Caucus News

Sacramento, California –Senator Anthony J. Portantino’s (D – La Cañada Flintridge) gun control bills, SB 61, SB 172, and SB 376, passed the Legislature and will now go to the Governor’s Office.  SB 61, SB 172, and SB 376 all further establish Senator Portantino as one of the country's leading sensible gun control advocates.  Senator Portantino has previously banned the open carry of handguns and rifles on Main Street California and raised the gun purchase age in California to 21. 

SACRAMENTO, CA – Last week, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) moved three additional bills to the Governor’s desk. The legislation, SB 351, SB 453 and SB 260 aims to provide unincorporated communities with access to implementation funding from the Transformative Climate Communities program, make it easier for older adults and people living with disabilities, as well as their families, to access support through additional funding, and help ensure Californians maintain health coverage.

Sacramento, CA – The 2019 Session adjourned on Friday, September 13th after months of intense deliberation and decision-making. This year, Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) championed issues of election integrity, consumer safety, student debt, religious discrimination, and barriers to affordable housing, among many others. In total, nine of the Senator’s bills were approved by the Legislature, and Governor Newsom has already signed two of them into law. Following passage in the Legislature, the Governor has 30 days to determine the fate of a bill.

SACRAMENTO – Recognizing the value of properly installed car and booster seats in safeguarding children, Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, has passed a resolution designating the third week of September as Child Passenger Safety Week.

“Putting in car seats correctly can save lives,” Sen. Dodd said. “All too often they are improperly installed and children are injured or even killed. My hope is to bring awareness to this situation and prevent the future tragic loss of life.”

SACRAMENTO, CA – Dr. Richard Pan, pediatrician and State Senator representing the Sacramento area made the following statement in regards to the Governor’s Executive Order to reduce youth vaping consumption:

Sacramento, CA – Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) released the following statement regarding the State Assembly’s inaction on his legislation, SB 54, during the 2019 session:

"I am disappointed that the State Assembly failed to take up a vote on SB 54 before adjourning for the year last Friday. This important measure would have established a first-of-its-kind framework to drastically reduce single-use plastic and packaging waste by 2030.

State Senator Jerry Hill, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty and Assemblymember Jim Wood issued a joint statement today following Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of Executive Order N-18-19.

SACRAMENTO – Dr. Richard Pan, pediatrician and State Senator representing the Sacramento region, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Sacramento Vice-Mayor Eric Guerra and local community advocates announced that the Sacramento region will get an infusion of state funds to target sex trafficking. 

The state dollars will help local and state officials determine the scope of sex trafficking in Sacramento and how to combat it both in Sacramento and in other areas of the state.   

SACRAMENTO – The California State Senate closed the 2019 legislative session last week having approved significant initiatives that address the affordable housing crisis, help improve wildfire preparation and response, reform law enforcement’s use of force, protect women’s rights and aid workers in the new economy, while at the same time cutting taxes for working families and small business and helping more middle-class families afford health coverage.

Sacramento–  Last week, 7 of Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) bills were approved by the Legislature and await the Governor’s decision. The governor has 30 days to sign or veto the legislation.

The full list of Senator Wiener’s bills heading to the Governor are:

SB 34- The Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary Compassionate Care Act