Caucus News

Recognizing the urgent need to act on climate change and taking advantage of California’s hallmark environmental programs, the California State Senate today presented an ambitious spending proposal to increase access to clean energy and build more resilient communities across the state.

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Ed Hernandez, O.D., (D-West Covina) has decided to stop moving SB 1010, one of the last remaining pieces of drug cost transparency legislation in the country.

“I introduced SB 1010 with the intention of shedding light on the reasons precipitating skyrocketing drug prices. The goal was transparency, making sure drug companies played by the same rules as everyone else in the healthcare industry.

SACRAMENTO –  collaborative effort by Senator Jim Beall and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has secured a California State Transportation Agency grant award of $20 million to start the groundwork to extend BART through San Jose all the way to the Santa Clara Caltrain Station.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                

Contact:  Charles Stewart
August 16, 2016 
(213)745-6656 office
(310)251-4567 cell

Bill to Reduce Permanent Property Seizures by Law Enforcement Passes

Seized assets valued at less than $40,000 must be returned unless owner convicted

HOLLYWOOD – Programs like California’s Film & Television Tax Credit 2.0 are contributing to the state’s robust job creation and GDP growth that’s outpacing the rest of the nation, Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said today in a keynote address to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

“We’ve weathered a global financial crisis and come back even stronger than before,” said Senator de León at the Hollywood Chamber’s second annual State of the State Luncheon hosted by Paramount Studios.

Legislation to heighten oversight of building contractors – introduced in response to the Berkeley balcony tragedy that killed six students – now moves to the state Assembly for consideration, following the bill’s passage Thursday by a key Assembly committee.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Senate Bill (SB) 1363, authored by Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel), passed out of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations today.  With the bill’s next stop being the Assembly Floor, SB 1363 requires the Ocean Protection Council (OPC), in coordination with the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), to establish a program to restore eelgrass in order to mitigate the impacts of global warming on the ocean and on California’s coastal plant and animal species.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Senate Bill (SB) 1363, authored by Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel), passed out of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations today.  With the bill’s next stop being the Assembly Floor, SB 1363 requires the Ocean Protection Council (OPC), in coordination with the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), to establish a program to restore eelgrass in order to mitigate the impacts of global warming on the ocean and on California’s coastal plant and animal species.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Legislation to help assess the economic impact of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant’s closure, Senate Bill (SB) 968, passed out of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations today.  The bill is authored by Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) and calls for an assessment of the adverse and beneficial economic impacts that could affect San Luis Obispo County once the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant shuts down and will offer potential mitigation actions for anticipated adverse impacts.

Sacramento- Senator Galgiani’s (D-Stockton) audit request of the California Department of Education (CDE) was approved by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee yesterday.  Specifically the audit will determine whether school districts under the jurisdiction of CDE are in compliance with the Buy American requirement, a provision within the federal Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998.