Senator Nancy Skinner

The California Legislature has approved Senate Bill 42, also known as the Getting Home Safe Act, by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 42 is designed to end the dangerous practice of county jails releasing people in the middle of the night.  

SB 42 was inspired by the tragic case of Jessica St. Louis, who died July 28, 2018 after she was released from Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail at 1:30 a.m.

The California Legislature has approved SB 337, “The Child Support Reform Act,” by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 337 will help low-income families by ensuring that more child support payments go to kids and less is taken by the state. The bill increases the amount of the child support payment that is passed through to custodial parents from $50 to $100 for families with one child and to $200 a month for those with two or more kids.

The California Legislature has approved SB 44, “Ditching Dirty Diesel,” by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 44 is designed to incentivize the move away from pollution-belching, petroleum-diesel trucks and speed the transition to zero emission fuels and technologies for medium and heavy duty vehicles.

The California Legislature today approved SB 206, the Fair Pay to Play Act, by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 206 will give California student athletes the right to their name, image, and likeness, allowing them to earn money from sponsorships, endorsements, and other activities related to their hard work and talent — a right that all other students and California residents have.

The California Legislature today approved Senate Bill 310, also known as “The Right to a Jury of Your Peers,” by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 310 allows people with a prior felony conviction to serve on juries in California for the first time.

“SB 310 will ensure that Californians can be tried by a true jury of their peers,” Sen. Skinner said. “Currently, 30% of African-American men living in California are denied the basic civil right to serve on a jury. SB 310 will right that wrong.”

Gov. Newsom today signed Senate Bill 419 by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 419 is designed to keep kids in school by eliminating willful defiance suspensions in grades 4-5 and banning them in grades 6-8 for five years. The new law applies to both traditional public schools and charter schools.  

“SB 419 puts the needs of kids first,” Sen. Skinner said. “Ending willful defiance suspensions will keep kids in school where they belong and where teachers and counselors can help them thrive.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 234, the “Keeping Kids Close to Home Act,” by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 234 will expand childcare opportunities for California families and reduce costs and red tape for home childcare providers statewide.

“Family childcare homes are an accessible and affordable way to provide the care our children need,” Sen. Skinner said. “But neighborhood childcare providers have increasingly been pushed out by rising costs and onerous licensing requirements. SB 234 eases the permit process for family childcare homes.”

The California Legislature has approved Senate Bill 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 330 will accelerate housing construction in California by cutting the time it takes to obtain building permits, limiting fees on housing, and barring local governments from reducing the number of homes that can be built.

A new study released today by researchers at UC Davis School of Medicine suggests that California’s Gun Violence Restraining Order law (GVRO), also known as a “red flag” law, has prevented mass shootings since it went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

California’s law, AB 1014, the first of its kind in the nation, was authored by then-Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. AB 1014 allows either a law enforcement officer or a family member to seek a court injunction to remove firearms from a person who poses a significant danger to himself or others.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today issued the following statement on the 2019-20 budget agreement approved by both houses of the California Legislature:

“This budget supports California, its schools, families, and communities. In response to our housing crisis, it includes more than $2 billion for affordable housing and homeless services as well as rental assistance and legal help for tenants to help prevent homelessness,” Skinner said.