San Mateo Daily Journal: Sixteen-year-olds are old enough to drive, they are old enough to pay taxes, and they are even cognitively equal to most 18-year-olds in society. So why can’t they vote? This question is what Vote16 SMC aims to answer with its nonpartisan initiative to lower the voting age to 16 for local elections in San Mateo County...
In the News
KCBS: A Santa Cruz man has been sentenced to almost seven years in prison for a violent hate crime. Following a change in legislation, this conviction is the first of its kind.
Patch: There's lot of talk about getting to 100 percent clean energy, but how will we get there? Join State Senator Josh Becker and Peninsula Clean Energy CEO Jan Pepper from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 9, at a solutions-focused event hosted by Sustainable San Mateo County to learn how.
Sacramento Bee: California lawmakers, elected officials and other state figures weighed in on social media Wednesday as the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about a Mississippi law that severely restricts when pregnant people can get an abortion, a case that could see the nation’s highest court overturn the historic Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal in all 50 states. “Let’s be clear: Roe v. Wade is in danger. The Mississippi case before SCOTUS today is a direct threat to abortion rights. If Roe falls, 26 states could move to ban abortion. I stand w/ my colleagues to protect reproductive freedom.” - Sen. Josh Becker in a tweet.
Then There’s California: The 5-member California State Senate Delegation to the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, joins us to share their experiences on the world stage, representing CA's impressive leadership on climate policy and goals for future climate action.
NRDC: The environmental community continued to chalk up wins in the state legislature despite another unusual year...Below are ten key bills that passed the legislature and were signed by Governor Newsom in 2021...SB 596 (Becker) requires the California Air Resources Board to develop a comprehensive strategy by July 1, 2023 to reduce the carbon intensity from cement use by 40 percent from 2019 levels by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality in this sector no later than 2045.
InMenlo: Vote16 SMC is partnering with the San Mateo County Youth Commission to host a first of its kind SMC event — Be The Change, a civic forum to engage youth in discourse and action around community and political issues. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with political leaders and organizations, learn how to advocate for social change and impact, and collaborate with peers. “The keynote speaker is State Senator Josh Becker and we have several other civic and political leaders as well as interactive events with youth from across the county,” emailed Vikram Seshadri, founder of Vote16 SMC.
The Campanile: After 20 years of planning, a bike and pedestrian bridge connecting south Palo Alto to the Baylands opened to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday. California State Senator Josh Becker, representative of parts of Santa Clara County and San Mateo County, said he was thankful for the community leadership and funding organizations that helped make the bridge a reality. “Access to open space is incredibly important for all the communities, particularly for Palo Altans,” Becker said. “Opening this bridge will provide year-round access to the Baylands and its wonderful trails.” This $23 million project allows people to take a scenic and shorter path to the Baylands and cuts significant time off the commute to work.