Caucus News

Sacramento, CA – Millions of dollars in critical mental health funding will flow into both Humboldt and Mendocino counties from a state Mental Health Services Act grant fund established last year by the legislature. 
 
$5 million was recently approved by the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for both Mendocino and Humboldt counties ($2.5 million each) to build on their partnerships with schools to address mental illness among children and teens. 
 

SACRAMENTO – A bill by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to require the licensing of debt collectors and debt buyers in California moved one step closer to becoming law when it was approved today by the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee.  SB 908 now advances to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. It has already passed the Senate.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: ANNE M. DI GRAZIA

anne.digrazia@sen.ca.gov

Harris for VP…A Victory For Women

SB 776, a bill by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, that would expand and strengthen public access to police records, has garnered support from a large coalition of 500 music artists and entertainers.

Yesterday, the Assembly Local Government Committee rejected Senate Bill 1385, the Neighborhood Homes Act. This bill provided local governments with the necessary tools to allow residential development on underperforming or vacant commercial retail and office space in order to eliminate blight and create much-needed housing clos to services and transportation routes.

Sacramento, CA – Senator Mike McGuire is a lead author of AB 323, a bill that would help save newspapers across the Golden State and allow print media outlets to continue using independent contractors as carriers for another two years, until Jan. 1, 2023 (the current provision sunsets Jan. 1, 2021). This week, the bill passed 5-0 out of the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. Senator McGuire released the following statement about the bill:

SACRAMENTO – A bill co-authored by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would extend for two years a requirement for newspapers to comply with the state’s new gig-worker law, protecting the industry from financial crisis while ensuring the future of journalism, cleared a key committee today.

 SACRAMENTO -- Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would streamline residential insurance claims for victims of disasters such as wildfires cleared a key committee today.

“Californians facing the dual threat of wildfires and the coronavirus pandemic shouldn’t be subjected to insurance company delays when filing a disaster claim,” Sen. Dodd said. “This bill prevents people from being buried under mountains of paperwork and gets them what they need to recover in a timely manner. It’s especially important to have that peace of mind in these uncertain times.”

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network holds its awards ceremony and a panel discussion on legislative efforts to restrict flavored tobacco sales on Thursday.

SACRAMENTO – With peak wildfire season approaching, the Assembly transportation committee today passed legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would help expedite and improve emergency evacuations by authorizing municipalities across the state to use European-style “hi-lo” sirens in patrol vehicles.