Shohei Ohtani will avoid paying an estimated $90 million in California state income taxes as a result of deferring nearly all of his record-setting $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now California lawmakers are pushing to change the federal tax code to prevent Ohtani’s contract structure from becoming standardized among high earners in baseball and beyond.
Read more here.
On Tuesday, California State Senator Josh Becker spoke with FOX 11. The senator has been working on legislation targeting artificial intelligence and how he's working to prevent children from getting AI tools.
"It’s very hard," said Becker. "A lot of these are open source, they’re widely available. If kids really want to find a way, they can."
The “FRESH Act,” introduced by California State Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) this month, is designed to reduce recidivism by allowing and aiding formerly incarcerated individuals to have the opportunity to pre-apply for CalFresh benefits 90 days after their release date, ensuring a smoother reentry into society.
New state legislation designed to fast-track approvals for low-barrier service-oriented homeless shelters such as one proposed for Watsonville sailed through its first committee this week.
On Monday, March 4, State Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) discusses the importance of understanding the potential risks of AI and how his SB 942 will create new tools to identify AI-generated content and deepfakes.
Watch the full interview here.
(Mercury News) - California lacks anywhere near enough homeless shelters for everyone living on the street. To bring more people indoors and out of harm’s way, Bay Area lawmakers are pushing a new bill to fast-track building tiny homes and other kinds of temporary shelter statewide.
“People are dying on our streets every day,” said State Sen. Josh Becker, a Democrat from Menlo Park, while unveiling the legislation Monday at a recently completed shelter in San Jose.
Legislation to streamline homeless housing development is making its way through the state Senate.
State Sen. Josh Becker has introduced Senate Bill 1395 to speed up the time it takes to build temporary housing in California. Becker is gathering support for his proposed legislation and came to San Jose on Monday to share his vision alongside Mayor Matt Mahan — calling the South Bay city the poster child of interim housing success.
Interim projects could get boost with Becker legislation
A safe bed, with a door that locks, can be life-changing for thousands of the Bay Area’s houseless residents. Providing basic needs like security and running water, interim housing projects may be getting a boost from lawmakers this year, while politicians and developers wrangle over affordable and permanent solutions.