Political Watch

• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) joined a bipartisan group of 20 senators in calling on President Joe Biden to establish a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (which will include matches held in California), the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2031 […]

• Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) announced that Assembly Bill 1866, which addresses idle oil wells, has made it to the California Senate floor, according to an Aug. 15 statement from Hart’s office. The legislation specifically mandates that oil companies plug an estimated 40,000 idle wells in California and prioritize plugging wells within 3,200 feet […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) applauded the Biden-Harris administration for announcing a change in housing policy to benefit veterans, a policy that he proposed as part of the recently adopted Home for the Brave Act, according to an Aug. 8 statement from Carbajal’s office. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla wrote to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Department of Commerce to express their strong support for swiftly designating the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary while facilitating the development of offshore wind energy, according to a July 26 statement from Carbajal’s […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is one of nearly 100 House Democrats cosponsoring new legislation that would repeal an antiquated federal law that has been raised by conservative voices as the potential foundation for enacting a federal ban on abortion nationwide, according to a July 18 statement from Carbajal’s office. The legislation introduced […]

• U.S. Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-California) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the Keep Families Together Act, a legislation that would mandate immigration enforcement to prioritize keeping families together and provide guidelines to ensure they are kept together throughout the legal process, according to a July 11 statement from Butler’s office. In 2018, the Trump administration […]

• Amid extreme heat waves across California and the nation, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) applauded the Biden administration’s proposed rule to establish the first-ever federal safety standard to protect workers from the severe risks of excessive heat, according to a July 2 statement from Padilla’s office. The rule, proposed by the Department of Labor’s […]

• Representatives in the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force announced a new effort to force a vote on legislation led by U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath (D-Georgia) and Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) to expand Americans’ access to red flag laws, which allow the removal of a gun from someone who is deemed by a court […]

• U.S. Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-California) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) announced the introduction of the Health Equity Innovation Act, legislation to fight racial disparities in health outcomes by expanding access to preventative health care in underserved communities, according to a June 21 statement from Butler’s office. The bill would establish a new grant program […]

• Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) announced a legislative oversight hearing in response to the recent state auditor’s report on wage theft, according to a June 13 statement from Hart’s office. The audit identified substantial deficiencies by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office in assisting Californians affected by wage theft. According to Labor Commissioner’s Office data, […]

• U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California), Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), and Peter Welch (D-Vermont) led senators in calling on the Biden administration to finalize the proposed mental health parity rule released in 2023, according to a June 6 statement from Padilla’s office. The senators emphasized that these rules will hold insurers accountable and ensure they follow […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and the Biden administration announced new funding for two Central Coast school districts to support their purchase of 35 zero- and low-emission school buses for students, according to a May 29 statement from Carbajal’s office. Ventura Unified School District and Santa Barbara Unified School District are receiving $7 […]