Senator Bill Dodd

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, will host a joint legislative hearing of the Senate and Assembly Governmental Organization committees this afternoon to review equine and human safety in California’s horse-racing industry.

The hearing was prompted in part by recent racing horse deaths at Santa Anita Park in Southern California.  A hearing agenda is attached.

WHAT: Joint hearing on horse racing safety

WHO: Sen. Bill Dodd, Asm. Adam Gray and panelists.

SACRAMENTO – Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would allow Napa County to negotiate with the state Department of General Services to buy the 850-acre Skyline Wilderness Park was approved by the full Senate Monday afternoon.

Senate Bill 20 would ensure the prime land with popular hiking trails and views of the Bay Area remains a public open space forever.

SACRAMENTO – Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would place an independent third party such as Cal Fire in charge of overseeing electric utility corporations’ compliance with tree and vegetation-trimming requirements was approved by the full Senate today.

“The public needs to know that there is real, independent oversight, not just someone in an office reviewing paperwork submitted by utilities," said Sen. Dodd. "This bill will help prevent future wildfires and ultimately reduce costs to ratepayers. Because it is clear that the current standard is not working.”

SACRAMENTO – Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would help the state manage its water, protecting the precious resource for people and the environment, cleared the full Senate Monday afternoon.

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” Sen. Dodd said. “Stream gages provide important information in this era of droughts and flooding, driven in part by climate change. This bill is an important step toward managing our water for the long run.”

SACRAMENTO – Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would eliminate the confusion and delays caused by uninformed, out-of-state or multiple insurance adjusters during the 2017 North Bay wildfires cleared the full Senate today by unanimous vote.

Senate Bill 240 requires the California Department of Insurance to produce information on the most significant state insurance laws related to disasters and set training standards for agents handling catastrophic events. It also mandates that insurers provide a single point of contact for customers to make processing claims easier.

SACRAMENTO – In recognition of the increasing role of technology in consumers’ lives, the amount of personal information shared by businesses and the damage caused by unwanted disclosure and data breaches, Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, has authored a resolution designating the third week in May as Privacy Awareness Week.

SACRAMENTO – Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, to protect racing horses and jockeys amid the recent horse deaths at Santa Anita Park was approved by the full Senate today with unanimous support.

“This bill is about preventing the tragic death of horses by empowering regulators to rapidly respond to address dangerous conditions,” Sen. Dodd said. “It’s about protecting the health and safety of animals while ensuring the future of a storied sport.”

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, made the following statement today about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised 2019-20 state budget, which increases investments in schools and wildfire prevention while building up reserves and paying down pension debt.

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced today the May 8 hearing date for the Senate Select Committee on the Governor’s 2019 Report: “Wildfires and Climate Change - California's Energy Future.”

The 13-member committee will review, vet and accept public comment on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wildfire report, released last month.

SACRAMENTO – Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, issued the following statement regarding the announcement today by the Department of Water Resources that it is officially rescinding permit applications for the WaterFix: