Press Releases

Last year, California had one of the worst fire seasons on record. South Bay, East Bay, and Peninsula communities suffered through some of the biggest wildfires in our state’s history. This year, we are told the wildfire season may begin as early as July.

Local legislators are hosting an emergency preparedness training to educate residents about preparing in advance for events like wildfires, earthquakes, Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), and other emergencies to keep residents and their loved ones safe.

Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) honors local nonprofit, Empower & Excel, as the 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year for Senate District 15.

“I have selected Empower and Excel as the Senate District 15 Nonprofit of the Year for the great work they are doing in our local community driven by a worthy mission to empower youth to give back to their community through local volunteer initiatives,” said Senator Cortese.

This week, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved extending their first-of-its-kind pilot program that provides universal basic income to transition age foster youth.

This year, Santa Clara County is celebrating its first Juneteenth as a paid county holiday after becoming the first County in the state to pass a resolution for the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. It will be celebrated every June 19th, which means most county offices will close and most county employees will have a paid day off. (As Juneteenth falls on a Saturday this year, County employees will have today off.)

AB 1171, a bill co-authored by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) and Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) and Senator Dave Cortese (D-Silicon Valley) to end California’s archaic spousal rape exception, has passed that State Assembly by 65-0 after clearing the Assembly Public Safety Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill is now headed to the California State Senate.