Press Releases

Friday, September 22, 2023

Sacramento—Year after year, California’s firefighters battle wildfires that have grown larger, hotter and more extreme.


To battle these mega-fires, CAL FIRE planes and helicopters (the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the nation) need a quick supply of fuel to stay in the air and protect communities, suppress blazes and support firefighting crews on the ground.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Sacramento, CA – The alarm couldn’t be louder. California is facing unprecedented, destructive wildfires – 14 of the largest 20 wildfires in California history occurred just in the last decade. Unbelievably, some incredibly destructive wildfires have been set by arsonists including the Clayton Fire in Lake County, which destroyed 188 homes, and the Esperanza Fire, which claimed the lives of five firefighters in Southern California.  

Monday, August 28, 2023

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) announced that the Senate Democratic Caucus convened and determined that Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) will be the Pro Tem Designee, with a transition to be announced next year.

Senate Leader Atkins has served as Pro Tem since 2018, and was the first woman to hold the position and the first person in 150 years to serve as both Pro Tem and Assembly Speaker.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Sacramento–Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire’s legislation that would stop mortgage companies from hoodwinking wildfire survivors has overwhelmingly cleared the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Tens of thousands of Californians have lost their homes and businesses to wildfires in the last eight years. After facing the traumatic and life-changing experience of losing their home, survivors have to begin the challenging task of rebuilding their homes and lives.

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Santa Rosa—Two weeks after the official launch of the SMART Connect Shuttle - directly connecting commuters to the Sonoma County Airport from the SMART Train line via the Airport SMART Station - Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire has secured $1.5 million in this year’s state budget to fund the Shuttle for the next three years.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Sacramento–Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire has successfully embedded his legislation, SB 370, into the state budget which will be passed by the Legislature today. The policy ensures 2019 Kincade Fire survivors will be exempt from paying state income taxes on settlement awards from PG&E, allowing survivors to put more money back in their pockets to rebuild their homes and lives.

The 2019 fire, which was sparked by a faulty PG&E transmission line, forced nearly 100,000 people to flee, and destroyed 174 homes. 

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Sacramento­­­—Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire recognized hometown hero Robert Sorber, who was recently named California School Bus Driver of the Year by the Department of Motor Vehicles and California Highway Patrol. 
For over a quarter century, Robert has been the smiling face that greets the students of Miller Creek School District as a dedicated school bus driver. Mr. Sorber’s dedication, tenure and dependability have made him an inspiration and an example of what it means to serve with excellence.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Sacramento – The Senate and Assembly voted overwhelmingly this morning to pass the State Legislature’s budget, which will increase public school funding to record levels, bolster funding and accountability to combat the homelessness crisis in our communities, increase funding for wildfire response and prevention, and restore desperately needed funding for coastal communities to combat the climate crisis, all while setting aside a record $37.2 billion dollars in state reserves.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Sacramento — Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire’s California College Sexual Harassment Disclosure Act (SB 791) passed the Senate, and is headed to the State Assembly. The legislation is a massive step forward and will help ensure perpetrators are effectively removed from the Golden State’s college system.

Between 2017 and 2021, 54 employees at CSU campuses were found to have committed violations of sexual misconduct and discrimination. The violations included requests for sex, unwanted touching and aggressive verbal harassment.

Monday, June 12, 2023

 

Sacramento, CA – Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire’s legislation, SB 18, which would create the first-ever dedicated tribal housing grant program in California, cleared the Senate with bipartisan support last week. The critical legislation addresses the historic and desperate need for tribal housing across the state.

Native American communities continue to face the long-standing impacts of historic genocide and discrimination. The numbers don’t lie: