California once again adopted its own “New Year’s resolutions” this week, as hundreds of new state laws took effect at midnight on January 1 — including many that protect, empower and support members of the LGBTQ community and our allies. Equality California has been busy at work fighting in Sacramento, fighting to pass pro-equality legislation and sponsoring 11 of these new laws.
In setting their sights on a new legislative session, local legislators are keeping a focus on a range of issues affecting San Mateo County residents, including the region’s housing shortage, early childhood education, comprehensive tax reform and the impact of Pacific Gas and Electric’s actions.
Whether it’s new rules of the road, requirements for construction contractors working on apartment buildings or changes aimed at protecting election infrastructure, residents may feel the effect of a slate of new laws shaped by San Mateo County legislators in the coming months.
Three state legislators representing San Mateo County residents backed a range of proposals passed this year and taking aim at issues related to road safety, elections, building construction and medical patients, among others.
The last two years have seen the rise of movements like “#MeToo,” “Times Up,” and “Ni Una Menos” -- female-led campaigns that shed a blinding light on the reality of sexual assault and harassment in the world.
A slew of voices, from celebrities to politicians to friends and family, called for change and brought attention to the numerous incidents of sexual violence against women and men.
Palo Alto's plan for a bike bridge over U.S. Highway 101 sped ahead on Monday morning, when city officials formally signed agreements with multiple agencies, paving the way for construction of the long-delayed project to begin next year and conclude in 2020.
At a small, makeshift space off of Adobe Creek trail in south Palo Alto, agency representatives signed agreements that allow the city to go out to bid in January.
Opinion: Paul Ryan’s criticism of California elections is unjustified
Unlike other states, Golden State is a model for expanding voters’ rights
Marc Berman
The Mercury News
December 7, 2018
Outgoing Speaker of the House Paul Ryan recently cast doubt on California’s election results, calling our state’s election system “bizarre” and saying that it “just defies logic” to him.
Jana Bergevin’s dream was as elusive as it is common: a career in Hollywood. Growing up near Sacramento, she didn’t imagine herself in front of a camera or even behind one. She wanted to be an animator, able to turn her imagination into stories for screens big and small.
Admissions officers at The Art Institute of San Francisco convinced her the for-profit college could all but guarantee her a job in the industry if she graduated from its expensive program. They talked about their connections to studios such as Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks.
TOP DOGS AT THE CAPITOL
The 2017-2018 legislative session is effectively over and focus has shifted to the November election. With a new governor coming to power in the coming months, it’s worth examining which lawmakers have had the most success implementing their agenda. Paul Payne of Sen. Bill Dodd’s office crunched the numbers.
Over the last two years, 1,875 bills have cleared Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. Here are the lawmakers who have authored the most laws:
T-1 — Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens (34 bills)
Adult sexual assault victims in California now have up to 10 years to seek civil damages under a new bill, authored by Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday.
Assembly Bill 1619 is a marked difference from the state's previous three-year statute of limitations. Under the new law, people over 18 years old who have been sexually assaulted will have 10 years from the date of the assault or three years from the date of discovery of an illness or injury that resulted from the assault, whichever is later, to start a civil case.
Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-24th District, apologized if he repeated points during last week’s “Keeping Up with the Community” event at Enchanté Boutique Hotel in downtown Los Altos.
By the time he arrived Sept. 18, Berman had already appeared at the Clocktower Coffee Roasting Company in Mountain View for another community coffee and attended a meeting that day.