Caucus News

Sacramento -- For the first time in more than a decade, California voters would have the opportunity to approve higher education bonds to improve facilities on California State University and University of California campuses under legislation introduced Thursday by joint authors Sens. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, and Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica.

The bill, SB 483, would authorize the statewide sale of $2 billion in general obligation bonds earmarked for higher education facilities at CSU and UC campuses. The bonds would go before voters in the 2018 general election.

San Diego, CA…  Today, Senator Ben Hueso released a status update on safety improvements to the Coronado Bridge specifically Interstate 5 and State Route 75 highway ramps following the tragic accident which took the lives of four innocent victims and left at least nine people injured on October 15, 2016.   Hueso has been diligently working with Caltrans to address and enhance the safety of both bridge commuters and Chicano park visitors.
 

Sacramento –  Today Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced the introduction of legislation to allow San Francisco to pursue a mobile recycling redemption program - specifically, to allow mobile recycling centers to qualify as full recycling centers under California law and thus to relieve surrounding small businesses of the onerous obligation of having to accept recycling for redemption.

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, has introduced legislation to extend tax checkoffs for cancer research through 2024, ensuring that Californians can mark boxes on their state tax returns to help fund the search for a cure to the dreaded disease.
The California Breast Cancer Research Fund and the California Cancer Research Fund are two of the 19 tax checkoff funds that presently appear on tax returns, but they will disappear after 2017 without legislative action. Checkoffs must be renewed every seven years to remain on tax returns.

Sacramento, CA – Today, Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) introduced SB 419, which will prohibit individuals under the age of twenty-one from being prescribed oxycodone.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 23 to establish California Wildlife Day and recognize the state’s diverse and unique ecosystem.

SACRAMENTO – California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) today released the following statement on the U.S. House of Representatives passing of a Wall Street-backed resolution by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) that undermines the retirement security for millions of Americans.

Sacramento – Millions of Californians who live in homeowner associations (HOA) will no longer have their political free speech rights silenced by over-reaching HOA boards, if a bill introduced today by Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) is approved.
SB 407 would prohibit homeowner associations from suppressing freedom of speech or freedom of association when it concerns public candidates, elections, legislation or rule-makings.  About a quarter of California residents live in an HOA.

Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced the LOCAL Act (Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night) to allow, but not require, local governments to extend alcohol service hours to a specified time between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m for bars and restaurants. Under Senate Bill 384, the decision for how and where to implement any extension of alcohol service hours would be up to the local jurisdiction, with approval by the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC).

California National Guard soldiers deployed overseas and those serving in units closer to home in Mountain View and Sacramento received 1,400 handmade valentines from South San Francisco senior citizens as part of the Magnolia Senior Center’s ninth annual crafts project with the California National Guard and state Senator Jerry Hill