As California kicks off Maternal Mental Health Month, advocates from across the state are celebrating a major step forward in the fight for maternal health justice. SB 626, authored by Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) and principal co-authored by Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), advanced through the Senate Health Committee this week after a groundswell of advocacy from survivors, clinicians and community leaders.

SACRAMENTO (April 31, 2025) The California Senate Education Committee Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of SB 640, a bill by state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon that would offer automatic California State University acceptance to qualified students without the need to apply. Supporters say it would increase the number of people going to college and help CSU campuses struggling with under-enrollment.

When firestorms swept through Southern California this January, millions of homes were left in the dark due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Now, the California State Senate is stepping up with a legislative push to protect ratepayers and improve how outages are handled. A group of key bills has just cleared the Senate Energy and Communications Committee, signaling a strong commitment to enhancing reliability, equity, and communication during these increasingly common blackouts.

SACRAMENTO – Legislation by Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, to protect access to health care for seniors passed the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday.

SACRAMENTO – Today, with bipartisan support, the Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill 638, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). Last week, the California State Senate unveiled its Affordability Package, which includes Senator Padilla’s Senate Bill 638, which would create the California Middle Class Pipeline Project. Tasked with eliminating traditional barriers to career technical education and workforce development programs, the Pipeline Project would work with educational institutions and private industry to reimagine career technical education in the state, bringing it in line with the needs of the 21st century economy. The bill would also fund grants for workforce development programs in high-unemployment and low-income regions of the state.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senate Bill 531 (SB 531), authored by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), failed to pass out of the Senate Education Committee today. The bill would have ensured that all students in grades 1 through 12 receive age-appropriate mental health education.

Senator Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) released the following statement in response to the federal government announcing it plans to strip mental health funding from Lemon Grove and La Mesa-Spring Valley School Districts.

Woodland, CA (April 30, 2025) The Center for Land-Based Learning has been named the 2025 Nonprofit of the Year for California’s 3rd Senate District by Senator Christopher Cabaldon, in recognition of its local leadership in agricultural education, workforce training, and environmental stewardship. For more than 20 years, the Center has provided transformative, hands-on experiences that inspire and equip individuals—especially youth—to pursue meaningful futures in agriculture and natural resources. From restoring native habitat to preparing the next generation of farmers, CLBL’s programs serve thousands of students, beginning farmers, veterans, and adult learners across 27 counties in California.

Locally-Sponsored legislation would bring critical resources and tangible solutions to address youth mental health challenges in the Inland Empire

Today, Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) announced that his package of three bills seeking to address fraud and abuse in California’s substance use disorder treatment system have all advanced through their numerous and respective policy committees in the Senate.