Caucus News

SACRAMENTO – A proposal from Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, to provide universal preschool to 4-year-olds cleared the Senate Education Committee Wednesday.

The legislation builds on the state’s existing transitional kindergarten program, which is currently available to 4-year-olds who turn 5 shortly after the start of their first semester.

SACRAMENTO – Longer fire seasons, floods and increasing heat waves are already affecting California’s residents and natural environment, and as these and other dangers posed by climate change threaten more aspects of everyday life the state is working to adapt by investing in coordinated programs that integrate information, modern science and best practices to protect the public.

SACRAMENTO – Legislation authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) that will help keep California senior, blind and disabled residents in their homes if and when they encounter financial difficulties passed from the Senate Governance and Finance Committee earlier today with strong bipartisan support.

Here are Senate budget chair’s legislative priorities for 2018

SACRAMENTO – Proposed laws for 2018 by Sen. Holly J. Mitchell include continuing to reform the juvenile justice system and reducing childhood poverty to help families and communities.

Other measures focus on expanding worker training to prevent sexual harassment, continuing film tax credits and providing women key health information.  

SB 992 and SB 1255 will be heard today at 1:30 p.m.

SACRAMENTO – Today, Wednesday, April 11, two bills authored by Senator Ed Hernandez, O.D., (D-West Covina) will be heard in Senate Health Committee.

SB 992 would require requires more oversight for licensed substance use disorder treatment facilities and brings transparency to unlicensed recovery homes

SACRAMENTO – On Wednesday, April 11, Senate Bill 1255, which would establish state-funded subsidies for Californians to purchase health coverage through Covered California, will be heard in the Senate Health Committee.

Authored by Senator Ed Hernandez, O.D., (D-West Covina), SB 1255 would direct Covered California to administer state-funded subsidies to Californians who have to pay more than 8% of their annual household income on insurance premiums.

Sacramento, CA –Senate Bill (SB) 1080 passed out of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee today on a 13-0 vote. The measure would allow active duty military and their spouses and family members to drive for transportation network companies (TNC) immediately upon their relocation to California, with a valid out-of-state driver’s license.

Sacramento –  Today the Senate Public Safety Committee approved the Dignity and Opportunity Act, a bill authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) to expand civil rights protections for transgender individuals in California jails and prisons. This includes creating certain gender identity rights and preventing exclusion from programming and work opportunities.

SB 990 was passed by a bipartisan 6-0 vote, and now moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing.

Senate panel approves bill addressing delays, financial hardships   

Plan to improve foster care placements sails through first policy review

SACRAMENTO – A key Senate policy panel today approved a plan to fix unintended delays and financial hardships in a new statewide program for placing individuals with foster caregivers.  

Sacramento –  Today the Senate Public Safety Committee passed Senate Bill 923 – authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-Marin County)-- which sets statewide eyewitness identification standards to help prevent misidentifications that lead to innocent people being convicted and actual perpetrators remaining free. SB 923 is sponsored by the California Innocence Coalition and the ACLU of California.