Caucus News

Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) issued the following statement today regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges:

Senator Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo/Santa Clara Counties and Assembly Member Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo, today introduced legislation that would prohibit Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) from taking $1.3 billion in state tax deductions for the $1.6 billion fine that was levied against the utility for the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion.

SAN FRANCISCO – Senator Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision giving same-sex couples nationwide the freedom to marry. While serving in the California Assembly, Sen. Leno authored two marriage equality bills, which were the first measures passed by any state legislature in the nation.

SACRAMENTO – Senate Bill 277, authored by Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and Senator representing Sacramento and Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica), was passed by the California State Assembly today on a vote of 46 to 31.

SACRAMENTO – The state Senate voted unanimously Thursday to send the governor a bill giving judges greater power to protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.The legislation by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) closes an unforeseen gap in state criminal law. It allows judges to issue protective orders when they sentence defendants to “mandatory supervision” by county probation departments.Senate Bill 307 was sponsored by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office.

Sacramento, CA –  Earlier this year, Senator Mike McGuire introduced The Rural Safety and Clean Air Act (SB 523), which would invest $5 million per year  to replace aging school buses in rural school districts. Working collaboratively with the California Air Resources Board, the $5 million was approved today and will be allocated to rural school districts to replace old and polluting school buses through a grant process starting in mid-2016.

Dear Chairperson Nichols:

I write to express reservations about a CARB staff proposal to greatly expand the volume and nature of the information OBD systems will be required to collect and that could be retrieved by the government or third parties.

At the outset, I note existing OBD systems are highly successful. The emission systems of modern cars are extraordinarily clean. In fact, CARB states that emissions of pollutants from light-duty vehicles have been reduced by 99.7%. Given this success, why would CARB propose anything that may jeopardize this progress?

Sacramento – Local artist Maureen A. Langenbach (Fremont) will add one more accolade to her illustrious and colorful career – a piece hanging in the State Capitol. “Don’t Let This Be The Last Drop” is an assemblage going on display on the Third Floor of the Capitol and will run through September 2016.

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Public Employees, Retirement, and Social Security Committee today approved SB 185 (De León), which requires California’s public pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, to divest from holdings in thermal coal. The measure passed on a 5-1 vote.

SACRAMENTO – California motorists have a new incentive for buying low-emission, plug-in hybrid cars.Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed into law Assembly Bill 95. The legislation, first conceived by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), expands to 85,000 from a current 70,000 the number of vehicles eligible to carry a so-called green sticker.The sticker allows drivers of such low-polluting cars to use carpool or “HOV” lanes, even if they carry no passengers. The measure takes effect July 1.