Caucus News

Sacramento–  Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Todd Gloria’s (D-San Diego) legislation to reduce barriers to accessing HIV preventative medications passed the Assembly Committee on Business and Professions with a 17-0 vote. It now heads to the Assembly Committee on Health for a vote. SB 159 authorizes pharmacists to furnish pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to patients without a physician prescription.

SACRAMENTO – In a letter sent today to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) expressed support for additional federal funding to reimburse state and local governments and groups providing humanitarian support for new immigrants as negotiations between the House, the Senate and the White House continue.

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Natural Resources Committee today approved Senate Bill 168 by Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to establish a chief climate resilience officer in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR).  The bill now moves to the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.

SACRAMENTO – Horse-racing safety legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that is prompted by deaths of horses at Santa Anita Park was approved by the Legislature today with unanimous support and heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a signature.

SACRAMENTO – Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) has named The Albright as Small Business of the Year for Senate District 26. The Albright, which was chosen for its commitment to sustainability and dedication to the Santa Monica community, received the award at a Sacramento luncheon sponsored by the California Small Business Association on Wednesday, June 19  (see photo below).

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Steve Glazer on Friday applauded Governor Gavin Newsom's appointment of Harriet Richardson as the first Inspector General for BART, a position created to give the agency’s board and the public an independent set of eyes and ears to hold managers accountable for the safe, clean and efficient operation of the transit system.

Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana), Chair of the Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments, announced today his introduction of Senate Bill 696 (SB 696), which would prohibit the name of a political party from including the terms “independent,” “decline to state,” or “no party preference” or any variation of those words.

SACRAMENTO –Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, issued the following statement today in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s draft wildfire recovery outline:

Link to original Guest Press Release HERE:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On Tuesday, bipartisan legislation to protect Californians, especially children, from jewelry tainted with highly toxic heavy metals sailed through a key committee.

The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee unanimously passed SB 647, the Safe Jewelry Act, sending the legislation to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) this week named the San Diego Chicken Pie Shop as Small Business of the Year for 2019 in District 39.

“The Townsend family has made the Chicken Pie Shop an institution in San Diego,” Atkins said. “It has thrived for eight decades because it adheres to several core principles: high-quality product, first-rate customer service and an undeniable sense of community. There’s a reason I’ve held more than a few lunch meetings at this wonderful restaurant.”