACRAMENTO – With more Californians living paycheck-to-paycheck and taking on more debt to cover their bills, the California State Senate today approved with bipartisan support SB 908 by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to require the licensing of debt collectors and debt buyers in California. The bill is supported by a number of California’s top consumer organizations.

SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) issued the following statement after Senate passed California’s 2020-2021 State Budget:

“We started 2020 at an economic high, and pivoted swiftly over the last few months to arrive at a budget plan that is responsible as well as responsive to the needs of Californians. This pragmatic agreement is possible thanks to the responsible budgeting decisions we made over the past decade that built reserves and paid down debts.

Sacramento, CA – Over $25 million was approved today by the State of California that will provide a huge boost in the development of the transformational Roseland Village project.