In response to a rise in hate, California lawmakers are turning their attention to gaps in Holocaust and genocide education in the state’s schools. Today, Senator Henry Stern (SD27 – Los Angeles) introduced SB 472, a bill aimed at addressing these gaps. The bill will implement two key recommendations from a statewide study: providing direct funding to school districts to teach this critical material, and establishing a system to monitor and evaluate educational outcomes.

On Thursday, February 27th, join me and Assemblymember Hart in welcoming Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and other industry experts at a town hall to discuss the state of home insurance for our community and state.
The town hall will be covering market challenges and upcoming reforms that the Department of Insurance is pursuing. There will be a presentation followed by Q&A.

Below is the most recent storm information as of 2:30PM on 2/12/2025
 
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
 
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has issued an EVACUATION ORDER for the identified properties associated with the Lake Fire burn scar. This Evacuation Order is due to strong storm conditions with the potential to produce flash flooding, debris flows, and landslides. Residents should leave no later than 3 PM. 
The remaining areas of the Lake Fire Burn Scar will stay under an Evacuation Warning. 

SACRAMENTO, California – February 12, 025 – Senator Laura Richardson (D-South Bay) joined Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) and a broad coalition of Senators from across the Golden State in announcing a sweeping legislative effort to strengthen California’s wildfire response and recovery, and to make communities more wildfire safe.

Sacramento, CA — Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) and Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) have introduced new legislation to transform and streamline how wildfire mitigation investments are evaluated and coordinated across California. 
SB 326, the Wildfire Mitigation Strategic Planning Act, establishes a comprehensive framework to better align state, federal, industry, and private wildfire prevention efforts, ensuring that every dollar spent delivers maximum protection for communities.

The people of Moss Landing are experiencing what the people of Pajaro and Capitola have experienced before them. Three weeks after the catastrophic fire, news cameras and reporters are slipping away, they must deal with the aftermath while out of the spotlight.
 

State Senator John Laird has been appointed to the Legislative Advisory Committee within the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) by Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) and the Senate Rules Committee.

Governor Gavin Newsom and the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education released a groundbreaking report, “Holocaust and Genocide Education in California: A Study of Statewide Context and Local Implementation.” The report investigates the state of education across California to ensure educators and students are empowered with the tools to confront hate, bigotry, and misinformation while fostering empathy and resilience. 

The recent fire at the Moss Landing battery storage facility is deeply troubling, and the community continues to seek answers nearly a week later. The day after the fire began, I joined California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild and other elected leaders at the incident command center in Moss Landing to receive an initial briefing on the fire’s timeline, air quality & environmental concerns, and potential impacts on local residents.

SACRAMENTO – State Senator John Laird, Chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education, released the following statement today regarding Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent January Budget proposal for 2025-2026.