Caucus News

SACRAMENTO, CA — Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) today announced that his Senate Bill (SB) 374, which would make California the first state in the country to add reproductive coercion to its definition of domestic violence, passed its first key committee, the Judiciary Committee.

SACRAMENTO – Today, Californians find themselves staring down another climate emergency – this time, it’s drought. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced it expects to deliver a mere 5 percent of requested water supplies this year – a low we have not seen since the last historic drought.

PETALUMA – Faith Ross, co-founder of Petaluma Blacks for Community Development who curated the town’s Black History Month exhibit during a year of nationwide outrage over police treatment of Black people, has been named Sonoma County Woman of the Year by Sen. Bill Dodd.

SACRAMENTO - The Senate Labor committee passed four bills authored by Senator María Elena Durazo on Monday, including legislation to uplift the dignity of workers by ending the piece rate system in the garment industry, expanding protections in the workplace for domestic workers, ending the sub-minimum wage for those with disabilities, and creating high-road jobs in California's transportation industry. 

WOODLAND – Yolo County Public Information Officer Jenny Tan, who has kept the community updated with timely reports on the coronavirus pandemic as well as a series of destructive wildfires, has been named Yolo County’s Woman of the Year by Sen. Bill Dodd.

Sacramento, Calif. –Today, SB 606 introduced by Senator Lena Gonzalez passed in the California State Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. SB 606 would give the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) the necessary tools to hold large employers accountable for workplace health and safety violations and strengthen worker protections to encourage workers to report unsafe working conditions and prevent employer retaliation.

Today, Assemblymember’s Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) and Evan Low (D-Campbell) announced the introduction of AB 812, and Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) introduced SB 530; both are bills that aim to bring California’s rape statues into parity by requiring the same standards for spousal rape that are currently in the penal code for rape. These bills will eliminate the “spousal rape exception” in the California Penal Code (Section 262) to ensure that “spousal rape” is treated and punished as seriously as rape of a non-spouse.

SACRAMENTO – On World Water Day 2021, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach), Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), and climate change experts called on Californians to encourage their communities to support SB 1, legislation authored by Pro Tem Atkins to provide tools for California to combat sea level rise. 

SACRAMENTO - Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s legislation, Senate Bill 477 and Senate Bill 10, passed the Senate Housing Committee. SB 477 passed with a bipartisan vote of 7-1 and will now head to the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB 10 passed with a bipartisan vote of 7-1, and will now head to the Governance and Finance Committee.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) questioned the Medical Board of California regarding their review and action procedures of provider complaints during the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee Joint Hearing Sunset Review.