Press Releases

February 27, 2019

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today unveiled Senate Bill 419, which seeks to keep kids in school by eliminating the suspension of students for low-level offenses known as “willful defiance.” Such suspensions have disproportionately impacted students of color, LGBTIQ students, and those with disabilities in California.

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February 21, 2019

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today announced the “Child Support Reform Act,” which seeks to ensure that low-income families receive all the child support payments to which they are entitled. The act, Senate Bill 337, would overturn a decades-old law under which child-support payments meant for families who receive CalWORKs benefits go to the state rather than to the families and children who need it most.

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February 21, 2019

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today unveiled the “Housing Crisis Act of 2019,” a sweeping new initiative that will speed up the creation of new housing in California at a time when the state is facing an extreme housing crisis in both supply and affordability. The act would suspend, for a 10-year period, specific local rules and regulations that are recognized as obstacles to housing production, and it would establish reasonable time periods for processing housing permits. The legislation, also known as Senate Bill 330, includes anti-displacement provisions to help keep tenants and low-income families in their homes.

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February 14, 2019

Senator Nancy Skinner announces SB 234 the “Keeping Kids Close to Home Act” State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today unveiled the “Keeping Kids Close to Home Act,” which seeks to expand childcare opportunities for California families and reduce costs and red tape for home childcare providers statewide. The legislation, Senate Bill 234, would allow large family childcare homes that provide care for up to 14 children to avoid costly and burdensome zoning and permitting requirements in order to help serve more kids and families.

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February 5, 2019

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today unveiled “The Fair Pay to Play Act,” which seeks to help level the playing field for college athletes in California by allowing them to sign sponsorship deals and receive other compensation, much like Olympic athletes are now allowed to do. The act is also designed to help lift collegiate athletes out of poverty.

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January 10, 2019

Today, State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), issued the following statement: “As I expected Governor Newsom stepped in from day one with his hand on the pulse of the need for a fiscally sound but also responsive state budget. Any thought that our new Governor would not be paying attention to the bottom line was countered today. 

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December 3, 2018

Today, State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) reintroduced SB 42, the “Getting Home Safe Act,” to curtail dangerous, dead-of-night releases from county jails. Skinner proposed the bill in response to the tragic death of one of her constituents, Jessica St. Louis, who was released from Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail at 1:25 in the morning on July 28th, 2018.

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December 3, 2018

Today, State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), with co-authors Senator Scott Wiener, and Assemblymembers Rob Bonta and Buffy Wicks, unveiled SB 18 “Keep Californians Housed,” which seeks to stop homelessness before it starts by expanding state funding to provide rental assistance as well as legal aid to assist residents stay in their homes.

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September 30, 2018

Sacramento, CA — Today Governor Brown signed SB 1437, Senator Nancy Skinner’s (D-Berkeley) historic fix to California’s felony murder rule. SB 1437 narrows the definition of felony murder so that individuals are charged appropriately for the crime they actually commit.

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September 30, 2018

Sacramento, CA — Today Governor Brown signed SB 1421, Senator Nancy Skinner’s (D-Berkeley) legislation that will, for the first time in 40 years, lift the block California has had in place denying public access to any and all police records. SB 1421 opens access to a limited set of investigatory records related to law enforcement use of serious force, on-the-job sexual assault, and dishonesty.

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