Look West: How California Is Leading The Nation

AB 1778, as amended, Connolly. Vehicles: electric bicycles.Existing law defines an electric bicycle and classifies electric bicycles into 3 classes with different restrictions. Under existing law, a “class 2 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. Under existing law, a “class 3 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a speedometer and a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour. Existing law prohibits a person under 16 years of age from operating a class 3 electric bicycle. Existing law requires a person operating, or riding upon, a class 3 electric bicycle to wear a helmet, as specified.This bill would, until January 1, 2029, authorize a local authority within the County of Marin, or the County of Marin in unincorporated a

AB 3139, as amended, Weber. Data privacy: vehicle manufacturers: remote vehicle technology.Existing law establishes various privacy requirements applicable to vehicle manufacturers, including limitations on the usage of images or video recordings from in-vehicle cameras in new motor vehicles equipped standard with one or more in-vehicle cameras. Existing law provides various protections to persons who are escaping from actual or threatened domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and other abuse, including providing for a means to keep the names and addresses of abuse survivors confidential in public records.This bill would, among other things, require a vehicle manufacturer that offers a vehicle for sale, rent, or lease in the state that includes remote vehicle technology to do certain things, including ensure that the remote vehicle technology can be immediately manually disabled by a driver of the vehicle while that driver is inside the vehicle by a method that, among other things, i

Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo’s AB 1950 would mandate a historical report, compensation options, and a memorial to honor uprooted residentsLos Angeles, CA – Today, Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo unveiled Assembly Bill (AB) 1950, the Chavez Ravine Accountability Act, which aims to address the historical injustice faced by those living in the Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles, a predominately Latino community. Authored by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, AB 1950 would acknowledge and rectify the displacement of these communities in the 1950s, offering a path toward historical accountability, reparative measures, and a permanent memorial honoring their legacy.“AB 1950, the Chavez Ravine Accountability Act aims to correct an injustice that displaced families and has lingered in the shadows of Los Angeles Eastside history for far too long. Amid the 1950s, the vibrant community of Chavez Ravine, home to mostly Mexican-American families, as well as Italian-American and Chin

Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson introduces Bill Assembly Bill 2229 (AB 2229), aimed at enhancing comprehensive sexual health education in California schools. This bill seeks to address a crucial gap in current education by including menstrual health as an integral part of sexual health curriculum. The idea for AB 2229 emerged from our "There Oughta Be a Law" contest, highlighting the importance of community engagement in shaping legislative initiatives.Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson emphasized the importance of AB 2229, stating, "It's crucial that we provide our students with accurate and comprehensive sexual health education that includes menstrual health. By addressing this gap in our curriculum, we can empower young people to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. Additionally, educating students about menstruation can help break down stigmas and taboos, promoting healthier attitudes and outcomes.""My period should never have been shrouded in mystery, nor should I have suffered in silence du

2024 Legislative & Budget Priorities2024 #1 Priority Legislation AB 1955 (Ward, LGBTQ Caucus) – SAFETY ActThe Support Academic Futures & Educators for Today’s Youth Act (SAFETY Act), would strengthen existing California protections against forced outings of LGBTQ+ students in schools; provide critical resources for parents and families of LGBTQ+ students to support them in working towards family acceptance on their own terms; and provide additional protections to educators who face retaliatory actions from administrators and school boards for seeking to create an inclusive and safe school environment. 2024 Priority “Sponsored” Legislation AB 1899 (Cervantes) – Gender-Inclusive Jury QuestionnairesThis bill requires Judicial Council to create a template juror questionnaire that is inclusive of gender expression and identity.AB 1979 (Ward) – Doxing Victims Recourse ActThis bill provides recourse for victims who have been harmed as a result of being doxed by allowing a victim to pursue civil action to rec

The month of May is Older Californians Month. This year California is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the trend setting California Department of Aging. With that in mind we’re featuring a conversation with Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains, Chair of the Aging and Long Term Care Committee and California Department of Aging Director Susan DeMarois discussing the growing population of Californians over the age of 60, the challenges they face and ways California is working to make their lives better.

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.

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 70% of these renters are pet owners. Unfortunately only under current law only 30% of available rentals in any given city are pet friendly. In San Francisco only 21% of the available rentals currently on the market allow for pets. Similarly, despite having close to 3 million pet owning renters, only 26% of Los Angeles rentals allow for pets. “One of our main strategies to address the housing crisis has been building more housing,” sai

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.

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 11 Committee members are:Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) – Committee ChairAssemblymember Juan Alanis (R-Merced & Stanislaus)Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-San Diego)Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda & San Francisco)Assemblymember Vince Fong (R-Kern & Tulare)Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco)Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento)Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-Alameda)Assemblymember

More than 400 celebrate historic Native American monument in Capitol Park honoring tribeson whose land the state Capitol now standsState marks Native American Heritage Month by unveiling 10thtribute 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 Sacramento region tribes of Wilton Rancheria, Ione Band of Miwok Indians, Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, and Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.The new monument is the tenth addition to a park memorializing California’s firefighters, veterans, and public safety officers. It is the first addition to the park since 2009, when the statue of Thomas Sta

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 a logger who became an electrician after two battles with cancer after exposure to Agent Orange while serving in the military, and her mom was a bookkeeper and managed the family electrical business. Assemblywoman Schiavo lives in Chatsworth with her daughter Sofia where they love to hike in the Santa Susana Mountains.

  Asm. Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro) Announces Governor Signed New Law to Prevent Child Labor ExploitationSACRAMENTO ― 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 the law’s passage on Saturday.“I am so proud to announce the passage of this first-of-its-kind law requiring schools to teach our kids about their workplace rights,” said Assemblymember Ortega. “We are seeing headlines about children abused at workplaces across the country―wage theft, violations of labor law, and even serious life-changing injuries. As Republicans in other states are working hard to put our children in harm's way,

AB 5: The Safe and Supportive Schools ActAs 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 educators in order to help foster inclusive classroom environments and appropriately address the unique challenges that LGBTQ+ and all students face. The bill would yield significant benefits for educators that directly transfer to the success of LGBTQ+ students and advance overall educational outcomes.

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.

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California Reparations Task Force: https://oag.ca.gov/ab3121California Reparations Task Force Members:  https://oag.ca.gov/ab3121/membersAssemblymember and Task Force Member Reggie Jones-Sawyer:  https://a57.asmdc.org/Look West podcast:  https://asmdc.org/look-west 

“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 is enough to kill. According to the California Department of Public Health, statewide fentanyl deaths increased from 239 deaths in 2016 to 3,946 in 2020. In California, 71% of all opioid related deaths in 2020 were a result of fentanyl poisoning.  “My colleagues and I are working with urgency to address this crisis in a meaningful way and enact policies to keep our families safe,” said Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris. “This drug is ravaging our commu

This Look West episode features artist LL COOL J, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Prof Charis Kubrin and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer The Look West podcast is produced by the Assembly Democratic Caucus. Each episode provides a personal view of the California leaders representing you in the State Assembly. Tune in while these elected officials, influential leaders, and the general public provide a unique perspective on different issues affecting California, and learn more about the actions Assembly Democrats are taking to help lead the nation into a brighter future.@llcoolj@HarveyMasonJr@RecordingAcad @recordingacademy@RecordingAcademy

Gun Violence continues to be rampant in California and the United States. 2023 began with two tragic mass shootings in the cities of Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. Before January was over, 40+ incidents of mass shootings had occurred in the United States. Assembly Democrats have continued to lead the nation on how to combat gun violence. In this episode, we speak with those who have experienced the gun violence and the lawmakers who are working to stop it.