Caucus News

SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s Senate Bill 1144, the Safe and Efficient Water Act, passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee by a vote of 10-1. It will now head to the Senate Education Committee. SB 1144 requires public schools and state agencies to complete a water quality and efficiency assessment on their facilities. This bill ensures our public schools and state agencies have safe, drinkable water. Far too many school children and other California residents currently lack access to clean water.

SACRAMENTO – As California grapples with climate-worsened drought, legislation advanced today from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, to improve the way the state measures and manages water, protecting precious supplies and ensuring the most efficient use in communities and agriculture.

Senator Cortese’s (D-Silicon Valley) bill, SB 868, to ensure equity and stability for California’s oldest educators passed the California Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee on April 4th.

SACRAMENTO – The Senate Public Safety Committee today passed SB 1034, legislation by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) that strengthens the process for consideration of civil commitment of sexually violent predators and creates a housing committee of legal and local stakeholders to evaluate individuals and community safety needs after a court has determined that the person can be safely released back into the community with supervision.

Sacramento, CA - State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) introduced this week Senate Bill 987, the California Cancer Care Equity Act.  The measure would address significant disparities in cancer patient access by expanding Medi-Cal patient access to necessary clinical expertise and resources.

Sacramento, CA – Senate Bill 986, a measure authored by State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) and Senator Tom Umberg (D – Santa Ana) to combat catalytic converter theft, passed the Senate Business and Professions Committee today.  SB 986 tackles catalytic converter theft by requiring dealers to apply a vehicle identification number (VIN) to the catalytic converter of each vehicle listed for sale and is supported by the California District Attorneys Association and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore.

Sacramento, CA - Senate Bill 1116, a measure introduced by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) which creates a payroll fund to support small nonprofit performing arts organizations (SNPAOs), passed the Senate Business and Professions Committee today.

SACRAMENTO – Legislation advanced today from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would authorize the creation of mobile pharmacy vans to bring medication and counseling to California’s hard-to-reach communities, improving health for homeless people and many others who have inadequate access to care.

SACRAMENTO – Today, State Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), the Big City Mayors coalition, the California State Association of Psychiatrists, and the Psychiatric Physicians’ Alliance of California announced the introduction of legislation to overhaul the state’s behavioral health care system.

SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s Senate Bill 1186, which restores voter-created access to medical cannabis across the state by requiring cities to provide consumers access to purchase medicinal cannabis, passed the Senate Business and Professions Committee by a vote of 8-3. It now heads to the Senate Governance and Finance Committee.