October 2018 District Report

A Message from Bill Dodd

Dear Neighbor,

A year ago this month, parts of our beautiful district were hit by the most destructive wildfires in state history. We observed the first anniversary of this tragedy Oct. 9 in Calistoga with a Fire Prevention and Remembrance Forum honoring first-responders and those who were lost.

This month also marks the end of our two-year legislative session in Sacramento. I’m proud to say Gov. Brown signed a total of 31 of my bills into law and issued no vetoes. My bills run the gamut -- from meaningful legislation to address the ongoing wildfire threat to crucial measures to improve education and protect the environment.

Now, I’m looking ahead to the start of the next session later this year. And I’m seeking your input. As always, I’m available to assist you with our state agencies. You can contact me by visiting my website or by calling my offices.

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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Napa Senior Issues Forum

More than 100 people attended this forum at the Napa Senior Activity Center, where we talked about health care, fraud prevention and many other important topics. Seniors can be a vulnerable group and it is essential that we care for them and provide them with the services they deserve.

Speakers included Yvonne Baginiski, California Senior Legislature assembly member; Kristin Brown, deputy director, Napa County's Comprehensive Services for Older Adults; Frank Nelson, regional manager for the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program; and Bob Twomey of the Contractors State License Board.

If you missed the senior forum, we will host another one on Dec. 11, this time in Petaluma. Details are here.

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Breast Cancer Awareness 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

If you’ve watched an NFL football game this month or browsed through your Facebook news feed, you may have noticed an enormous amount of pink everywhere you look. That’s because October is National Breast Cancer Prevention Awareness Month, and I applaud the use of pink as a reminder of the importance of promoting early screening and detection of breast cancer. Early detection saves lives.

Roughly one in eight women in the United States will get breast cancer. Next to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer in women and the odds of survival are dramatically increased if found early. Talk to a doctor about your risk for breast cancer, especially if breast or ovarian cancer runs in your family.

The Legislature passed and the Governor signed a measure creating a breast cancer license plate program in California to help increase awareness and to raise funds for the Every Woman Counts program that provides funding for early detection services for underinsured and uninsured women. This year I was happy to support Assembly Concurrent Resolution 68 that recognizes October as Breast Cancer Prevention Awareness Month. Until there is a cure, please join me in working to educate friends and neighbors about this awful disease.

Additional information found here.

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Paying for College Apply for Aid Now

Funding your College Future

The application period for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is required to access most financial aid, is now open.  Paying for college can be difficult, but California has always been a leader in providing eligible students with an affordable college education. 

The Cal Grant and the Middle Class Scholarship are two great state programs to help California families afford college:

Cal Grant, a need-based state financial aid program, has been a big part of making college affordable for many California families. Qualified students can receive up to $12,192 in funding to attend almost any college in California – awards vary depending on economic need, grades and the college you attend.

The Middle Class Scholarship Act is a newer program for students who do not qualify for Cal Grants but are still priced out of college. It offers sliding-scale discounts of up to 40 percent for families who earn $150,000 or less and don't qualify for Cal Grants, which support lower-income students.

Students apply just as they would for a federal loan or a Cal Grant, by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 2. They must also have a C average.

Don't delay! You may apply starting October 1, and the deadline to apply is March 2.

For more information and assistance with your application, please visit the Assembly Democratic Caucus’s Funding Your College Future website.

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Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween

As a father and grandfather, I know that Halloween is a fun time of year, but it is also an important time to practice fire and personal safety. The occurrence of fire increases around Halloween due to the use of candles as decorations, and it’s important to ensure that trick-or-treaters are wearing safe costumes. Learn helpful safety tips from Cal Fire

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Joint Legislative Hearing on Insurance and Wildfires is Oct. 30

California Wildfire

Destructive wildfires have ravaged California and the North Bay, revealing insurance-related issues that directly and negatively affect many survivors. With the frequency of such events likely to continue due to climate change, we must identify the problems and find solutions that allow our communities to be rebuilt.

With that in mind, I will be joining leaders of the Assembly and Senate insurance committees Oct. 30 at Napa Valley College to examine whether homeowners insurance coverage has been sufficient to allow those affected by recent wildfires to rebuild. 

Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, and Assembly member Tom Daly, D-Anaheim, chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee, will convene the hearing. It will include testimony from insurance experts, consumer advocates and local officials, as well as a researcher from California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. 

Members of the public will be invited to offer comments after the witnesses testify.

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In the News

Here are some of the latest news stories 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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