Caucus News

Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León released the following statement on the oil spill off of El Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County:

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, the California Medical Association (CMA) announced it has become one of the first state medical associations in the nation to change organizational policy with regard to the issue of physician aid in dying.  The group’s longstanding position had been to oppose physician aid in dying and had been upheld several times since the policy was adopted in 1987.  By removing decades old organizational policy, CMA has also removed its opposition to Senate Bill (SB) 128 (Monning/Wolk), the End of Life Option Act.

Senator Mark Leno issued the following statement following Contra Costa County Probation Department's decision to end its use of solitary confinement for all youth detained in Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall.

Senator Wolk calls position change a major breakthrough
SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Medical Association (CMA) announced it has become one of the first state medical associations in the nation to remove its historic opposition to physician aid-in-dying. With this announcement, the organization has now officially taken a neutral position on SB 128 - The End of Life Option Act (Wolk). 

Support Comes After Pro Tem De León and Treasurer Chiang Visit to DC

STOCKTON – Senator Cathleen Galgiani today announced that she is sponsoring a contemporary art competition for California State Senate District 5.

Senator Galgiani will select the winning work of art that best represents the district. The winning artist will have their artwork displayed in the State Capitol as part of the California Contemporary Art Collection.

Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) issued the following statement today on the passage of minimum-wage and wage-theft ordinances by the Los Angeles City Council:
“It’s a great day for workers in the city of Los Angeles who toil for wages well below their worth and for the Los Angeles City Council who recognized that workers struggling with poverty deserve a pay raise and better protection from employers who steal their paychecks.

SACRAMENTO – In response to the Governor’s May Revise, State Senator Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) released the following statement:

“Children should not be forced to live in poverty. The Governor’s May Revise budget provides no additional help to lift children and families out of deep poverty despite an unexpected increase in state revenue of $6.7 billion.”

Sacramento — SB 629, a measure to correct an obsolete reference to the term “lynching” in California’s penal code by deleting it has been approved without dissent by California’s Senate.

SACRAMENTO – Earlier today, the California State Senate unanimously passed legislation that will ensure that all victims of crimes committed by minors are eligible to receive due compensation.
Authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) and jointly cosponsored by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and Crime Victims Action Alliance, SB 651 would expand the statutory definition of a ‘victim’ so that derivative victims—such as spouses, family members and housemates—will be eligible for compensation as a result of a crime committed against them by a minor.