Caucus News

SACRAMENTO (June 21, 2018) -- Sen. Holly J. Mitchell speaks in support of SCR 151 and “ASK Day,” which encourages parents to begin asking the life-saving questions that encourage public health, medical and other professionals to discuss gun ownership, gun safety and safe storage in the home with their patients and parents and guardians of minors.

SACRAMENTO (June 21, 2018) -- During a press conference today by the API, Black, Latino and Women's caucuses, Sen. Holly J. Mitchell denounced cruel federal immigration policies and called on all to ensure children are cared for in safe, healthy, child-appropriate settings. "That’s government's role in protecting children we remove from their parents," Mitchell said.

Sacramento, CA – June 20, 2018 – California Small Business Day 2018 was celebrated yesterday in Sacramento, honoring organizations statewide as Small Businesses of the Year. Each honoree was selected by their local legislator as a standout small business in their district. Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) recognized Rico’s on 3rd as the 40th Senate District’s 2018 Small Business of the Year in recognition of its support of the community, and steadfast commitment to customer service and high business ethics.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) introduced Climate Safe California, Senate Bill 30, to promote the nation’s first insurance market that can help reduce protect communities from climate-caused disasters.

SB 30 orders the Department of Insurance to create a working group to recommend market-based policies that protect California’s “natural infrastructure” and mitigate climate impacts.

The Assembly Insurance Committee unanimously passed the bill today.  

SACRAMENTO – State Senator Bob Wieckowski’s (D-Fremont) bill to make it easier for homeowners to construct accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to help address California’s housing crisis passed the Assembly Housing and Community Development today.

SB 831 contains several elements to make construction easier, including prohibiting owner-occupancy requirements, and exempting ADUs from lot coverage ratio calculations. It also creates an amnesty program that would ease the process of approving a pre-existing unpermitted ADU.

SACRAMENTO – Senator Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, today announced that SB 1001, also known as the “B.O.T. Act of 2018” (“Bolstering Online Transparency”), cleared its first Assembly Committee yesterday.

In Tuesday’s Assembly Privacy Committee hearing, Sen. Hertzberg accepted several amendments to the bill, stating that though the amendments weaken some of the bill’s provisions, he is committed to ensuring the Legislature addresses the critical issue of the spread of bots this legislative session.

Sacramento – Today the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee gutted Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) bill to restore Obama-era net neutrality protections in California. The hostile amendments to Senate Bill 822 were made before the bill even had a hearing, which goes against standard practice. Senator Wiener’s statement:

SACRAMENTO –Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins today recognized San Diego resident Veronica Zerrer as Veteran of the Year in the 39th District for 2018.

Retired U.S. Army Major Zerrer was active in the U.S. Navy from 1976 to 1980, serving as a cryptologic technician, and then in the Army from 1980 to 1998, as a cavalry scout, platoon leader, company commander and staff officer while assigned to the 1st Infantry and the 35th Infantry Divisions.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) released a statement after the Assembly Health Committee approved health coverage for all seniors with the 11-4 passage of Senate Bill 974, Health4All Elders. SB 974 would extend the state’s low-income Medi-Cal program to all Californians age 65 and over regardless of their immigration status.

SACRAMENTO – After hearing powerful testimony from nurses and other patient advocates, the Assembly Health Committee today approved legislation authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) that will protect patient safety and reinforce nurse staffing ratio requirements.