California Newswire

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California's Senate Judiciary Committee today passed Senate Bill 1267, authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). The bill would establish the California Genetic Information Privacy Act. The measure now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Monday announced the following appointments. First, David Cole, 45, of Roseville, has been appointed retail recruitment manager at the California State Lottery. Cole has been the owner of James David Cellars since 2007 and was business area manager for Wells Fargo Bank from 2003 to 2008.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) today announced that his bill, SB 1233 (Padilla) was passed by the Senate Elections Committee. The bill would require ballot initiative petitions to be provided in other languages. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The Calif. Senate Education Committee today approved SB 1530 authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). The bill expedites and elevates the dismissal process for teachers and other certificated employees whose misconduct is serious and egregious. SB 1530 won the unanimous support of the committee. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The California Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee today passed SB 1160 and SB 1161 authored by Senator Alex Padilla with unanimous bipartisan support 13 to 0 and 12 to 0. SB 1160 would protect California consumers by preventing the arbitrary interruption of communications service. SB 1161 would affirm California's growing role as the leader of the global Internet economy.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments. First: Catherine Kuhlman, 59, of Oakland, has been appointed assistant deputy secretary for oceans and coastal matters at the California Natural Resources Agency.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today released a list of more than 700 unnecessary bureaucratic reports currently required by law and called on the state legislature to eliminate them in order to streamline government and reduce waste.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California Assembly Bill 1900, authored by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), a bill that would change the state's rules on Renewable Natural Gas, passed the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce on Monday by a vote of 11-1. The bill would change the rules for Renewable Natural Gas (also known as biomethane), a natural, renewable-energy source fuel. Current rules have been described by many as bizarre or simply counter-productive.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments. First, Mark Cowin, 53, of Sacramento, has been appointed director of the California Department of Water Resources. Cowin has served as director and acting director of the California Department of Water Resources since 2010.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments: First, Shanda Chaudhry, 36, of West Sacramento, has been appointed assistant deputy director of legislation at the California Technology Agency. She has served as senior legislative aide to Senator Curren Price since 2008.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Mayor Edwin M. Lee today made the following statement as the California High-Speed Rail Authority approves and signs the MOU for Caltrain electrification, an early investment in high-speed rail in California.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed the Multiple Approvals Ordinance on Monday, cutting red tape and simplifying the development review process. Under the new ordinance development projects that require multiple approvals from the City of Los Angeles will now have one deadline rather than multiple expiration dates for individual entitlements.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments. First, Dale Brodsky, 60, of Orinda, has been appointed to the Fair Employment and Housing Commission.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Tuesday announced the following appointments. First, Brian Annis, 43, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary for transportation at the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The Senate Governance and Finance committee today approved Senate Bill 1128 (Padilla) on a 7 to 0 vote. The bill would encourage investment, job creation and economic growth in California by allowing sales and use tax exemptions on the purchase of manufacturing equipment in the advanced manufacturing sector. The bill will next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- CA Senate Bill 1298, authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), passed the Senate Transportation Committee today on an 8 to 0 vote. The bill would establish safety and performance standards for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles on public roads in California.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- A key water-conservation bill introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) passed the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee today by a vote of 11-1.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- CA Assembly Bill (AB) 1658, a bill by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D–Los Angeles) that would allow car enthusiasts to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for 'classic' California license plates, passed its first legislative hurdle on Monday.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Friday announced the following appointments. First, Paul Slavik, 70, of Huntington Beach, has been appointed to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, where he has served since 2008.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Tuesday announced the following appointments. First, Tonya Blood, 41, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief of the Bureau of Electronic Appliance Repair, Home Furnishing and Thermal Insulation.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments. First, Graciela Castillo-Krings, 31, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of legislative affairs at the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Friday, following through on his pledge to streamline state government, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today sent a far-reaching reorganization plan to the Little Hoover Commission that cuts the number of state agencies from 12 to 10, eliminates duplicative and unnecessary entities and consolidates those with similar roles and functions.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments. First: Darius Assemi, 51, of Fresno, has been appointed to the California Transportation Commission, where he has served since 2009.

GOLETA, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined with the California Public Utilities Commission today to announce a $120 million dollar settlement with NRG Energy Inc. that will fund the construction of a statewide network of charging stations for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including at least 200 public fast-charging stations and another 10,000 plug-in units at 1,000 locations across the state.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Bay Area officials applaud the draft regional agreement with the California High Speed Rail Authority on the $1.5 billion electrification of Caltrain on the Peninsula corridor as a strategic early investment in a blended high speed rail system.