Caucus News

SACRAMENTO – Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) announced that his bill to provide more shelter options for individuals experiencing homelessness and their pets cleared the Senate Human Services Committee. 

SB 258 would allocate $5,000,000 in grants to be distributed to homeless shelters that provide shelter, food, and basic veterinary services to the pets of people experiencing homelessness.

Initial hearing on CROWN Act is Tuesday, March 26

SACRAMENTO –The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 will begin consideration of a new bill introduced by Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, to end decades of racial discrimination based on hairstyles.

The hearing is expected to begin at 1:30 p.m. in Room 112 of the Capitol.

Sacramento, California – Today, SB 302 authored by State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D–La Cañada Flintridge), to reestablish a trade office between California and Armenia passed the State Senate Business and Professions Committee.  The bill received bi-partisan support and garnered a unanimous vote.   Armenian Consul General Armen Baibourtian flew to Sacramento to offer testimony in favor of the proposal.

SACRAMENTO – California Senate pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, Assemblymember Todd Gloria and San Diego’s leading environmental and labor advocates united on Friday to detail legislation that will protect key environmental and labor standards from attacks by the Trump administration.

Sacramento, California – Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D–La Cañada Flintridge) will be presenting SB 302, the Armenian/California International Trade and Investment Office Bill, before the Senate Business and Professions Committee on Monday, March 25, 2019.   SB 302 seeks to officially reestablish the trade office between California and Yerevan.  The office was originally created by Senator Jack Scott but terminated by Governor Schwarzenegger.  The Senate Business and Professions Committee is the first legislative hurdle for the bill.  

Sacramento– Today, the University of California Student Association, the official voice of over 240,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all ten UC campuses, has announced support for Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) SB 50 - the More HOMES Act. SB 50 eliminates hyper-low-density zoning near public transit and job centers, thus legalizing apartment buildings and affordable housing in these locations so that more people can live near transit.

SACRAMENTO – California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) applauded today’s announcement by the California Department of Housing and Community Development that San Diego County was awarded $40 million in grant funding through the No Place Like Home program.

SACRAMENTO – As one report after another warns of severe damage to natural and man-made environments and extensive economic harm caused by climate change, today the Senate Environmental Quality Committee approved SB 168 by State Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to create a position of chief officer of climate adaptation and resilience.  The chief officer would be appointed by the Governor and coordinate climate adaptation out of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.

SACRAMENTO – The Senate Health Committee voted 7-1 in favor of SB 29, legislation authored by Senator María Elena Durazo (D- Los Angeles) which gives all Californians who qualify for Medi-Cal, access to quality care regardless of immigration status. The bill now heads to the Appropriations Committee.

SACRAMENTO – California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins; Assembly Member Todd Gloria; San Diego City Councilmembers Georgette Gómez (President), Jennifer Campbell and Chris Ward; Carlsbad City Councilmember Cori Schumacher; Chula Vista City Councilmember Stephen C. Padilla; and Encinitas City Councilmember Joe Mosca issued the following statement calling on San Diego Unified School District Board Trustee Kevin Beiser to resign: