Press Releases

September 12, 2023

SACRAMENTO – The Senate approved Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 253, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act — a first-in-the-nation measure requiring carbon disclosures from large corporations that do business in California. The bill — part of the Climate Accountability Package introduced by Senator Wiener, Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles), and Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) — passed 27-8 and heads next to the Governor for final approval.

 

September 8, 2023

SACRAMENTO – The Senate approved Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 58, which removes criminal penalties for the personal possession and use of a limited set of naturally occurring psychedelics, including psilocybin/psilocyn (mushrooms), Dimethyltryptamine (“DMT”), and mescaline (excluding peyote). The bill also triggers an administrative process to craft policy proposals for assisted therapeutic use of psychedelics. The bill passed 21-14 and heads next to Governor Newsom’s desk for his final review. 

 

September 8, 2023

SACRAMENTO – Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced today that he is pausing Senate Bill 339 in the Assembly after the Assembly Appropriations Committee inserted a harmful amendment to the bill. SB 339 improves access to PrEP and PEP, a powerful preventative HIV medication, by ensuring pharmacists can furnish PrEP without a prescription. The bill deals exclusively with ensuring pharmacists are able to provide PrEP.

 

September 8, 2023

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 423, legislation to extend Senator Wiener’s SB 35 (2017), one of the state’s most successful tools for accelerating development of affordable housing. The bill passed 52-8 with bipartisan support and heads next to the Assembly, where it must pass by September 14.

 

September 7, 2023

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Tina McKinnor’s (D-Inglewood) Senate Bill 4. SB 4 would open over 170,000 acres for affordable housing by allowing faith institutions (such as churches, synagogues, and mosques) along with nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their property by-right, even if local zoning prevents this housing. The legislation applies to 100% affordable housing. The bill passed 56-1, and now returns to the Senate for a final sign-off before heading to the Governor for approval.

September 6, 2023

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 58, which removes criminal penalties for the personal possession and use of a limited set of naturally occurring psychedelics, including psilocybin/psilocyn (mushrooms), Dimethyltryptamine (“DMT”), and mescaline (excluding peyote). The bill also triggers a regulatory process to craft policy proposals for group therapeutic use of psychedelics. The bill passed 42-13 and returns to the Senate for final sign-off before heading to Governor Newsom’s desk for his final review.

August 21, 2023

SACRAMENTO – Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) announced a pause on SB 532, Senator Wiener’s legislation to enact a temporary $1.50 increase to the toll on Bay Area bridges to fund public transportation and avoid service cuts.

July 24, 2023

SACRAMENTO – Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement in response to Israel’s Knesset passing a new judicial overhaul law that eliminates judicial review of legislative actions. Senator Wiener serves as co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus but issues this statement in his personal capacity:

 

July 6, 2023

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly’s Transportation Committee passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 532, which provides public transportation with critical funds to avert service cuts and improve the system’s safety, cleanliness, and reliability through the enactment of a bridge toll. The bill passed 10-4 and heads next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.