Caucus News

Sacramento, CA – Senator Ben Allen (D - Santa Monica) will Chair an Oversight Hearing of the Joint Committee on the Arts on Wednesday, May 24 at 1:30 p.m. in Sacramento. The hearing will review newly released economic data from the Otis Report on the Creative Economy.  Additionally, the committee will focus on artist live/work spaces with discussion of safety, policy considerations and building community support and connections.

Sacramento, CA—Just as legislative action at the federal level threaten to strip Medi-Cal coverage from vulnerable Californians, Dr. Richard Pan joined the California Coverage and Health Initiatives in recognizing the importance of access to health care in the lives of Californians. 

Press Conference Link: https://www.facebook.com/benallencalifornia/videos/10154624832278581/

SCA 14 Changes the UC Board of Regents and the Office of the President

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) introduced Senate Constitutional Amendment 14 that makes sweeping changes to the University of California (UC) Board of Regents and limits the budgetary autonomy of the UC Office of the President. 

SCA 14 Changes the UC Board of Regents and the Office of the President

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) introduced Senate Constitutional Amendment 14 that makes sweeping changes to the University of California (UC) Board of Regents and limits the budgetary autonomy of the UC Office of the President. 

Sacramento – A bill by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to automatically protect up to $4,800 of a person’s bank account from a bank levy passed the Senate floor today.  The bill, SB 298, will help low-income Californians avoid falling deeper into poverty and will encourage people who rely on check-cashing services and money orders to return to traditional banking services.

On Monday, Senate Bill 675, authored by State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) passed the Senate Floor with a vote of 37-0.

SB 675 helps ensure appropriate consumer protections are in place for CalFresh recipients, if the federal government approves the use of EBT cards to purchase groceries online. As more and more Californians purchase groceries online and grocery delivery services become more prevalent, the Federal government has started a pilot program to allow EBT recipients to use their EBT cards to shop online.

On Monday, May 22, the California State Senate unanimously passed a bill that would contain child support costs for struggling parents. The Family Support Act, authored by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), passed the Senate floor by a vote of 37-0.

“Low-income parents often face the tough choice of paying the child support they owe or meeting their basic needs,” said Senator Skinner. “SB 469 benefits children and parents by keeping payment amounts manageable so support can be paid consistently and reliably.”

"Electrification of Caltrain will help ease congestion along the Peninsula, one of the Bay Area’s busiest traffic corridors,” said Senator Hill. “We’re grateful for Secretary Chao’s decision and for the work of our Congressional representatives and our governor to secure funding approval for this critical project."

Sacramento –  Senator Scott Wiener (D- San Francisco) issued the following statement regarding the Federal Government’s decision to fund Caltrain modernization:

“Today’s decision by the Federal Government to honor its commitment to fund Caltrain modernization is a huge win for transit riders, the Bay Area’s economy and environment, and public transportation generally. The Bay Area can’t succeed without a strong and robust public transportation system, and Caltrain is a key part of that system. I’m thrilled with this step forward.”