California Newswire

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) today announced his candidacy for the office of California Secretary of State with a formal statement (text follows). “Today I am officially announcing my candidacy for Secretary of State. The strength of our democracy depends on the active involvement of all of our citizens. Last [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. and BEIJING, CHINA /California Newswire/ — Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Chao and hundreds of American and Chinese business leaders at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Wednesday night, where he announced a $1.5 billion investment partnership between a [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. and BEIJING, CHINA /California Newswire/ — Today, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed the first agreement of its kind between a subnational entity and China’s Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian to strengthen and coordinate efforts to improve air quality. “Reducing pollution takes great political struggle,” said Governor Brown in a meeting [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. and BEIJING, CHINA /California Newswire/ — Kicking off California’s trade and investment mission to China, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. met with China’s Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng today and signed a landmark agreement with the Ministry of Commerce to bolster economic ties and cooperation between California and China. “While California seems relatively [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, the Calif. Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance met to discuss the Governor’s controversial Local Control Funding Formula. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D- Torrance), a member of the committee, requested that the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) propose alternatives to the formula to ensure that all school districts benefit under a [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — The Calif.Senate Governmental Organization Committee today approved SB 135 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). The vote was 10 – 0. The bill would require the development of a comprehensive statewide earthquake early warning system in California. The measure now goes to the Senate Natural Resources Committee for consideration. “A fully [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — On Monday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointment: Joshua Groban, 39, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Board of Registered Nursing. Groban has served as senior advisor to Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. since 2011. He was legal counsel for the Jerry Brown [...]

SACRANENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s (D-Los Angeles) legislation to help increase the efficiency of Los Angeles County’s freeway system, one of the nation’s most notoriously congested systems, passed its first legislative hurdle today, Assembly Transportation Committee by a vote of 15-1. The bill, AB 405, will create pilot project to help [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, California State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) called on the NCAA to raise their standards and adopt strong rules that require continued academic and medical support for injured student-athletes. “My thoughts and prayers go out to Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware for a speedy and complete recovery,” said Senator Alex [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s (D-Los Angeles) bill to help local governments create dog parks for their residents passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee yesterday with broad bipartisan support and a vote of 9-0. The idea for the bill came from a local city councilmember, who expressed to Gatto that cities would [...]

SAN FERNANDO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas will host a telephone town hall at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, April 4, 2013, for interested residents of the San Fernando Valley to learn more about the impact of the House Republican Budget on San Fernando Valley families. Callers are invited to email [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s (D-Los Angeles) legislation to limit corporate “personhood” for federal corporate campaign contributions overcame its first major legislative hurdle today, passing the Assembly Judiciary Committee by a vote of 7-2. The legislation, AJR 1, employs an exceedingly rare procedure outlined in Article V of the United States [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — On the eve of Easter, this past holiday weekend, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that he has granted 65 pardons. The individuals granted pardons all completed their sentences and have been released from custody for more than a decade without further criminal activity. Individuals who have been convicted [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, Calif. Governor Jerry Brown issued a proclamation declaring Sunday, March 31, 2013 as “Cesar Chávez Day” in the State of California. The text of the proclamation follows. PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA Eighty-six years ago, César Chávez was born near his family farm in Yuma, [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments: First, Roberto Barragan, 52, of North Hills, has been appointed to the California Workforce Investment Board. Barragan has been president of the Valley Economic Development Center since 1999. He was executive director at Community Financial Resource Center from 1993 [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — On Thursday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments: First, Katherine Aguilar Perez-Estolano, 45, of Pasadena, has been appointed to the California High Speed Rail Authority. Perez-Estolano is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning and Development and co-founded Estolano LeSar [...]

TORRANCE, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs, today was appointed to a new Military Advisory Council by Governor Jerry Brown. “I would like to thank Governor Brown for his vision in establishing the Council and for this appointment,” said Muratsuchi. “I very much appreciate [...]

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, S.F. Mayor Edwin M. Lee cut the ribbon on the new Fire Station One, located at 935 Folsom Street in the South of Market neighborhood, which is the first new San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) fire station in more than 40 years. The new Fire Station One is [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, in an effort to protect and expand the military’s vital role in national security and California’s economy, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has established the Governor’s Military Council and appointed former Congresswoman and Under Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher as chair. “California plays a crucial role in our nation’s [...]

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Josh Valdez, DBA, the former Regional Director for the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), has accepted an appointment to the Board of GROW Elect, Latino Consultants announced today. GROW Elect is a political organization founded in 2011 for the purpose of electing Latino Republicans to local office in California.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointment: Evan Westrup, 31, of Sacramento, has been appointed press secretary in the Office of the Governor, where he has served as deputy press secretary since Governor Brown took office in 2011. Previously, he served as deputy press secretary on the [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments: First, Eli Gelardin, 34, of Benicia, has been appointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where he has served since 2010. Gelardin has been executive director at the Marin Center for Independent Living since 2008. Previously, Gelardin was [...]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Tuesday issued a proclamation declaring a special election for the 80th Assembly District of the State of California on July 30, 2013. The primary for this special election will be held on May 21, 2013. Text of the Proclamation: SPECIAL ELECTION PROCLAMATION BY [...]

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) announced a bill that will aid law enforcement with the effects of prison realignment. He was joined by Torrance Police Chief John J. Neu, Gardena Police Chief Ed Medrano and other local law enforcement representatives. “Prison realignment is the number one public safety concern [...]

SAN FERNANDO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Saturday marked the third anniversary of the day President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-San Fernando Valley) released a statement marking the date: “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, working families in my community will now have access to health care,” [...]