Senator Bill Dodd

NAPA – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, called today for change of executive leadership at Pacific Gas and Electric Co. following a California Public Utilities Commission report alleging the utility falsified documents relating to underground gas pipelines, like the one that exploded in San Bruno in 2010, killing eight people.  The findings come as the utility faces billions of dollars in potential legal liability for the series of historic wildfires that swept across the state over the past year, taking many more lives and threatening the very existence of some communities.

PETALUMA – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and the Petaluma People Services Center will convene a panel of experts Dec. 11 in Petaluma to discuss topics of importance to seniors such as healthcare and fraud protection and the slate of public services available to them.

State and local government officials will speak along with senior advocates. A question-and-answer period will follow.

Who: Sen. Bill Dodd, Petaluma People Services Center and officials.

What: Senior Issues Forum

When: Dec. 11, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced today his package of new laws taking effect Jan. 1 will help Californians in important ways including protecting them from wildfires and floods, extending disaster insurance coverage, improving schools and guaranteeing access to drinking water.

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced legislation today that would allow Napa County to negotiate with the state Department of General Services to buy the 850-acre Skyline Wilderness Park, ensuring the prime land with popular hiking trails and views of the Bay Area remains a public open space forever.

“This is such an important community asset, both from a recreational and environmental perspective,” said Sen. Dodd. “It needs to be preserved for the public and placed under local control so it remains parkland in perpetuity.”  

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced legislation today that would help the state manage its water, protecting the precious resource for people and the environment.

“We’re faced with a constant cycle of droughts and flooding, and this bill is an important step toward managing our water for the long run,” Sen. Dodd said.  “Stream gages provide important information. Unfortunately, gaps in the current system make it difficult to ensure water is going where it’s needed. You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

NAPA – After receiving strong opposition to the project from a group of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta lawmakers, including Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, the federal government has rejected a request for a loan to pay for California WaterFix, a controversial twin-tunnels project that threatens the environmental and economic vitality of the state’s most important waterway.

NAPA – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, responded today to the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks that killed 12 people, including Alaina Housley, 18, of Napa, who was attending college at nearby Pepperdine University.

“I join with the residents of Thousand Oaks and all Californians in grieving for the victims and their loved ones,” Sen. Dodd said.  “This terrible tragedy strikes especially close to home in Napa because we lost one of our own. My thoughts and condolences are with Alaina’s family as they face this unspeakable nightmare.”

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Jerry Brown signed landmark legislation today from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that will prevent future firestorms like those that have become a staple of California’s year-round wildfire season while protecting electric utility ratepayers from bearing unfair recovery and improvement costs.

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill today from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that will help victims of disasters such as wildfires recover losses from their insurance companies. 

“Despite heavy insurance industry lobbying, I’m proud to say we have a new law that will help people rebuild their homes quickly and help communities recover,” Senator Dodd said. “I fought for greater reforms and I will continue my efforts to prevent insurance companies from denying policyholders the coverage they’ve paid for and deserve.”

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill today from Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, requiring newly sold or installed electric garage door openers to be equipped with backup batteries. The new law will prevent people from being trapped in their garages during power failures such as those triggered by recent wildfires.