Senator Scott Wiener

California will regulate electronic cigarettes just as it does all other tobacco products under legislation signed today by Governor Jerry Brown. SBX2 5, authored by Senator Mark Leno, protects the public against exposure to e-cigarettes by ensuring they are accurately defined as tobacco products and fall under the state’s existing smoke-free laws. It also requires that all e-cigarettes and liquids for e-cigarettes be sold in child-resistant packaging.

Legislation authored by Senator Ben Allen and Senator Mark Leno passed the state Assembly today on a vote of 48 – 26.  Senate Bill (SB) 254 would place an instructional measure on the November 2016 ballot which, if passed, would urge California’s elected officials to use all of their constitutional authority, including, but not limited to, proposing and ratifying one or more amendments to the United States Constitution, to overturn Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

SACRAMENTO – Senator Mark Leno, Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, released the following statement today regarding Governor Jerry Brown’s revised budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year:
“California’s economy is strong and its fiscal position is stable. Although revenues are slightly lower than January’s projections, the adjustment is small and not a major shift in fortunes.  Governor Brown’s budget revision builds upon that fiscal stability and sets aside revenues for an uncertain future.

The Homeowner Survivor Bill of Rights (Senate Bill 1150), authored by Senators Mark Leno and Cathleen Galgiani, closes a loophole in California law that fails to provide surviving spouses and children important protections against foreclosure that are available to other homeowners.

Legislation authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) to reduce natural gas leaks throughout California was approved by the Senate today with bipartisan support. Senate Bill 1441, which is jointly authored by Senator Fran Pavley, (D-Agoura Hills), creates incentives for utilities to reduce natural gas emissions which harm the environment and pose a safety hazard. It also protects consumers by prohibiting utilities from recouping the costs of leaked natural gas from ratepayers.

The California Senate approved legislation today authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) to limit the use of room confinement in juvenile facilities. Senate Bill 1143 provides that room confinement can only be used after less restrictive options have been tried and bans its use for the purposes of punishment, coercion, convenience or retaliation.

200 young women from San Francisco and Daly City high schools and local non-profit organizations attend workshops on empowerment, self esteem, peer pressure, higher education and career building

Governor Jerry Brown signed six bills authored by Senator Mark Leno into law in 2015. The bills all take effect on January 1, 2016.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Jerry Brown today signed legislation that protects large employers and their workers from unfair healthcare premiums. Senate Bill 546, authored by Senator Mark Leno, improves transparency in the large group healthcare market by requiring insurance providers to disclose the factors used in increasing their rates.

SACRAMENTO – Legislation authored by Senator Mark Leno that provides new protections for transgender foster youth in California was signed into law today by Governor Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 731 ensures that all foster youth, including those who identify as transgender, are placed in appropriate homes where they feel safe and accepted. It requires caregivers tasked with placing foster youth in homes to take a young person’s gender identity into consideration when making this critical decision.