Caucus News

Sacramento, CA – Senator Mike McGuire, whose district has been ravaged by massive fires and heavily impacted by power shutoffs, released the following statement regarding today’s emergency California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) meeting to hear responses from Pacific Gas & Electric leadership about the issues and concerns raised during and after last week’s Public Safety Power Shutoff.

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, today commended Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara for advocating on behalf of 2017 wildfire survivors to persuade 26 insurance companies to voluntarily extend temporary living expense benefits beyond the two-year requirement.

“I appreciate the insurance commissioner for joining us in pushing the industry to do the right thing,” Sen. Dodd said. “It shouldn’t be so hard. But I’m glad the companies that did finally came around.”

SACRAMENTO – Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) today released the following statement in response to the announcement that the state has launched the nation's first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System:

I am proud to co-host a Halloween Safety Resource Fair with Assemblymember Bill Quirk, and Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley. 

We will have available brochures and other materials on safety tips for parents and children for the Halloween holiday. Members of my district staff will also be on hand to answer constituent questions and listen to concerns you may have.

Sacramento, California – SB 172 became the third important gun safety measure authored by State Senator Anthony J.

SACRAMENTO – Leaders of the California Assembly and Senate select committees on the state’s $57 billion wine industry will hold a joint informational hearing Oct. 31 in Lodi.

Sens. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, chair their respective select committees. They will lead a pair of panel discussions, starting with an overview of Central Valley grape production followed by a talk on wine fermentation emissions and related air quality rules under consideration.

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced today the completion of a busy 2019 legislative session with 16 bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom – the highest number from any single California lawmaker this year.

“We’ve tackled some important issues but the work goes on,” Sen. Dodd said. “They key is to maintain our progress on making California a better place to live and work. And we have plenty of challenges left to address.”

San Francisco –  Today, San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, and Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín announced their support for Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 378. SB 378 puts in place reasonable, commonsense mechanisms to ensure that utilities are pursuing planned blackouts with adequate prudence, that utilities aren’t knee-jerk shutting off power to eliminate liability risk, and that the negative consequences of blackouts on local communities are minimized. 

Three Jackson Bills Signed Into Law Assist Older Californians

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara) bill to establish a comprehensive plan for addressing the needs of the state’s aging and disabled residents.

Sacramento, California–Senator Anthony J. Portantino’s (D–La Cañada Flintridge) bill SB 600 has been signed by the Governor. This valuable legislation ensures health insurance coverage for cancer patients and others fighting disease who want the option to protect their fertility. Senator Portantino has been endeavoring for over a decade to solve this public health issue to help patients have fertility options. As a father, this issue has long been a passion for the Senator.