Caucus News

SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) released the following statement regarding Governor Newsom’s nomination of Associate Justice Patricia Guerrero to serve as the next Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, and his intent to appoint Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kelli Evans to the California Supreme Court as an Associate Justice:

SACRAMENTO – Today, the Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), appointed Kate Kendell to the Covered California Governing Board.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera), Chair of the California State Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, released the following statement following President Biden’s signing of the PACT Act, a federal legislative bill to expand health care benefits to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their combat tours:

Press Conference  - Senator Cortese, Consulate General of India and More Join Largest India Independence Day Celebrations in Bay Area

PICO RIVERA, CA – Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera)  released the following statement following the tragic shooting death of Monterey Park police officer Gardiel Solorio while off duty in the City of Downey:

Contact: Richard Stapler
Richard.Stapler@sen.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, CA --  State Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) gave the following statement at the opening of the State Legislature’s Select Committee on Monkeypox:
“I would like to thank the Pro Tem for establishing this Select Committee on Monkeypox and my colleague from San Francisco for so doggedly pursuing answers and clarity on addressing this public health crisis.

SACRAMENTO—Today, the California Latino Legislative Caucus (CLLC) elected Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (Riverside) as the next Caucus Chair and Senator Lena Gonzalez (Long Beach) as the next Vice Chair. Their two-year terms will commence on December 5, 2022.

ESPARTO – With seed money left to him by his grandmother 47 years ago, John Foster bought 200 bee hives and began producing honey on his Esparto farm. The one-man operation grew and today, Foster owns 35,000 hives and employs 60 workers.  In recognition of his success, Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, has named Foster and his company B-Z Bee Pollination the Yolo County Small Business of the Year.

Sacramento, CA - Senate Bill 1177, authored by State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) which creates an affordable housing regional trust between the cities of Pasadena, Burbank, and Glendale, is headed to the Governor’s desk for signature.  In June, the Senator announced that his budget request to create and fund the regional affordable housing trust had been approved in the 2022-2023 State Budget, allocating $23 million to help finance affordable housing projects created by SB 1177.

SACRAMENTO - Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s Senate Bill 922 passed the  Assembly by a vote of 68-1. It now heads to the Senate for final sign off before going to Governor Newsom’s desk. SB 922 extends and improves upon Senator Wiener’s previous legislation (SB 288, 2020) to expedite bike, pedestrian, light rail, and rapid bus projects by exempting these environmentally sustainable projects from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). SB 922 will accelerate approval of sustainable, climate-friendly transportation projects.