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California’s felony murder law allows judges to send convicts to prison for life — and sentence them to death — even when that person is not directly responsible for the death of another. Sen. Dave Cortese wants to end that practice, and give thousands of inmates charged under the law a chance to apply for...
San Jose lawmaker proposes revolutionary social housing policy
Housing advocates say an ambitious bill brought to the table this week in the state Legislature seeking to establish “social housing” is the right approach to California’s crisis, but it faces plenty of obstacles, too. Assemblymember Alex Lee, whose district includes part of San Jose, on Tuesday introduced a bill asking the state to begin...
Newly-elected San Jose legislators pressed on COVID-19 vaccine rollout
California and Santa Clara County’s vaccine rollout — full of mixed messages and poor communication — have been widely criticized over the past few weeks. Conflicting numbers have led to confusion and a massive backlog for vaccine distribution, and have left residents looking for answers. Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-San Jose) and Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto...
Bill to allow legislative staffers to unionize gets support from San Jose lawmakers
Unions are having a transformative 2021: They’re waging war against Proposition 22 and breaking into the traditionally union-hostile tech industry. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) and a majority of Silicon Valley’s legislators are hoping to carry some of that momentum into their chambers. On Jan. 25, Gonzalez reintroduced Assembly Bill 314, which would give legislative staffers...
Ten new state laws Santa Clara County residents should care about
In 2020, California was blindsided by the coronavirus pandemic, unprecedented calls for racial equality and devastating wildfires. The year’s turbulence led to many new laws. Business-related laws include an increase in minimum wage, extended family leave and additional COVID-19 regulations. Others focus on equity, criminal justice and police reform. Of the hundreds of new laws...
‘The war has begun’: Silicon Valley official called to resign over Facebook posts
Silicon Valley leaders are demanding a local Republican elected official resign following a series of Facebook posts inciting violence Wednesday, just as a pro-Trump mob took over the U.S. Capitol in a dangerous attempt to overturn the election. Phil Reynolds, who is an elected member of the Santa Clara County Republican Party’s Central Committee, publicly...
San Jose Assemblyman Ash Kalra wants to be the next Attorney General
San Jose Assemblyman Ash Kalra is jockeying to replace Attorney General Xavier Becerra as the state’s top law enforcement official. Becerra was tapped by President-elect Joe Biden to be the next U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, leaving California’s attorney general position vacant. If Becerra is confirmed, Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint the state’s next attorney general— and Kalra thinks...
Two Silicon Valley legislators eyeing run for California Secretary of State
With speculation swirling that California Secretary of State Alex Padilla could be selected to fill Kamala Harris’ U.S. Senate seat once she becomes vice president next month, some local politicians are lining up to potentially replace him. Five California legislators have opened exploratory committees looking into a run for secretary of state, including two South...
South Bay legislators hit the ground running in new posts
New state Senator Dave Cortese and San Jose Assemblymember Alex Lee both introduced large pieces of legislation on their first day in Sacramento. On Dec. 7, within hours of beginning his post as representative of California’s Assembly District 25, Lee introduced AB 20, called the Clean Money Act. The legislation seeks to bar all businesses...
‘The time is now’: Leaders urge Newsom to appoint Latino lawmaker to Senate
Across the state, Latino leaders united in urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a Latina or Latino lawmaker to the U.S. Senate, replacing Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Seeking representation and a voice in government, politicians have banded together, speaking at news conferences in Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Jose this month. San Jose...