Senator Henry Stern

SACRAMENTO -- Individuals with disabilities and their families will be able to save money, tax free, without fear of losing eligibility for public assistance under two bills signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.Senate Bill 324 by Senator Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills and Assembly Bill 449 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin of Thousand Oaks set up a state-run savings program. The bills allow California to participate in a new program, the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, signed by President Barack Obama in December.

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law Sen. Fran Pavley’s Groundwater Management Act, Senate Bill 226.The legislation strengthens last year’s landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act by providing an expedited, more efficient method for determining the rights of opposing parties to pump groundwater from a shared aquifer.Quicker “adjudication” of water-related squabbles will speed up the planning process for protecting subterranean basins under the 2014 legislation.

AB 1288 by Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins ensures that communities disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution are represented at the California Air Resources Board.The board is one of the most important regulatory agencies in California. Its actions impact the environment, health and well-being of all Californians.

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law Sen. Fran Pavley’s Senate Bill 507. The legislation, sponsored by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, grants criminal prosecutors an opportunity to keep sexually violent predators out of communities.The proposal provides prosecutors with the same access as defense lawyers to state hospital records of sexually violent predators during commitment reviews.

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law Sen. Fran Pavley’s park legislation, Senate Bill 204.The bill bolsters financial and in-kind support for the state park system, which has been bedeviled by inadequate funding and years of deferred maintenance of facilities.SB 204 expands access to parks and improves working relationships between park officials and volunteers and supportive non-profit organizations. The measure also speeds planning and broadens the types of projects that involve cooperation with the private sector.

SACRAMENTO – Senate Bill 32, a measure aimed at bolstering California’s efforts to combat climate pollution well into the 21st Century, will not be considered during the waning hours of the legislative session set to adjourn late Friday.Rather, it will become a two-year bill taken up again when lawmakers return to the Capitol early next year.

SACRAMENTO --  Today, U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer (both D-CA) came out in support of two major climate and clean energy bills that are before the state Legislature, SB 32 and SB 350, and sent this open letter to members of the California State Assembly.Signed letter attached, text below.

SACRAMENTO --  Today, U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer (both D-CA) came out in support of two major climate and clean energy bills that are before the state Legislature, SB 32 and SB 350, and sent this open letter to members of the California State Assembly.Signed letter attached, text below.Open Letter to the California State Assembly on Senate Bill 350 and Senate Bill 32

SACRAMENTO -- Californians have the skill and determination to greatly reduce all forms of air pollution and stave off the specter of climate change, state Sen. Fran Pavley said Tuesday at a Capitol press conference.“We know today that we can do this,” said the Agoura Hills representative, “and we have a moral imperative to do so.”

SACRAMENTO -- Executives from major companies will express support for Senate Bills 32 and 350, important measures that will help California boost efforts to combat climate pollution.A press conference featuring representatives from Dignity Health and Autodesk Inc. is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, in the hallway in front of the Room 205 in the historic State Capitol.