Caucus News

SACRAMENTO – State Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) is renewing his effort to resolve part of the state’s housing crisis by introducing SB 13, a bill that would reduce development impact fees and eliminate other barriers  for homeowners who want to construct accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property. In addition to impact fees, other remaining barriers to ADU construction include owner-occupancy requirements, ADU permit reviews, and setbacks.

San Francisco-- Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) released the following statement on World AIDS Day:

NAPA – After receiving strong opposition to the project from a group of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta lawmakers, including Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, the federal government has rejected a request for a loan to pay for California WaterFix, a controversial twin-tunnels project that threatens the environmental and economic vitality of the state’s most important waterway.

San Francisco –  Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced his intent to re-introduce a bill to exempt compassionate care programs from paying state commercial cannabis taxes when they are providing free medical cannabis to financially disadvantaged people living with serious health conditions. This bill is modeled off of Senator Wiener’s SB 829, which was vetoed by Governor Brown in September.

Senators Jerry Hill, Steve Glazer, Anthony J. Portantino, Connie M. Leyva and Scott Wiener with Assemblymember Kevin McCarty announced today they will introduce a bill when the Legislature reconvenes next week to prohibit sales of flavored tobacco products – including flavored electronic cigarettes – in retail stores and vending machines to halt an upswing in nicotine consumption by youths.

Pasadena, California – On Wednesday, November 28, State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D–La Cañada Flintridge) and California Secretary of Transportation Brian Annis held a press conference to present the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the 710 Freeway Corridor to the public.  Spanning 60 years, the completion of the 710 freeway from Valley Boulevard in Alhambra to the 210 freeway in Pasadena has been one of the most complex transportation projects in California history.  

San Francisco, CA – Senator Mike McGuire, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (JCFA), and Assemblymember Mark Stone, Vice Chairman, are hosting a comprehensive hearing TOMORROW, Wednesday, November 28 at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – Senator Ricardo Lara encouraged Los Angeles City Council members to include a permit system for sidewalk vendors as they near final approval of an ordinance that complies with a new state law that legalizes vending.

This year Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 946, removing criminal penalties for vending and allowing cities to adopt local rules to regulate it. SB 946 goes into effect on January 1, 2019. 

San Francisco— Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement on the 40th anniversary of the murders of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone:

San Francisco –  Today Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced that when the Legislature convenes on December 3, he will introduce a bill, sponsored by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, to close a loophole that hampers prosecutions for automobile break-ins. The bill is modeled on Senator Wiener’s SB 916, which he introduced in 2018, but which did not pass.