California’s foster care system is in desperate need of an upgrade. The list of problems is long…and the outcomes for foster youth have been poor in far too many cases. May is Foster Care Awareness Month so we sat down with Assemblymember Dr. Cory Jackson, a leading voice in the effort to improve the child welfare system, to talk about what needs to be done to fix the problems facing California’s foster care children ..read more

New Bill Stops Landlords from Denying Housing to Tenants with Pets   The chair of the California Legislative Renters Caucus, Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) has introduced legislation that prohibits blanket pet bans in rental units in California. AB 2216 will require landlords to have reasonable reason(s) for not allowing a pet in a rental unit and only allows landlords to ask about pet ownership after a tenant’s application has been approved.   California has the second highest number of tenants in the country, with 17 million families and individuals renting — close to 12 million, or ..read more

Throughout the month of February extra focus is on the history of African-Americans, as the country marks Black History Month. For more than 50 years, the California Legislative Black Caucus has been at the forefront of efforts to make sure the real history of Black America is told and improve the lives of Blacks in California. Assemblymember Lori Wilson is the current Chair of the CLBC. In this episode with her we’ll review the Caucus’ reparations legislative package, look back at black history in California and look forward to what might be the next chapters in black history ..read more

California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has announced the formation of a new Select Committee on Retail Theft, and has named Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) as Committee Chair. The Select Committee is comprised of bipartisan members from across the state, including from areas most impacted by retail theft. The committee will provide a forum to engage impacted stakeholders – including large retailers, small businesses, criminal justice reform advocates, law enforcement, and representatives of workers and the public – to identify policy solutions to this ongoing crisis. The ..read more

More than 400 celebrate historic Native American monument in Capitol Park honoring tribes on whose land the state Capitol now stands State marks Native American Heritage Month by unveiling 10th tribute in the park commemorating California heroes & protectors   SACRAMENTO—On a cool, breezy Sacramento morning, more than 400 tribal members, dignitaries and students gathered to unveil the first-ever Capitol monument acknowledging tribes residing in California and their millennia-long, resilient presence on land now known as California. The historic tribute specifically recognizes the Sacr ..read more

California has more military bases within its borders than most states: a whopping 32 bases are in CA, some from every military branch. There are 158,000 active duty members of the armed forces in California. There are 1.35-million military veterans in California. Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo is the new Chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. In the Northwest San Fernando Valley, Assemblywoman Schiavo co-founded an organization that helped secure housing for Veterans experiencing homelessness. Assemblywoman Schiavo is the daughter of small business owners. Her father was ..read more

  Asm. Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro) Announces Governor Signed New Law to Prevent Child Labor Exploitation SACRAMENTO ― California high school students will learn about their rights at work and how to defend themselves against workplace abuses under a first-of-its-kind law just signed by Governor Gavin Newsom over the weekend. AB 800, authored by Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro), creates a Workplace Readiness Week at all public high schools to teach students about their workplace rights, protections for minors on the job, and how to join or start a union. The Governor announced ..read more

AB 5: The Safe and Supportive Schools Act As LGBTQ+ rights across the country come under attack, from book bans to outlawing instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, California is leading the way in preserving the rights of LGBTQ+ students across the state. While the state is making progress, LGBTQ+ students still experience harassment, violence and lack of affirmation in school settings far too often. This is why I introduced the Safe and Supportive Schools Act on my first day in the State Assembly. AB 5 provides high quality, professional development opportunities to ..read more

There is power in numbers. That’s one reason why California’s Central Coast lawmakers have banded together and formed the Central Coast Legislative Caucus. There are ten Members of the CCLC representing the coast from Ventura County to Santa Cruz. Take a trip with us to Morro Bay to hear from CCLC Chair Dawn Addis and other Members of the new Central Coast Legislative Caucus ..read more

“One Pill Can Kill” Awareness Campaign and Legislation to address Fentanyl Crisis     SACRAMENTO ---- Today,Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), along with Assemblywoman Liz Ortega (D-Alameda), Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, (D-Fresno), and Senator Dave Cortese, (D-Santa Clara), held a press conference to discuss their legislative priorities to address the fentanyl crisis and announce the statewide rollout of the DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” campaign.   Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous and deadly drugs circulating on the illegal drug market - just 2 milligrams i ..read more