Almanac News: While the majority of the Democrats in the Legislation supported the proposal, Sen. Josh Becker was one of six Senate members who voted against it. In an interview Tuesday, he said he was concerned that the bill chips away at local control at the very moment when mayors and city councils throughout the region are working to meet the state's housing targets.
In the News
CMA: Senate Bill 1419 sponsored by the California Medical Association (CMA) to provide physicians the opportunity to respect patient privacy and wishes when releasing health Information, passed the California State Senate on a vote of 31 to 9.
ABC7 Bay Area: At a legislative session Wednesday, California lawmakers discussed ways to modernize the grid's infrastructure to prevent flex alerts and blackouts. ABC7’s Tim Johns talked to Senator Josh Becker.
Daily Journal: Courses at San Mateo County’s three community colleges may soon become free for thousands of local students, reducing barriers to higher education for which district officials have long fought.
Daily Journal: The San Mateo County Community College District would be allowed to offer fee waivers to more students in need by using existing local revenue and without incurring further costs to the state, if a bill authored by state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, is signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Senate Bill 893 was sent by the state Senate to the governor’s desk Wednesday with a unanimous bipartisan vote. It allows the college district to operate a pilot program that expands aid to underrepresented and marginalized community members using unrestricted local funds.
Everything South City: A stroke of the Governor’s pen would enable the San Mateo County Community College District to offer fee waivers to more students in need by using existing local revenue and without incurring further costs to the state.
Daily Journal: Reach and Teach Books in San Mateo has been named small business of the year in the district of state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, with the store owners honored at a recent Sacramento celebration. “We are trying to create a business that makes the world more peaceful, sustainable and inclusive,” Reach and Teach co-owner Craig Wiesner said. “To have an award this year where they recognize us feels really fantastic.” Wiesner and his husband and business partner, Derrick Kikuchi, were recognized at California’s Small Business Association’s 2022 Small Business Day celebration.
StreetsBlogSF: Senate Bill 917, the Seamless Transit Transformation Act [by Senator Becker], died last Thursday in committee. This is a serious bummer for supporters of an integrated, rational transit system for the Bay Area. It remains unclear why S.B. 917 never got off the “suspense file” in the Appropriations Committee, leading to its downfall. Decisions about which bills are released from the suspense file are made away from the public eye and the reasoning behind them is rarely disclosed publicly.