California lawmakers have passed a pair of bills aimed at making the landscape safer for wildlife threatened by habitat fragmentation and ubiquitous rat poison.

California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas named 19 members to a Petroleum and Gasoline Supply Committee on Wednesday as lawmakers prepare for a special session on legislation to rein in gasoline price spikes.

Rivas tapped Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, chair of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee, to lead the new body. The committee makeup includes three Republicans — Vice Chair Jim Patterson and Assemblymembers Heath Flora and Joe Patterson — along with 16 Democrats including Petrie-Norris.

Labor Day is a cherished tradition, often synonymous with family get-togethers and the iconic end-of-summer chili cook-off. Yet, this year marked an important milestone in our road safety efforts with the introduction of SB 1297. This legislation will allow Malibu to participate in the speed camera pilot program, a five-year initiative promising safety improvements for our community.

Property Owners Would Be Able to Use Power They Generate for Themselves

A bill that would enable schools, shopping centers and landlords of multi-unit residential buildings to use the electricity they collect with their own rooftop solar systems has passed the California Legislature.

California Assembly Bill 761 is just awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. The bill will help deliver critical money to communities to help fund infrastructure and reach environmental goals.

The bill – AB 810 – targets “pass the harasser” policies – a well-known practice referred to by the Chronicle of Higher Education as “higher ed’s worst-kept secret.”

A California bill aimed at preventing the state’s public colleges and universities from hiring known sexual abusers has passed out of the legislature and is awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.

The bill — AB 810 — targets “pass the harasser” practices — which the Chronicle of Higher Education has called “higher ed’s worst-kept secret.”

The California Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 1963 (AB 1963) requiring an expedited review of paraquat, an herbicide commonly used statewide on almonds, pistachios, pomegranates, grapes, and other crops. The chemical has been linked to increased risk of diseases like Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

In California, new rules are intended to create better defensible space

Meghan Gaines, a defensible space inspector for CalFire, spends 10-hour shifts visiting homes in a high wildfire risk region in central California. She checks that residents are following state requirements for managing flammable material within a 30-foot zone and then a 100-foot zone of homes. 

August 31, 2024 - Sacramento, CA –Security deposits can be expensive and take extended periods of time to save for. For most renters, getting them back feels a little bit like playing the lotto or taking a trip to Las Vegas. Renters expect to lose it all, but if they walk away with anything, that’s a win. But for renters, that gamble can be debilitating. That lost income isn’t easy to replace and can frequently be a barrier to moving into a new apartment or finally saving enough money for a down payment on a home.

California lawmakers have approved a bill that could help strengthen regulations on the use of paraquat, a powerful weedkiller associated with Parkinson’s disease and other serious health issues.