Caucus News

Sacramento –  Today the California Senate passed SB 219, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California. SB 219 is the LGBT Senior Long-Term Care Bill of Rights for seniors in long-term care facilities. The bill passed by a vote of 26-12, and will now move to the Assembly for consideration.

Sacramento –  Today, the Senate approved two bills by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) to dramatically expand and transform California’s use of solar energy and meet its aggressive renewable energy goals. SB 71 will expand rooftop solar, and SB 700 will provide customer rebates for installing energy storage systems, which will allow solar energy to be used at night. SB 700 also ensures that energy storage investments will be made in low-income and economically disadvantaged communities.

SACRAMENTO – The Senate today passed legislation by Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, to stop schools from publicly shaming or embarrassing students by either denying them lunch or providing a snack instead because their parents haven’t paid lunch fees.

Reform bills by Sens. Ricardo Lara and Holly J. Mitchell now in Assembly 
SACRAMENTO – The California Senate today approved the last in a package of criminal justice-reform bills seeking to improve public safety, save taxpayers money and put greater emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation and maintaining family cohesion.

SACRAMENTO – The Senate today passed legislation by Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, to reform California’s cash bail system and replace a pretrial process that often forces people of modest means to remain in jail until a court can determine their innocence or guilt but allows the wealthy to go free.

SACRAMENTO – The California State Senate today passed Senate Bill 100 by Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), which set California on a path to 100 percent clean renewable energy by the year 2045.  The measure was approved on a 25-13 vote.      

Two bills authored by Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) that enhance rights for transgender Californians passed today on the Senate floor.

SACRAMENTO – Today, State Senator Henry Stern’s SB 57 stalled today on the Senate Floor, falling three votes shy of the two-thirds threshold required to pass it on an urgency basis. 

“Given the power of the gas lobby, I’m not surprised the bill stalled,” remarked Senator Stern. “I will continue to fight to give the residents of the north San Fernando Valley and Southern California ratepayers the comfort that another disaster like this never happens again.”

SACRAMENTO – A bipartisan supermajority in the California Senate today approved Senate Bill 5 (de León), which would put before state voters in November 2018 a $3.5 billion bond measure for flood protection, water supply reliability, and new parks and open space.

SACRAMENTO – The Senate today passed legislation by Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, that jump starts California’s six-year-old, rigs-to-reefs program.

SB 588 establishes a clear process for how the program will be funded by oil companies and how the state will decide if a decommissioned oil rig can be converted into an artificial reef instead of fully removing it from the ocean.