Creating Change Summer 2026 Edition

August 12, 2026

Creating Change

Summer 2026

I love spending time in our community, listening to residents, visiting schools and nonprofits, celebrating local leaders, and discussing California's bright future. Those conversations shape my work in Sacramento. With 12 of my bills advancing, I'm focused on lowering costs, strengthening consumer protections, expanding opportunity, and delivering results for Californians. I'm also excited to share updates on two landmark laws I've authored that are now taking effect to strengthen privacy protections and increase transparency online.

In the Capitol:

Introducing the Wartime Price Gouging Prevention Act
Landmark AI Transparency and Privacy Laws Go into Effect

In the District:

We the People: A Conversation on Democracy, Citizenship, and our Shared Future
Farm to Schools in Action
Pescadero Food Distribution Event
Tour of Ainsley Hicks Forest
Former State Senator Jerry Hill Street Naming
San Mateo and Cupertino Java with Josh
New Statewide Program for First-Time ZEV Buyers

In the Capitol

INTRODUCING THE WARTIME PRICE GOUGING PREVENTION ACT

Senators Becker and Allen with consumer advocates and students announcing the Wartime Price Gouging Prevention Act at the State Capitol.

Senators Becker and Allen with consumer advocates and students announcing the Wartime Price Gouging Prevention Act at the State Capitol.

California has some of the nation's strongest anti-price gouging laws, but they can only be activated during state-declared natural disasters. Yet Californians are also seeing unfair price spikes at the gas pump driven by international conflicts, while oil companies are making record profits according to the Los Angeles Times. War should never become an excuse to exploit consumers. That's why I introduced SB 493, the Wartime Price Gouging Prevention Act. The bill would allow California to activate its existing anti-price gouging protections during wartime emergencies, giving the Attorney General the authority to investigate and prosecute unlawful price gouging when global conflicts drive prices sharply higher. Price gouging is wrong, whether it happens during a wildfire, a flood, or a war. You can watch the press conference here.

LANDMARK PRIVACY AND AI TRANSPARENCY LAWS TAKE EFFECT

Senator Becker providing an update on the implementation of the California Artificial Transparency Act at the State Capitol.

Senator Becker providing an update on the implementation of the California Artificial Transparency Act at the State Capitol.

August 2 marked an important milestone for California as two landmark laws I authored began taking effect, giving Californians stronger protections for their personal information and greater transparency online.

The Delete Act reached a major milestone with the launch of DROP (Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform), the nation's first one-stop tool that allows Californians to request the deletion of their personal information from hundreds of registered data brokers with a single request. More than 400,000 Californians have already signed up, demonstrating the growing demand for stronger privacy protections and greater control over personal data. Click here to register if you haven’t.

That same day also marks the first phase of implementation of the California Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act (CAITA), the nation's strongest AI transparency law. As AI-generated content becomes increasingly realistic, CAITA begins establishing a framework that will help consumers identify AI-generated and manipulated content, combat scams and deepfakes, and build greater trust online. California's leadership is already influencing international standards, with governments around the world, including the European Union, looking to our approach as they develop their own AI transparency policies.

In the District

WE THE PEOPLE: A CONVERSATION ON DEMOCRACY, CITIZENSHIP, AND OUR SHARED FUTURE

Senator Becker at the We the People: A Moderated Discussion

Senator Becker convening a town hall on civics with renowned scholar Dr. John Simpkins and constituents.

What does it mean to pursue happiness? What would a "new birth of freedom" look like today? And how can people with different viewpoints come together to strengthen our democracy?

Those were the questions at the heart of We the People: A Moderated Discussion, a community conversation hosted by me and moderated by constitutional scholar Dr. John Simpkins. More than 80 constituents from across the political spectrum gathered for an evening of thoughtful dialogue inspired by the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and Federalist No. 10.

Rather than a debate, the evening was designed as a conversation. In small groups, participants reflected on enduring ideas that continue to shape our democracy while listening with respect, assuming positive intent, and engaging with curiosity.

A central theme came from James Madison's Federalist No. 10: disagreement is not a weakness of democracy, but one of its defining strengths. As Dr. Simpkins noted, democracy flourishes not through the absence of disagreement, but through our willingness to engage one another with respect and a commitment to the common good.

Participants also explored Jefferson's vision of "the pursuit of happiness" as human flourishing—the opportunity to live a meaningful, virtuous, and well-lived life, and Lincoln's call for a "new birth of freedom," reflecting on what those ideals ask of us today.

By the end of the evening, one message stood out: despite political differences, neighbors often have more in common than they realize. One participant summed it up well:

"I was very skeptical going in, but very surprised in the end—very, very well done. All perspectives were heard. We may not have agreed, but everyone was respectful and came away learning something."

As our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, conversations like these remind us that democracy is strengthened when we listen, learn, and engage with one another in good faith.

FARM TO SCHOOLS IN SAN MATEO COUNTY

Senator Becker participating in the Ravenswood School District Farm to School Program.

Los Robles Elementary in East Palo Alto is executing an amazing state program that I am proud to have witnessed firsthand. The Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula hosts the summer program available for free to all students from Ravenswood School District, complete with delicious and nutritious meals thanks to the USDA Community Eligibility Program funding. California’s Farm to School Program has allowed Los Robles to start receiving bone broth from a local ranch to supplement school meals in addition to fruits and vegetables. California’s Farm to School Program has allowed Los Robles to start receiving bone broth from TomKat Ranch to supplement school meals in addition to fruits and vegetables. I had a blast sampling the broth with the many amazing partners involved – TomKat Ranch, Ravenswood School District, Acterra, Boys and Girls Club, City of East Palo Alto, and the adventurous students!

PESCADERO FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Senator Becker with San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller participating in a food distribution event in Pescadero.

I spent the day in Pescadero engaging with the community alongside Representative Sam Liccardo and San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller. Together, we met with residents, supported a community food distribution, and heard directly from the people and organizations working every day to strengthen the Coastside. I'm grateful to our community partner, Puente de la Costa Sur, for welcoming us and sharing the incredible work they're leading—from Casa de Flores, which provides housing for farmworker families, to expanding access to healthcare and childcare services. Their work is making a real difference in people's lives. We also had the chance to meet students participating in Puente's summer leadership program. Seeing young people already stepping up to serve their community was a powerful reminder that the future is in good hands. Strong communities are built through partnership, listening, and showing up. I'm thankful to Puente, its dedicated staff, and everyone in the Pescadero community for welcoming us. I look forward to continuing our work together to support the Coastside.

TOUR OF AINSLEY HICKS FOREST

Senators Becker and Laird touring Ainsley Hicks Forest with Sempervirens Fund.

It’s always a treat to spend some time in the beautiful outdoors of Senate District 13! Sempervirens Fund hosted my team, Senator John Laird, property owners, and staff from Assemblymember Pellerin’s team on a tour of the Ainsley Hicks Forest this month. Purchased for $18M with the help of state funding, nonprofit support, and the hard work of so many dedicated people, they fostered improvement in forest health and wildfire resiliency following the devastating CZU fire. As Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, protecting and preserving California’s precious natural lands will continue to be a major priority.

FORMER STATE SENATOR JERRY HILL STREET NAMING

Senator Becker standing next to former Senator Jerry Hill in front of a podium — *Pictured here: Senator Becker and former Senator Jerry Hill participating in a street naming ceremony in honor of Senator Hill.*

State Senator Jerry Hill served our community for decades with distinction as a City Council Member and Mayor, County Supervisor, Assemblymember and Senator. This month, we gathered in San Mateo to honor Senator Jerry Hill with a street naming ceremony. Jerry has been a mentor and role model throughout my public service, and I have learned a great deal from his example. During his time in the Legislature, he championed youth tobacco prevention and utility reform while exemplifying diplomacy, community investment, and collegiality in public service. Congratulations to Senator Hill on this well-deserved honor and thank you to the City of San Mateo for hosting such a meaningful celebration.

SAN MATEO AND CUPERTINO JAVAS WITH JOSH

Thank you to everyone who recently came out to our Javas with Josh in San Mateo and Cupertino. We discussed housing affordability, transportation, artificial intelligence, consumer protection, and climate resilience. These constituent events provide an important forum to hear valuable perspectives that provide the foundations of my policy work. In San Mateo, I was happy to have Mayor Adam Loraine as my special guest to discuss everything happening there, including the new water treatment plant, climate issues and development. I was pleased to have Mayor Kitty Moore join us to share what is happening on the ground in Cupertino. She brought a display with her discussing how much Cupertino pays into different regional districts, including the fire district, and provided a local perspective on life in Senate District 13. Keep an eye out for the next Java with Josh coming soon to a city near you!

NEW STATEWIDE PROGRAM FOR FIRST-TIME ZEV BUYERS

Earlier this month, Governor Newsom signed SB 168 into law, including $600M of investment into California’s transition to zero-emission vehicles in the state budget. Within this will be $135.5M that will be matched by state automakers towards the MyFirstEV Program. Any Californian who purchases their first ZEV will receive up to $3,500 off. This is part of a larger commitment in the state budget to remove cost barriers for California residents who want to reduce their carbon emissions. Electrification is the future in our state and beyond, and we are working hard to give everyone the opportunity to participate. The program is expected to launch later this summer, so keep an eye out if you are looking to make the transition to a ZEV!