Caucus News

SACRAMENTO – After months of Southern California Edison public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) that left over 180,000 customers in the dark, Senator Henry Stern (D-Calabasas) and his colleagues called for an urgent response to the crisis. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has answered with $1.2 billion in funding to help customers keep their power on.

SACRAMENTO – Sixteen new laws written by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, take effect Jan. 1 including measures to enhance wildfire safety, protect the elderly, promote new housing and improve transportation. No other legislator had more bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019.

Burbank, California – On Wednesday, December 4th, California State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (La Cañada Flintridge) hosted the annual 25th State Senate District Women in Business Legislative Update & Awards Luncheon.

SACRAMENTO - Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, issued the following statement today in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom's rejection of PG&E's bankruptcy plan:

SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) has announced that the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee will hold an oversight hearing to discuss cellular and telecommunications service outages during wildfires on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 9 a.m. in Room 3191.

Sacramento, CA – Today, the Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the commercial Dungeness Crab season will officially open south of the Mendocino-Sonoma county line next week, December 15 after a delay due to the risk of whale entanglement.

State Sen. Jim Beall is angry.

Four times now, he has introduced legislation to better enforce state and federal “parity” laws, which require equal treatment of mental and physical health problems. Four times, that legislation has failed.

As he enters his final year in the Legislature, the San Jose Democrat plans what he calls a “full-frontal assault”.

“I’m going to put even more effort into next year because I’m madder than hell about it.”

NAPA – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, released the following statement today in response to a tentative $13.5 billion settlement between Pacific Gas & Electric and victims of California wildfires:

“It’s certainly a positive development that a settlement was reached,” said Sen. Dodd, who represents victims of the devastating 2017 wildfires in Napa and Sonoma counties. “But PG&E shouldn’t have taken this long to compensate victims.”

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SACRAMENTO – California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) issued the following statement commending Governor Gavin Newsom and impacted cities and agencies throughout San Diego County for historic partnership around cross-border pollution:

SACRAMENTO ­–  State Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) has lined up more supporters for his legislation to have the oil industry pay an oil severance tax in California, as it does in every other major oil producing state.  Senate Bill 246 would raise approximately $900 million per year to better fund schools and other important services in California.

As many of the world’s leaders gather in Spain at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) 25, Wieckowski said it is time to demand more from the fossil fuel industry.