Sacramento – Today the California Senate passed SB 219, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California. SB 219 is the LGBT Senior Long-Term Care Bill of Rights for seniors in long-term care facilities. The bill passed by a vote of 26-12, and will now move to the Assembly for consideration.
Press Releases
Sacramento – Today, the Senate approved two bills by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) to dramatically expand and transform California’s use of solar energy and meet its aggressive renewable energy goals. SB 71 will expand rooftop solar, and SB 700 will provide customer rebates for installing energy storage systems, which will allow solar energy to be used at night. SB 700 also ensures that energy storage investments will be made in low-income and economically disadvantaged communities.
Sacramento – Today the Senate Appropriations Committee approved bills by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) to address California’s housing shortage, dramatically expand the use of solar power, guarantee rights for LGBT seniors in long-term care facilities, strengthen food access for low-income communities, modernize HIV criminalize laws, and allow communities to choose to extend the sale of alcohol as late as 4 AM in bars and restaurants. These bills will go to the full Senate for a vote next week, with the deadline for passage being June 2.
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.”
Sacramento – Today the Senate Public Safety Committee approved a bill by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) to protect immigrants from irrelevant disclosures of their immigration status in open court. SB 785 requires that any discussion or questioning about the immigration status of any witness, victim, or defendant first be deemed by a judge to be relevant to the subject of the litigation.
Sacramento – Yesterday, the Transportation and Housing Committee approved Senate Constitutional Amendment 6 introduced by Senator Scott Wiener (D- San Francisco) to set the voter approval threshold for transportation funding measures at 55%, down from the current threshold of 2/3, or 66.6%. This would put transportation funding measures on the same level as school funding measures, which were set at 55% by California voters in the year 2000.
Sacramento – Today the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee approved Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) bill to authorize the implementation of a solar mandate, which would require solar panels to be installed on most new buildings in California. This would make California the first state in the country to require solar installation on new construction. SB 71 has previously been approved by the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee.
Sacramento – Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) announced a bill to protect immigrants from irrelevant disclosures of their immigration status in open court. SB 785 requires that any questions about the immigration status of any witness, victim, or defendant first be deemed by a judge to be relevant to the subject of the litigation before.
Sacramento – Today the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) that will help create more impartial juries by better identifying bias in the civil jury selection process. SB 658 will prevent unreasonable and arbitrary restrictions during voir dire by requiring judges to consider specific factors when setting time limits and types of questions. SB 658 is sponsored by the Consumer Attorneys of California and supported by the American Civil Liberties Union.