Senator Bill Dodd

SACRAMENTO –Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, made the following statement today after major wildfire prevention and safety legislation proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers was approved with overwhelming, bipartisan support of the Legislature:

SACRAMENTO – The Legislature has approved a bill from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that will address the growing problem of college student food insecurity by ensuring low-income students have reliable access to nutritious food through the Cal Fresh program.

“Students shouldn’t have to starve in order to get an education,” Sen. Dodd said. “My bill will ensure students of modest means don’t go hungry by making it easier for them to receive public assistance. Food insecurity is a serious problem on California college campuses today and this is an important step to addressing it.”

SACRAMENTO –Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, made the following statement today in response to Senate committee approval of major wildfire prevention and safety legislation proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Capitol colleagues that helps compensate fire survivors, prevents future infernos and protects utility ratepayers from unfair increases:

SACRAMENTO – A pair of bills from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that will improve the quality of life for Napa County residents by addressing the housing shortage and also by providing greater outdoor recreation options each cleared key legislative hurdles today.

“Napa desperately needs affordable and market-rate housing to help address our workforce needs and reduce commute traffic,” Sen. Dodd said. “This bill will allow the city and county to work together to get critically needed housing built.”

SACRAMENTO – Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would reduce the cost of road projects, allowing more improvements with the same amount of money, cleared an important vote today.

“This bill is about streamlining the often duplicative and bureaucratic process, making every transportation dollar count,” Sen. Dodd said. “We can use that savings to expand both the number and quality of projects, providing Californians with the good roads they deserve.”

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, issued the following statement today about the 2019-20 budget approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature:

“We passed a bold yet responsible plan that invests wisely in education and wildfire prevention while building our reserves,” Sen. Dodd said. “While there’s always room for improvement, it’s a well-crafted financial roadmap for California. I appreciate Gov. Newsom’s partnership, and I think his first budget sets a solid foundation to build on in future years.”

Highlights of the $214.8 billion budget include:

SACRAMENTO – Working collaboratively, Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and Assemblymember Adam Gray, D-Merced, introduced legislation today that would amend the California constitution to authorize and regulate sports wagering.

 “I look forward to working with stakeholders in a collaborative effort to help bring this out of the shadows,” Sen. Dodd said. “By legalizing sports wagering we can avoid some of the problems associated with an underground market such as fraud and tax evasion while investing in problem gambling education.”

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed elder abuse prevention legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that was inspired by the abandonment of seniors at two Santa Rosa assisted living centers during the 2017 wildfires.

“This new law stands for the principle that we must always meet our obligations to seniors, especially in times of emergencies,” Sen. Dodd said. “Simply leaving them to fend for themselves in the face of disaster is unacceptable. I thank Gov. Newsom for supporting this  measure which will encourage caretakers to do the right thing.”

SACRAMENTO – A trio of wildfire safety bills advanced today from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that will increase the state’s ability to prevent, prepare and respond to the growing threat of wildfires across California.

“The arrival of fire season underscores the need for immediate action,” Sen. Dodd said. “We can’t sit back and watch our state burn. Getting a handle on the destructive fires we’ve seen across our state over the past few years is an absolute priority.”

The following bills were voted out of committee and moved a step closer to clearing the Legislature:

SACRAMENTO – California could take out an insurance policy to protect itself from emergency response costs arising from wildfires and other unexpected disasters under legislation that cleared a key Assembly committee today co-authored by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Treasurer Fiona Ma.