Senator Nancy Skinner

The California state Senate today unanimously approved SB 26, to move up the implementation date of SB 206, the Fair Pay to Play Act, to no later than Jan. 1, 2022. SB 26, which won Senate approval on 39-0 vote, is authored by state Senators Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Steven Bradford, D-Gardena, along with Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita. SB 26 also strengthens and expands the rights college athletes were granted under the 2019 law, SB 206, which was also authored by Sens. Skinner, Bradford and Wilk.

The California state Senate today gave the greenlight to Sen. Nancy Skinner’s two climate bills — SB 18 and SB 27 — which are designed to turbocharge the state’s efforts to avert the global climate crisis.

The California state Senate voted unanimously, 38-0, today to approve Sen. Nancy Skinner’s SB 354, which would expand opportunities in the foster care system for children to be housed with relatives and non-relative extended family member caregivers, provided that the child is not endangered.

The California state Senate voted 27-9 today to approve Sen. Nancy Skinner’s SB 81, which would establish judicial guidance on the use of sentencing enhancements. SB 81 reflects one of the 10 recommendations made by the California Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code. The committee, of which Sen. Skinner is a member, was appointed by Gov. Newsom and the Legislature to comprehensively examine California’s Penal Code and issue recommendations for reforming it.

The California state Senate today approved Sen. Nancy Skinner’s SB 524, also known as “Choose Your Own Pharmacist,” on a 38-0 vote. SB 524 will help ensure that patients can use the pharmacy they prefer by prohibiting “patient steering” — a practice in which health care plans and their agents limit what pharmacy can be used, even when the patient’s preferred pharmacy is in the patient’s health plan network. 

The California state Senate today approved Sen. Nancy Skinner’s SB 65, the California Momnibus Act, on a 31-7 vote. SB 65 is aimed at reducing California’s maternal death rates and infant mortality, which are disproportionately high for families of color. It will also improve research and data collection on racial and socio-economic factors that contribute to higher rates of maternal and infant mortality. 

The California state Senate today approved Sen. Nancy Skinner’s two housing bills, SB 8 and SB 290. SB 8 prevailed on a bipartisan, 30-2 vote, and SB 290 also garnered bipartisan support, passing 32-4. SB 8 and SB 290 are designed to address California’s housing shortage and spur the creation of more housing units, particularly for low-income and unsheltered Californians.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, announced on Thursday that due to the inclusion of federal and state funding that will help realize ‘Free School Meals for All” in both the Governor’s May Revise and the state Senate’s Build Back Boldly Budget plan, SB 364 will now be a two-year bill.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, issued the following statement on Gov. Newsom’s May Revise Budget proposal, “California Roars Back”:

Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), along with Senate Budget Chair Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and Senate Budget Subcommittee Chairs Anna M. Caballero (D-Salinas), María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), and Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont), announced today the Senate’s budget proposal to build a post-pandemic economy that extends prosperity for Californians and invests resources to address the state’s most pressing needs in innovative and equitable ways.