Caucus News

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) announced that applications for the 2015-16 California Senate, Assembly, Executive and Judicial Fellowship programs are available.  

The programs provide college graduates an opportunity to become full-time staff members at the State Capitol in Sacramento for 10 - 11 months beginning in October 2015.  Fellowships are jointly operated by the three branches of state government and the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS).

State Senator Jerry Hill – joined by representatives for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and law enforcement officers from San Mateo and Santa Clara counties – will hold a news conference in Redwood City (Courthouse Square) to announce he is introducing legislation to require all drivers convicted of driving under the influence to install an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) on their vehicles. In the past 30 years, more than 50,000 people have died in California because of drunk drivers and more than one million have been injured.

Sacramento, CA – The President of the California State Senate, Kevin de Leon, announced that Senator Mike McGuire will join the Senate’s leadership team.
In just his fourth week on the job, it was announced that McGuire was selected to become vice-chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus and Chair of both the Human Services Committee and the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.  

Sacramento – State Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) will chair the Senate Environmental Quality Committee in the 2015-2016 legislative session, Senate President Pro Tem. Kevin de Leon’s office announced today.  It is familiar territory for Wieckowski who previously served as chair of the Assembly’s Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee during his first term in the Legislature.

SACRAMENTO – Senator Jim Beall, who has played instrumental roles in funding Highway 85 and extending BART to San Jose, was appointed chairman of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee today.

(MONTEREY, CA) – Earlier today, Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon announced that he had appointed Senator Bill Monning (D – Carmel) to serve as Majority Leader.

The Majority Leader serves as the main Floor manager for the President pro Tempore and the Majority Party, as well as serves as the chief assistant to the President pro Tempore in political matters and strategy.

Prompted by increasing concerns that artificial turf fields made with crumbs of rubber from recycled tires may be linked to serious illnesses in children, Senator Jerry Hill today introduced legislation that would prohibit the installation of these surfaces in schools and parks in California while the state conducts a study to determine possible health risks.

For Immediate Release                                                                                          Contact: Robert Oakes

Bill would provide health care providers immediate access to patients’ end-of-life orders  
SACRAMENTO — Legislation was introduced by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to provide health care professionals with access to an electronic record of their patients’ precise instructions for their end-of-life health care, ensuring immediate access to this critical information.

Only African American in CA State Senate represents South L.A.

Sacramento – Holly J. Mitchell was sworn in to the state Senate Monday, following a sweeping victory in last month’s election to represent California’s newly re-configured 30th Senate District. First elected to the Senate more than a year ago to fill the 26th District seat vacated by Curren Price, now a Los Angeles city councilman, Mitchell now returns to the Legislature’s upper chamber for a full four year term.