Caucus News

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed elder abuse prevention legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that was inspired by the abandonment of seniors at two Santa Rosa assisted living centers during the 2017 wildfires.

“This new law stands for the principle that we must always meet our obligations to seniors, especially in times of emergencies,” Sen. Dodd said. “Simply leaving them to fend for themselves in the face of disaster is unacceptable. I thank Gov. Newsom for supporting this  measure which will encourage caretakers to do the right thing.”

SACRAMENTO – A trio of wildfire safety bills advanced today from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that will increase the state’s ability to prevent, prepare and respond to the growing threat of wildfires across California.

“The arrival of fire season underscores the need for immediate action,” Sen. Dodd said. “We can’t sit back and watch our state burn. Getting a handle on the destructive fires we’ve seen across our state over the past few years is an absolute priority.”

The following bills were voted out of committee and moved a step closer to clearing the Legislature:

SACRAMENTO – Earlier today, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) approved an audit request by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) to review the efficacy and ongoing issues related to the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) Mobilehome Inspection Program.

Sacramento –  Yesterday, Senator Scott Wiener’s (D- San Francisco) legislation to repeal a one-year sentence enhancement that is added to an individual’s base sentence for each prior prison or felony jail term served passed the Assembly Committee on Public Safety with a 6-2 vote. SB 136 now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Sacramento, California–Yesterday, SB 61, SB 172 and SB 620 all authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D–La Cañada Flintridge) passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee. SB 61 and SB 172 further establish Senator Portantino’s leadership as one of California’s strongest gun control advocate and enhances public safety across our state.

SACRAMENTO – California could take out an insurance policy to protect itself from emergency response costs arising from wildfires and other unexpected disasters under legislation that cleared a key Assembly committee today co-authored by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Treasurer Fiona Ma.

Sacramento, California – Yesterday, SB 568, authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D–La Cañada Flintridge) passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee.  Glendale Community College’s Superintendent and President David Viar flew to Sacramento to offer testimony in support of the bill.  SB 568 would help the college offset revenue losses associated with closing on April 24. This date is important worldwide to the Armenian Community as it commemorates the Armenian Genocide.

Sacramento –  Today, Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) legislation to close a loophole that hampers prosecutions for automobile break-ins passed the Assembly Committee on Public Safety with a 5-0 vote. It now heads to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations for a vote. Current statue requires prosecutors to prove that the door of a burglarized car was locked, even if the evidence shows that the defendant bashed in a window or the victims testifies that they locked their doors.

SACRAMENTO – As other states and the federal government continue to threaten and even ban access to reproductive healthcare, the Assembly Higher Education Committee today passed the “College Student Right to Access Act” by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino).  This important legislation will ensure access to medication abortion on California public university campuses for students who seek to end their pregnancy during the first ten weeks.

SACRAMENTO – Senator Bob Wieckowski’s (D-Fremont) Senate Bill 616, ensuring that at least $2,000 must be left in a bank account when it is levied by a debt collector, passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee this morning.