San Jose Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren on Wednesday announced a new bill, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, that would give undocumented workers in the agricultural industry a path to legal status. Farmworkers who could prove they’ve worked in agriculture and will continue to work in agriculture could qualify for permanent legal status. In an exclusive interview...
Policy
Policy
Traffic concerns engulf San Jose neighborhoods on verge of development
A long history of reckless speeding, hit-and-runs and traffic-related deaths in San Jose’s Northside neighborhood has forced Tony Mangallanez to prohibit his kids from playing outside in the front yard. “Drivers need to act like your kids are living on the street,” Mangallanez said. “I had a car that was totaled in front of my...
On Capitol Hill, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo talks PG&E outages, clean air
WASHINGTON, D.C. — San Jose’s Mayor Sam Liccardo and former California Gov. Jerry Brown testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning before the judiciary committee’s energy subcommittee. The hearing was called to examine President Donald Trump’s proposal to roll back Obama era regulations to freeze greenhouse gas emissions standards at 2020 levels. But before any of...
House passes San Jose Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s election interference bill
Just two weeks after she introduced it, San Jose Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s election interference bill passed in the House on Wednesday, the same day lawmakers continued an ongoing discussion about Facebook’s role in elections. A bill introduced by Lofgren, H.R. 4617, would require campaigns to report offers of illicit campaign assistance from foreign entities, create...
Bay Area companies and community groups push for $16B transportation investment
A group of 32 Bay Area organizations, from private tech companies to community groups, on Wednesday urged local lawmakers to take big, new strides to invest in transportation throughout the region. In a letter, signed by Alphabet-owned Waymo, San Francisco-based ridesharing and scooter companies Lyft and Lime alongside a slew of Bay Area bicycle coalitions,...
Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna says House will vote on impeachment
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna says he’s going to be on the road over the next 100 days as campaign co-chair for Senator and 2020 presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders. But before he packs his bags for the campaign trail, San José Spotlight caught up with Khanna last Friday inside his Washington office for a...
San Jose lawmaker criticizes highway funds diverted to high-speed rail
Gov. Gavin Newsom has received backlash from both sides of the political aisle after signing an executive order last month that diverts funds away from highway repairs into high-speed rail projects — a move that has some San Jose lawmakers shaking their heads. The funds — up to $5 billion generated annually — stem from...
Frustrations mount over VTA’s no-show buses, lack of communication
Handfuls of VTA riders have unknowingly waited for buses that were never going to arrive. Dan Rouse waited for the 181: @vtaservice why is route 181 skipping the 8:38 warm springs departure? — ???? Dan Rouse ????️???? (@dsrouse) October 10, 2019 The same happened to Enrique Camacho and the 323: @VTA Please post when there...
Silicon Valley congressmembers return from recess tackling big issues
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Silicon Valley’s congressional leaders returned to Capitol Hill this week after a two-week recess and the local delegation jumped into a number of critical issues, including a push to bolster election security, lower prescription drug prices, reduce access to e-cigarettes and continue waging the war on President Donald Trump. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren a...
San Jose: Three Evergreen elementary schools could close due to deficit
Citing low enrollment across its 15 elementary schools in East San Jose, the Evergreen School District Board of Trustees voted 4-1 this week to embark on a plan that would potentially close or consolidate two schools next year and a third school the following year. After roughly 45 minutes of discussion during a meeting Thursday, Trustee...