January 11, 2020

In a brief Dec. 11 letter, state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Oakland, said that Senate Bill 330 and Senate Bill 167 “may impact a project that is currently before you: the Terraces of Lafayette project.”

Skinner said the Legislature “is keenly focused on accelerating the creation of new housing at a time when the state is facing an extreme crisis in both supply and affordability.” She said California now ranks 49th in the nation when it comes to housing units per capita.

 

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January 8, 2020

“I want to thank Moms 4 Housing for taking that house and for demonstrating that nowhere, nowhere should there be a vacant house anywhere in California when we have the housing crisis that we have,” said Democratic Sen. Nancy Skinner of Berkeley. “And it was totally legitimate for those homeless moms to take over that house.”

 

For the full report, click here.

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January 7, 2020

Dollens’ “Fair Pay to Play Act” closely mirrors landmark legislation California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law last year, but that won’t take effect until 2023. Since then, similar legislation has been filed in other states and the NCAA’s governing body said it intends to allow college athletes to earn compensation.

NCAA leaders are still figuring out how to go about allowing college athletes to get paid, and say they will have a plan by early 2021.

 

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January 1, 2020

SB419, from state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, prohibits California public and charter schools from suspending K-8 students for “willful defiance.” Studies have shown that such suspensions drive students out of school and are used disproportionately against students of color. …

The biggest housing bill the state Legislature managed to pass was Skinner’s SB330, which bars local governments from creating new rules likely to reduce housing production and slashes the time it takes to obtain building permits.

 

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January 1, 2020

The new law — known as Senate Bill 310, or "The Right to a Jury of Your Peers" — allows people with previous felony convictions to be called as long as they're not on parole or probation and they aren't registered felony sex offenders.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Democrat representing Berkeley, introduced the bill, which passed the Legislature in September.

 

For the full report, click here.

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December 31, 2019

So are the provisions of SB330, which places a five-year moratorium on local policies that make it harder to build in cities without enough housing. That means local governments could not limit the number of permits for new homes, add fees or rezone land to accommodate smaller projects. ...

In an effort to make juries more representative, particularly for nonwhite defendants, SB310 opens up jury service to people who have been convicted of felonies once they complete their parole.

 

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December 31, 2019

Senate Bill 310, from state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, is designed to correct that problem by expanding jury pools to include those with felony convictions in their past.

The legislation will restore the right to serve on a jury for people convicted of felonies who are not serving time in prison, on parole or under supervision beginning Jan. 1. But it excludes people who register as a sex offender because of a felony conviction.

 

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December 30, 2019

There’s little doubt that the passage of SB1421 is one of the most significant reforms that the state has passed in my many years of covering the Legislature. Not much good comes out of Sacramento, but it’s worth celebrating the rare instance when it does.

 

For the full op-ed, click here.

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December 26, 2019

In 2020, courtrooms will start to look a little different in California. Felons who have served their time will be eligible to serve on juries. That’s good news, not just for the felons but also for justice.

The change is the result of a bill sponsored by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. Felons will need to have completed their jail and parole terms before being eligible. Registered sex offenders won’t be eligible.

 

For the full editorial, click here.

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December 25, 2019

Nice: State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), for pushing through the bill that allows student athletes to strike licensing deals for use of their images despite a ban on the practice by the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. — which later amended its policy to align with California’s law.

 

For the full editorial, click here.

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