District Report - August 2023

A Message from Senator Bill Dodd

Dear Neighbor,

Across the North Bay, school is back in session as we in the Legislature make a final push on a range of legislative proposals including those to improve wildfire safety and protect seniors against financial abuse.

In this Issue:

As always, my office is available to help you with a state agency or answer any questions you might have. You can contact me by visiting my website. Also, follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Sincerely,

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Senator Bill Dodd, District 3

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Wildfire Safety & Preparedness

We know the geography, weather patterns and number of communities bordering wildlands in California make us vulnerable to devastating wildfire. As catastrophic wildfires continue to increase each year in California, make sure to protect yourself and your family.

Cal Fire, our statewide firefighting agency, urges everyone to be familiar with its Ready, Set, Go!  guidelines:

Be ready: Create and maintain defensible space and harden your home against flying embers.

Get set: Prepare your family and home ahead of time for the possibility of having to evacuate. Ensure you have a plan of what to take and where to go – evacuation plans will be different this year due to COVID-19. Ask friends or relatives outside your area if you would be able to stay with them, should the need arise. If you do need to evacuate and plan to stay with friends or relatives, ask first if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or have people in their home at higher risk for serious illness. If that is the case, make other arrangements. Check with hotels, motels and campgrounds to learn if they are open. Also get set by learning about your community’s response plan for each disaster and determine if these plans have been adapted because of COVID-19.

Go: When wildfire strikes, go early for your safety. Take the evacuation steps necessary to give your family and home the best chance of surviving a wildfire.

More information: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/


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Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Week

To bring attention to Delta and its central role in California’s water story, I have designated the last week of September as Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta Week.

Those interested in learning about the Delta and helping to preserve the precious resource will have an opportunity to participate in numerous clean-up events. They will follow by about a week the annual California Coastal Clean-Up Week on Sept. 23.

Learn more as the week approaches: http://deltaconservancy.ca.gov/updates-events/

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Legislative Update

As the 2023 legislative season enters the home stretch, I’m proud of the work we’ve done to pass laws that are important to you. Many of my bills have now been approved by the Senate and Assembly, and are awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. A handful of my bills have already been signed.

I will continue to push forward strong public policy that will leave our state a better place for future generations.  This year’s highlights:

  • SB 61 Native American Remains: Requires UC campuses to expedite return of remains & artifacts.
  • SB 74 High Risk App Ban: Bans TikTok, other high-risk apps on state devices.
  • SB 278 Elder Financial Abuse: Holds institutions accountable for fraud against seniors.
  • SB 310 Prescribed Burning: Allows cultural burns from Native Americans.
  • SB 329 Council Pay Caps: Increases pay caps for city council members.
  • SB 353 Recycling: Adds large juice containers to state recycling program; Improves processing payment calculation.
  • SB 478 Hidden Fees: Outlaws advertising that hides fees, does not disclose full price.
  • SB 668 State Parks: Allows nonprofit operating and co-management agreements at state parks to continue.
  • SB 808 CSU Harassment: Increases transparency/reporting of cases and settlement to Legislature.
  • SCR 17 Artificial Intelligence: Underscores power of AI and risks; First AI-drafted state resolution.

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In the News

Here is some of the latest news coverage that may be of interest to you:

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