Caucus News

Sacramento, CA – February 28, 2019 – California Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins today announced the reappointment of State Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) as Chair of the Senate Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation. This will be Sen. Hueso’s third legislative session serving as Chair of this Select Committee in the Senate after having chaired a similar committee in the Assembly from 2011-2013.

Sacramento, CA— Dr. Richard Pan, pediatrician and State Senator who authored Senate Bill 277 in 2015 which removed all exemptions to vaccine requirements for school entry except medical exemptions, and Leah Russin, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Vaccinate California, a parent advocacy group working to improve public health in California by raising vaccination rates, made the following statements after today’s release of a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention report that provides details of a 2018 measles outbreak among unvaccinated individuals in California. 

(Sacramento, CA) – Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) is gearing up for battle with President Trump and his ego-driven decision to gut the counter–drug and military construction budgets. “In my nearly forty years of combined service as the nation’s Deputy Drug Czar, federal prosecutor and military officer, I could not have imagined that our President would cut counter-drug and defense funding with so little regard for its impact on the American people and those in uniform,” said Senator Umberg.

SACRAMENTO – In an effort to bring attention to gambling addiction and connect people with treatment, the California Senate today passed a bipartisan resolution from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, declaring March Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

“I hope this will promote a better understanding of problem gambling and prompt people struggling with problem gambling to seek help,” said Sen. Dodd. “Awareness and access to services are critical for anyone struggling with addiction, and that includes those facing gambling problems."

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today unveiled Senate Bill 419, which seeks to keep kids in school by eliminating the suspension of students for low-level offenses known as “willful defiance.” Such suspensions have disproportionately impacted students of color, LGBTIQ students, and those with disabilities in California.

San Francisco –  Today, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), CALPIRG, and Environment California announced their support for Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) SB 50, the More HOMES Act. They join the California League of Conservation Voters and other organizations in supporting the legislation. SB 50 eliminates hyper-low-density zoning near transit and job centers, thus legalizing apartment buildings and affordable housing in these locations so that more people can live near transit and near where they work.

State Senators Jerry Hill and Ben Allen, joined by Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Kevin Mullin with Senators Anthony Portantino, Nancy Skinner and Scott Wiener, introduced legislation today to place a state constitutional amendment before California voters to make it easier for public school districts to pass local school parcel taxes.

Sacramento, California – Responding to a request from the City of Glendale, Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D–La Cañada Flintridge) has introduced SB 521 & SB 532.  If passed and signed, both bills will help the city with affordable housing pressures.  SB 532 is of particular importance to Senator Portantino as he voted against the dissolution of Redevelopment agencies while he was in the Assembly.  His independent vote caused him to be punished for sticking up for Glendale’s laudable Redevelopment work.

Sacramento, CA – Legislation requiring online and out-of-state retailers like EBay, Etsy or Amazon to collect sales taxes like local brick and mortar California businesses passed its first committee today.

Sen. Holly J. Mitchell takes to the Senate Floor to talk about the community-building role played by A New Way of Life Re-Entry Legal Clinic.