May 2019 District Report

A Message from Senator Bill Dodd

Dear Neighbor,

As we kick off another great Memorial Day weekend, I hope you’ll remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. More than 1 million Americans have given their lives in wars since the birth of our nation. Please keep them in your thoughts throughout the year.

In the Capitol, we’re making progress on legislation that is important locally and statewide. My bills to protect us from wildfires, create more affordable housing and help the elderly are advancing. Next month, I’ll introduce a bill declaring June as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness month.

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.

Sincerely,

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Bill Dodd
Senator, 3rd District

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Legislative Update

We’ve had excellent success this month as an overwhelming majority of my bills passed through policy committees and were approved by the full Senate or are awaiting a vote.

Among them are five wildfire-safety bills that do things such as help to clear trees from power lines, protect taxpayer resources from unexpected disaster response costs and establish a network of weather monitoring devices to help forecast extreme conditions in this era of climate change.

In addition, I have been appointed to chair a 13-member select committee to review Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wildfire preparedness report.

Other legislation involves making horse racing safer for both animals and riders, securing surplus state lands for use by the Napa County Regional Parks and Open Space District and streamlining the process for use of federal transportation funds for local projects. Yet another bill moving forward will encourage environmental stewardship among ranchers.

For more information, please check out the links below:

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Congratulations to National Merit Scholarship Winners!

Five District 3 high seniors were among the 300 students statewide to receive $2,500 National Merit Scholarships. They were chosen from more than 15,000 finalists in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship program.

All were judged to possess the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.  

This year’s recipients are:

Nina K. Martin, Davis School for Independent Study
Patrick Chankyu Song, Davis High School
Aniela J. Mitchell, Davis High School
Charlotte Mitchell, Davis High School
Jordan Bowman-Davis, Justin-Siena High School

Well done, all!

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Special Veterans Identification Cards and Access to Benefits

Through their service to our country, veterans have earned a wide range of benefits. However, it can be difficult to verify their service in order to acquire those benefits. In fact, not having proof of military service is one of the biggest obstacles veterans face gaining access to resources, benefits, and services.

Under a new California law veterans can apply for a California driver’s license or ID card with a “Veteran” designation. The new Veteran ID provides proof of military service, making it easier for California veterans to access benefits and services. Learn how to get your new Veterans ID card here.

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In the News

While California has made strides in a number of areas over the last year, there is still much work to be done. Of particular importance is ensuring California is protected from future wildfires, that more affordable housing is built, that we increase educational opportunity and that we maintain environmental stewardship.

Here is some of the latest news coverage that may be of interest to you. As always, please contact my office if you have any questions about state policy or want to express your position or ideas for legislation.

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