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Silicon Valley leaders and politicos are mourning the death of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein—the longest serving female senator in history. She was 90. Feinstein was a historic fixture in California politics and won election to the U.S. Senate in 1992 after a political career in San Francisco. After a series of health struggles and an...
Will social housing in Silicon Valley find funding to break ground?
A local assemblyman’s goal of establishing social housing in California is one signature away from fruition, but lingering questions remain about how these projects will be funded. Assembly Bill 309 author Assemblymember Alex Lee said social housing—a method where governments own, manage and maintain homes designed as affordable housing—will help alleviate California’s housing crunch. But...
Will Silicon Valley lawmaker’s plan to toss Trump off ballot work?
A local state assemblyman wants to remove former President Donald Trump from the March primary ballot, but the law may not be on his side. Trump’s eligibility to be on the ballot hinges on the outcome of his federal indictment over the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The first trial date in...
Silicon Valley fast-food industry finds compromise in state bill
Flipping burgers, assembling sandwiches and scooping guacamole onto salads is going to look tastier to San Jose’s fast-food workers after unions and restaurant owners reached an agreement through a state bill heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. State legislators passed Assembly Bill 1228 last week, ending a stalemate over fast-food labor policies, which triggered a...
How a state bill could help house San Jose artists
A new state bill aims to set aside affordable housing for artists in cultural districts. Assembly Bill 812, introduced by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner and sponsored by California Arts Advocates, would require counties and cities to reserve 10% of affordable housing for artists in or near a locally or state designated cultural district. Julie Baker, CEO...
How a San Jose senator aims to cut red tape on affordable housing
A South Bay senator is hoping to speed up affordable housing production statewide with a new bill aimed at trimming back red tape in California’s main environmental law. State Sen. Dave Cortese’s bill, SB 406, would grant local agencies who help fund affordable housing an exemption from a provision of California’s Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that...
Silicon Valley official wants to speed up apartment construction
A bill sailing through the state Legislature could help build more homes across San Jose and the rest of California, but safety concerns are being raised. Assembly Bill 835, spearheaded by San Jose Assemblymember Alex Lee, would enable developers of new apartment buildings higher than three stories to build only one stairway—eliminating the two stairway...
Silicon Valley voters asked to erase obsolete same-sex marriage law
Voters in San Jose and the rest of the state have a chance to erase a law still on the books that bans same-sex marriage in California. The California Senate passed a proposed constitutional amendment last week to repeal Prop. 8, a 2008 measure that established a ban on same-sex marriage. The ban became moot...
San Jose lawmaker’s social housing bill advances
A bill to establish affordable housing in California is making its way through the state Senate after a successful committee vote—but not without revisions. Assembly Bill 309, also referred to as the Social Housing Act, is authored by San Jose Assemblymember Alex Lee. The bill proposes social housing, a technique brought to fame by countries...
San Jose mayor supports state mental health reforms
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is voicing support for reforms to the state’s Mental Health Services Act, which targets those with severe mental illness and are homeless. The plan—first announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom in March—includes putting a new $4.68 billion bond measure on the 2024 ballot to fund more behavioral health beds and carve out...