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Dear Constituent,
Here's a brief summary of legislation I authored this year. These bills passed both houses of the state legislature and are now on Gov. Newsom's desk:
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SB 16 Coming Clean on Police Records: For 40 years, state law prevented public access to police conduct records. That ban was lifted with my 2018 bill, SB 1421, which opened access to a limited set of police records. SB 16 opens public access to additional records, specifically officers with a history of biased or discriminatory behavior, unlawful arrests and searches, or excessive or unreasonable force.
SB 27 Carbon Sequestration: Healthy soils, grasslands, wetlands, and forests have the capacity to naturally store carbon. SB 27 ensures that California identifies and supports nature-based carbon removal projects.
SB 354 Relative Placement: Reduces barriers that prevent children in foster care from being placed with relatives and extended family.
SB 65 California Momnibus Act: Infant and maternal death rates, especially for families of color, persist at high rates. SB 65 is aimed at
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closing racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality and health outcomes, and improving data collection and research on the factors that contribute to negative birth outcomes.
SB 81 Judicial Guidelines for Sentencing Enhancements: California has over 160 enhancements that add time to a prison sentence over and above the sentence associated with the underlying crime. SB 81 establishes clear guidelines for judges to determine whether a sentence enhancement is necessary to protect public safety.
SB 290 Clarifying CA's Density Bonus Law: Allows student housing and housing that low- and moderate-income residents can purchase to utilize CA's Density Bonus law.
SB 524 Patient Steering: Bars health plans from forcing patients to fill their prescription at a particular pharmacy, when there's a pharmacy the patient prefers within the plan's network.
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Gov. Newsom has now signed two of my bills: SB 26, College Athletes' Rights, and SB 8, The Housing Crisis Act Extension. SB 26 strengthens my 2019 law, SB 206, The Fair Pay to Play Act, which made California the first state to overrule the NCAA and give student athletes the right to earn money from their name, image and likeness. SB 8 extends the effective date of The Housing Crisis Act, which will allow housing that meets local rules to be permitted more efficiently without rules changing midstream.
In addition, my SB 364, Free School Meals for All, was included in the 2021-22 state budget, making California the first state to provide two free meals a day to all public K-12 students.
If you would like to express your opinion on any of the bills that are on Gov. Newsom's desk, go to Gov. Newsom's website and click the "Contact" tab on the top right corner. A drop-down menu will appear, click "Contact," and then an online email form will appear. Then click, "choose your subject," select the bill you'd like to weigh in on, and you can communicate your views to the governor.
I invite you to follow me on Twitter @NancySkinnerCA and Facebook and to visit my Senate website for updates on legislation and on the state budget. It is a pleasure serving you in the state Senate.
Sincerely,
Nancy Skinner
State Senator, District 9
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