Latest News

Sen. Leno Issues Statement on May Revise

May 14, 2012

SACRAMENTO – Senator Mark Leno, chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, released the following statement today regarding the Governor’s May Revise budget proposal.

Sen. Leno Applauds President Obama for Supporting Marriage Equality

May 09, 2012

SACRAMENTO – Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) released the following statement today following President Barack Obama’s announcement that he supports marriage for same-sex couples.

Four Bills Authored By Senator Leno Pass Senate Public Safety Committee

April 24, 2012

SACRAMENTO – Four bills authored by Senator Mark Leno passed the Senate Public Safety Committee today. The measures address sex trafficking of minors, warrantless searches of GPS tracking devices by law enforcement agencies, strip searches of non-violent detainees, and the legality of medical marijuana collectives and cooperatives.

Leno Bill Requiring Companies to Disclose Top Executive Retirement Pay to be Heard in Senate Judiciary Committee

April 23, 2012

SB 1208, the Corporate Executive Retirement Sunshine Act, helps the public and shareholders understand how top executive retirement compensation has skyrocketed while average worker pensions have severely declined

SACRAMENTO – Senator Mark Leno’s first-in-the-nation bill requiring publicly traded corporations to report the amount of money their top five highest paid executives receive in retirement will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 24.

Leno Bill Limits Strip Searches of Non-Violent Detainees

April 20, 2012

SACRAMENTO – Senator Mark Leno today announced introduction of legislation to protect Californians from intrusive strip and body cavity searches when they are taken into custody for minor offenses that do not involve drugs, weapons or violence. Senate Bill 1536 clarifies existing state law to allow detainees adequate time to post bail or be released on their own recognizance before they are placed within the general population of a jail, where they would be subject to strip searches and visual body cavity searches.

Three Leno Public Safety Bills Clear Key Committee Hurdle

April 17, 2012

Legislation Addresses Medically Incapacitated Inmates, Penalties for Simple Drug Possession and Workers’ Compensation Restitution

Senator Leno Applauds $10.6 Million in New Parks Funding for Disadvantaged Neighborhoods in San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma

April 12, 2012

SACRAMENTO – Senator Mark Leno is offering his congratulations to three communities in Senate District 3 that have received grants to build and preserve local parks in their disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Leno Bill Protects Against Warrantless Searches of GPS Data on Cell Phones

April 10, 2012

SACRAMENTO – Senator Mark Leno today announced the introduction of legislation that protects against warrantless government searches of a person’s whereabouts and movements based on information received from an electronic device such as a cell phone. Senate Bill 1434 follows the lead of the U.S. Supreme Court, which recently ruled that it was unconstitutional for police to install a GPS (Global Positioning System) device on an individual’s car without a warrant.

Senator Mark Leno Partners with Marin Women’s Commission To Co-present the Marin Teen Girl Conference

March 02, 2012

200 young women from Marin County high schools and middle schools attend workshops on empowerment, self-esteem, peer pressure, how to handle daily stress, and body image

Leno Bill Revises Penalty for Simple Drug Possession

February 27, 2012

SACRAMENTO – Following the lead of 13 other states and the federal government, Senator Mark Leno introduced legislation that revises the penalty for simple drug possession under state law from a felony to a misdemeanor. The new legislation, SB 1506, does not apply to anyone involved in selling, manufacturing or possessing drugs for sale. The bill would help alleviate overcrowding in state prisons and county jails, ease pressure on California’s court system and result in millions of dollars in annual savings for both state and local governments.