State legislation introduced Wednesday aims to reduce the number of empty homes in California and give tenants the right of first refusal to buy foreclosed properties. The bill was inspired by the plight of a group of homeless mothers who recently took up residence in a vacant West Oakland home to call attention to California’s housing crisis.

Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, introduced a bill Wednesday that would allow local jurisdictions to use vacant single-family homes as affordable housing and give them the authority to fine corporations that keep homes vacant for long stretches of time.

Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, introduced today Senate Bill 1079 to reduce the number of vacant homes in California and give tenants the right of first refusal to buy foreclosed properties. SB 1079 would also allow cities and counties to fine corporations that own multiple single-family homes for keeping housing vacant for more than 90 days and give local governments first rights on such vacant properties to use them for affordable housing.

Legislation to allow college student-athletes in Nebraska to profit from their names, images and likenesses was advanced Wednesday to the floor of the Legislature.