Los Altos Town Crier
By Megan V. Winslow
Godzilla made a cameo appearance at California State Sen. Josh Becker’s forum on water resiliency last week. In a slide presented by panelist Felicia Marcus, the bipedal lizard lurked behind San Francisco skyscrapers swathed in the orange haze of Sept. 9, 2020, the day Bay Area wildfire smoke obscured the sun.
Palo Alto Daily Post: “We all want to make sure our community is a place where our children can stay and thrive,” [Senator] Becker said. “This is the bill, and I’ve been trying to help move it in the direction, that we get closer to that goal.”
San Mateo Daily Journal: Two San Mateo County state leaders called attention to the county’s drying conditions, one focusing on the region’s dwindling water supply and the other highlighting growing wildfire risks. Changing climate conditions are having a major effect on the state’s water resources, state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, said. He held a virtual panel with field experts to highlight how businesses, government agencies and the public can work together to improve water conditions.
Courthouse News: In “East of Eden,” author John Steinbeck’s magnum opus about life in California’s Salinas Valley, a character says the following: “During the dry years, the people forgot about the rich years, and when the wet years returned, they lost all memory of the dry years.” The quote was brought up Thursday by Gary Kremen, a Santa Clara Valley Water District board member, during a panel discussion about water issues in the Golden State hosted by California state Senator Josh Becker.
Huffington Post
By Alexander C. Kaufman
Blessed with scenic Pacific coast drives and cursed with smothering smog and drought-fueled wildfires, California was primed to lead the transition away from the internal combustion engine. Nearly half of the electric vehicles sold in the United States each year are sold in the Golden State.
Law360: S.B. 771, which passed the committee with a 5-2 vote Thursday, would exempt plug-in hybrid or zero-emission vehicles designated under the state's Clean Cars 4 All program and sold to individuals who have had an application approved under the program. If enacted, the bill would take effect after Jan. 1, 2022. The bill was introduced Feb. 19 by Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo.
InMenlo: With a drought emergency declared in 41 of our 58 counties, 2021 is looking to be a very dry year. What are we doing about it? What should we be doing about it?Senator Josh Becker, D-Peninsula, convenes a panel of experts for a free livestream talk from 1:00 to 2:00 pm on Thursday, May 27: Water, Water, Nowhere! – Innovation, Resiliency & the Drought.
San Mateo Daily Journal: Local officials largely appreciated a proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom to ramp up investment in the state school system, though some identified room for improvement in the spending plan. For his part, State Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, acknowledged Newsom’s vision to spend more on the state school system. “This plan will help our families, our small businesses, the unhoused; invest in our kids, especially their growth and education; and address critical elements of our lives and livelihoods in the Golden State,” he said.