Caucus News

SACRAMENTO – This week, the California State Transportation Agency announced more than $4.325 billion in funding for Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) projects throughout the state. The funds, generated through the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1) and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), will accelerate local projects to improve public transit access and service.

The San Diego region was awarded $45.86 million to increase ridership, speed up transit service and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. 

SACRAMENTO ­– After two companies running offshore oil and gas drilling and production facilities off the Central Coast declared fiscal insolvency, a Senate budget subcommittee today approved $108.5 million in funding over three years to permanently secure, plug and abandon oil wells and facilities in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, according to State Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont).

SACRAMENTO – Senator Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, announced today that the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), committed over $1 billion to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) for new transit corridors, as well as $36 million to the City of Los Angeles (LA DOT) for improving fuel efficiency of the city’s busses.

SACRAMENTO –The BART Silicon Valley Phase II project will receive a $730 million funding commitment from the 2018 Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, the California State Transportation Agency said today

Sacramento, California –Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) authored SB 1317 and SB 1266, two important bills to protect communities against burglaries and unregulated recovery facilities. Both bills passed key policy committees this week, Senate Health and Senate Public Safety, and are now moving to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SACRAMENTO – A pair of bills from Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that will bring much-needed relief to wildfire victims struggling to recover losses from insurance companies cleared a key Senate committee late Wednesday despite intense lobbying from the insurance industry.

“We can’t sit idly by and allow people who lost their homes to be victimized again by an uncaring insurance industry that’s happy to sweep its shortcomings under the rug,” an impassioned Sen. Dodd said. “I’m grateful to my Senate colleagues who stepped up to support victims and advance consumer protections.”

Sacramento, CA – April 26, 2018 – A bill authored by California State Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) that would impose greater reporting requirements on the State with regards to childhood lead exposure has received the unanimous approval of the Senate Health Committee, an important step in ensuring appropriate case management data related to children who have been exposed to lead. Senate Bill No. 1097 cleared the policy committee yesterday with a 9-0 vote and now advances to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Sacramento, CA – Senator Mike McGuire is fighting to secure millions that would allow California to implement a successful enhanced drug screening program, which has been proven to help combat drug addiction in other states. The funding would be focused on screening of opioid and methamphetamine addiction when patients see their doctors.

SACRAMENTO – Senator Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, advanced a bill today that furthers his ongoing examination of the state’s bail industry, which includes SB 10, the Bail Reform Act of 2018.

SACRAMENTO – The Senate Governance and Finance Committee today passed two significant housing bills authored by Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to reduce the cost of building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and to require California charter cities follow state planning and zoning laws for housing.  

SB 1333 strengthens the obligation of the 121 California charter cities to make sites available for housing development to meet the needs of their residents at all income levels.