By Loan Anh-Pham, San Jose Spotlight

By Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera

By Beth Torres, Newsbreak

By Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle

A state senator representing San Jose sent a letter to the White House on Friday requesting that Santa Clara County be included in a presidential major disaster declaration that was declared for other surrounding counties earlier this month.

Local leaders want federal aid for Santa Clara County residents who’ve been excluded from financial assistance after the recent storms. View the full story at this link. 

A group of state legislators called on leadership this week to protect funding for public transit systems after Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested cuts in his proposed budget.

Bay Area State Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) has announced he’s drafted SB 94, a progressive criminal justice reform bill to provide Californians who received the death penalty or are serving life in prison—especially elderly prisoners—with the opportunity to have their cases reviewed.