Caucus News

Wolk bill to provide safe drinking water to disadvantaged communities also approved 
(SACRAMENTO, CA)– The State Senate approved two water measures by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) today, including legislation to protect California’s aquifers and groundwater resources from permanent damage due to overdraft. Both bills will next be heard in the State Assembly. 

Bill safeguards the natural, historic and cultural attributes of 13 inner coast counties 
(SACRAMENTO, CA)–The State Senate voted 24-12 today to approve legislation by State Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to protect and preserve the geological, historic and cultural attributes of 13 counties along the Northern Inner Coast Range.
Senate Bill 1396 would establish the Inner Coast Range Program within the Wildlife Conservation Board, the state agency that administers a capital outlay program for wildlife conservation and related public recreation.

Second anti-coal measure advances

SACRAMENTO – For the second time in two days, the California Senate approved a bill by Sen. Loni Hancock to block projects like the one that threatens to make Oakland the largest coal exporter on the West Coast.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) –Today, Senate Bill (SB) 1363, authored by Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel), passed off of the Senate Floor and now heads to the Assembly.  The bill 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.

The California Senate approved legislation today authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) to limit the use of room confinement in juvenile facilities. Senate Bill 1143 provides that room confinement can only be used after less restrictive options have been tried and bans its use for the purposes of punishment, coercion, convenience or retaliation.

Acting to establish minimum safety standards at all natural gas storage facilities in California and to also prevent what Senator Fran Pavley called “a risky over-reliance on natural gas,” the state Senate today approved two bills that would lessen the risk of a repeat of the disastrous Aliso Canyon natural gas leak that disrupted life and fouled the air in the San Fernando Valley over a four-month period.

“Aliso Canyon is a wake-up call,” said Senator Pavley. “We need to ensure this will not happen again.”

Legislation authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) to reduce natural gas leaks throughout California was approved by the Senate today with bipartisan support. Senate Bill 1441, which is jointly authored by Senator Fran Pavley, (D-Agoura Hills), creates incentives for utilities to reduce natural gas emissions which harm the environment and pose a safety hazard. It also protects consumers by prohibiting utilities from recouping the costs of leaked natural gas from ratepayers.

SACRAMENTO – With bipartisan support, Senator Jim Beall’s proposed $3 billion Affordable Housing Bond to generate thousands of homes and apartments priced within the reach of California’s families as well as house thousands of homeless individuals was approved by the Senate today by a 28-9 vote. The bill now moves to the Assembly for consideration.

Next stop for Oakland anti-coal: Assembly

SACRAMENTO – The California Senate today approved and sent to the Assembly a proposed law by Sen. Loni Hancock to increase environmental reviews for a plan that would allow Oakland to become the largest coal exporter on the West Coast.

The Homeowner Survivor Bill of Rights (Senate Bill 1150), authored by Senators Mark Leno and Cathleen Galgiani, closes a loophole in California law that fails to provide surviving spouses and children important protections against foreclosure that are available to other homeowners.