Caucus News

Senator Dave Cortese (D-Silicon Valley) made the following statement regarding his bill SB 435, The Ending Online Sexual Trafficking and Exploitation Act, passing through the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 12th.

SACRAMENTO – Amid the Omicron surge, Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced legislation today to boost his previous relief for struggling restaurants and bars, expanding provisions of his 2021 law allowing the sale and delivery of to-go cocktails.

Sacramento, CA – Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal of a $214 billion state budget plan today, State Senator Ben Allen (D –Santa Monica) released the following statement.

Sacramento, CA – Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal of a $214 billion state budget plan today, State Senator Ben Allen (D –Santa Monica) released the following statement.

Sacramento, CA – Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal of a $214 billion state budget plan today –with allocations to fight wildfires, tackle drought, and transition to clean energy –State Senator Ben Allen (D –Santa Monica), chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and co-chair of the Environmental Caucus, released the following statement.

Sacramento, CA – Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal of a $214 billion state budget plan today –with allocations to fight wildfires, tackle drought, and transition to clean energy –State Senator Ben Allen (D –Santa Monica), chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and co-chair of the Environmental Caucus, released the following statement.

California’s renters tax credit would be updated to help low-income households, especially those with children, under a broadly supported bipartisan bill introduced by Senator Steve Glazer and coauthored by Senator Josh Becker. “California renters are caught between the soaring costs to keep a roof over their heads and the scarcity of affordable housing. No one feels the squeeze as much as low-income families. This legislation would increase the renters tax credit for those who need it most," said Senator Becker.

SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s Senate Bill 467 passed the Senate Public Safety Committee today with a bipartisan, unanimous vote. SB 467, the End Wrongful Convictions Act, would amend the standards used for evaluating expert testimony and forensics in court pre- and post-conviction. Faulty forensic and scientific evidence, provided by expert witnesses, is the second most common reason that individuals are wrongfully convicted. Today, courts have discretion over which expert testimony is admissible.

SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s legislation, Senate Bill 793, passed the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 32-0. It will now head to the Assembly for policy committee hearings. SB 793, the Entertainment Venue Recovery Act, creates a new live music entertainment venue license to reduce the burden on these venues. Venues must currently conform to the qualifications of a restaurant license — requiring them to install expensive restaurant-grade kitchens — even though many do not fit into that category.

SACRAMENTO - Senate Bill 57, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), has passed the Assembly Health Committee by a vote of 9-4.It now heads to the Assembly Public Safety Committee. SB 57 legalizes overdose prevention programs, also known as safe consumption sites or safe injection sites, as pilot programs in San Francisco, Oakland, the City of Los Angeles, and Los Angeles County.