http://www.senatorsimitian.com/news/index/ en phil.yost@sen.ca.gov Copyright 2012 2012-11-29T00:41:57+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/state_senator_honored_for_kindergarten_readiness_work/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/state_senator_honored_for_kindergarten_readiness_work/#When:00:07:09Z Simitian was recognized for his work championing the cause of early childhood education with the Early Learning Lifetime Achievement Award by the nonprofit advocacy group Preschool California. Joe in the News, Print, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1381: Kindergarten Age 2012-11-10T00:07:09+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/new_tracking_frontier_your_license_plates1/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/new_tracking_frontier_your_license_plates1/#When:18:57:12Z Police forces and private companies are scanning auto license plates and building huge databases of location information--whether or not the owners of the cars have done anything wrong. WSJ's Julia Angwin reports. Joe in the News, Audio/Visual, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 1330: Privacy of License Plate Recognition Data 2012-10-11T18:57:12+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/gov._jerry_brown_signs_bill_requiring_extra_warnings_on_mammograms/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/gov._jerry_brown_signs_bill_requiring_extra_warnings_on_mammograms/#When:16:56:30Z Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday signed a bill by Sen. Joe Simitian requiring extra warnings for the 40 percent of women over the age of 40 who have breast tissue dense enough to mask cancers on mammograms. Last year, Brown had vetoed a similar bill, expressing doubts about whether the warnings were what he termed "a path to greater knowledge or unnecessary anxiety." Since then Simitian amended the bill to make it acceptable to the governor. "I'm tremendously thankful for the governor's support of this measure and for his willingness to listen to and work with us on this issue over the past year," Simitian, D-Palo Alto, said in a statement. Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 1538: Comprehensive Breast Tissue Screening 2012-09-24T16:56:30+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/reining_in_red_light_camera_abuses/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/reining_in_red_light_camera_abuses/#When:20:36:44Z In the latest shot against what many say are the abuses of red light traffic cameras, a state senator's bill to clamp down on how the devices are used has landed on the governor's desk for approval. The bill by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, would prohibit cities or counties from using the cameras purely to raise cash, make it easier to get wrongfully issued tickets dismissed and forbid the creation of so-called "snitch" tickets that threaten drivers with penalties based on sketchy information. Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 1303: Red Light Cameras 2012-09-17T20:36:44+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/editorial_transitional_kindergarten_-_a_good_move/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/editorial_transitional_kindergarten_-_a_good_move/#When:18:28:47Z In an editorial, the San Francisco Chronicle said: California's new "transitional kindergarten" program, which is proving highly popular with parents and educators, almost did not happen. Gov. Jerry Brown's 2012-13 budget would have diverted the $223 million to other programs. Fortunately, legislators stood their ground, and the state is moving forward with plans to gradually shift the cutoff date for kindergarten from December to Sept. 1. Joe in the News, Print, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1381: Kindergarten Age 2012-09-11T18:28:47+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/editorial_brown_should_sign_breast_cancer_detection_bill/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/editorial_brown_should_sign_breast_cancer_detection_bill/#When:18:14:05Z In an editorial, the San Jose Mercury News said: Gov. Jerry Brown has run out of reasons to veto Sen. Joe Simitian's bill requiring full disclosure to women with dense breast tissue that their mammograms may be ineffective. The governor bowed to pressure primarily from the California Medical Association last year and vetoed Simitian's legislation. Brown objected to language requiring doctors to notify women about potential risks and the need for further screening. As we said at the time, good grief. Physicians informing their patients of a serious risk is a problem? Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 1538: Comprehensive Breast Tissue Screening 2012-09-10T18:14:05+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/in_california_foreclosures_tenants_should_have_rights_too/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/in_california_foreclosures_tenants_should_have_rights_too/#When:18:29:51Z Joe in the News, There Oughta Be A Law News, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 1191: Default Disclosure to Prospective Tenants 2012-08-22T18:29:51+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/students_introduced_to_new_tk_grade_in_california/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/students_introduced_to_new_tk_grade_in_california/#When:19:53:23Z Education, Joe in the News, Audio/Visual, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1381: Kindergarten Age 2012-08-20T19:53:23+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/are_you_dense_forty_percent_of_women_tested_are/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/are_you_dense_forty_percent_of_women_tested_are/#When:20:11:55Z Consumer Protection, Joe in the News, There Oughta Be A Law News, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 1538: Comprehensive Breast Tissue Screening, SB 791: Comprehensive Breast Tissue Screening, SJR 27: Are You Dense? Day 2012-08-06T20:11:55+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/simitian_explains_vote_on_high-speed_rail/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/simitian_explains_vote_on_high-speed_rail/#When:18:42:12Z Joe in the News, Print 2012-07-09T18:42:12+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/palo_alto_lawmakers_bill_would_restrict_use_of_red-light_cameras/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/palo_alto_lawmakers_bill_would_restrict_use_of_red-light_cameras/#When:22:06:28Z Public Safety, Joe in the News, Audio/Visual, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 1303: Red Light Cameras, SB 29: Red Light Cameras, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1362: Red Light Cameras 2012-06-04T22:06:28+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/hearings_on_high-speed_rail_project_are_a_study_in_contrasts/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/hearings_on_high-speed_rail_project_are_a_study_in_contrasts/#When:00:03:18Z A few hours later, the Senate budget subcommittee chaired by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, took up the same request. The contrast was stark. "Our job is oversight, not cheerleading," Simitian declared. And he meant it. Simitian and Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, grilled officials of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, particularly Chairman Dan Richard, about the project's finances, especially the federal government's insistence that construction begin in the San Joaquin Valley and the lack of firm funding for any expansion beyond that initial segment. Joe in the News, Print 2012-04-21T00:03:18+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/new_law_expands_opportunity_for_justice/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/new_law_expands_opportunity_for_justice/#When:23:42:36Z This year, access to this swift and relatively inexpensive forum for justice was expanded thanks to Senate Bill 221, authored by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. Signed into law last year, SB221 raised the small claims court jurisdictional limit -- the maximum amount of damages that can be awarded to a plaintiff -- from $7,500 to $10,000. This builds on a previous measure by Simitian, signed into law in 2005, that raised the limit from $5,000 to $7,500 Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 221: Small Claims Court Increase 2012-04-15T23:42:36+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/editorial_bill_to_improve_chances_of_breast_cancer_detection/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/editorial_bill_to_improve_chances_of_breast_cancer_detection/#When:21:46:08Z In an editorial, the San Francisco Chronicle said: The message that mammograms save lives has resulted in an increase in early detection of breast cancer. But for 40 percent of women who get mammograms, the technology might not detect early-stage cancer because their dense breast tissue masks the cancer cells. Most women do not know whether they have dense breast tissue and that, if they do, they should seek alternatives to mammography, such as ultrasound or MRI screenings. That's why state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, has reintroduced legislation to require physicians to inform their patients if they have highly dense breast tissue. Simitian's bill passed last year with broad bipartisan support, but Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it. Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 791: Comprehensive Breast Tissue Screening 2012-03-29T21:46:08+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/a_win_for_transitional_kindergarten/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/a_win_for_transitional_kindergarten/#When:18:48:57Z Gov. Brown’s latest proposal to eliminate Transitional Kindergarten hit a wall yesterday in the state Assembly. By a 3-to-1 vote along party lines, the budget subcommittee on education finance rejected the governor’s plan. Joe in the News, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1381: Kindergarten Age 2012-03-14T18:48:57+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/cell_phone_law_proves_effective/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/cell_phone_law_proves_effective/#When:22:28:13Z Public Safety, Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 28: Cell Phones and Texting While Driving, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1475: Cell Phones and Texting While Driving, 2007-2008 Legislation, SB 28: Texting while Driving Prohibition, SB 33: Teen Driver Cell Phone Safety, 2005-2006 Legislation, SB 681: Hands Free Cell Phones 2012-03-07T22:28:13+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/california_drivers_finally_put_down_those_cellphones_and_are_living_to_tell/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/california_drivers_finally_put_down_those_cellphones_and_are_living_to_tell/#When:21:42:05Z Public Safety, Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 28: Cell Phones and Texting While Driving, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1475: Cell Phones and Texting While Driving, 2007-2008 Legislation, SB 28: Texting while Driving Prohibition, SB 33: Teen Driver Cell Phone Safety, 2005-2006 Legislation, SB 681: Hands Free Cell Phones 2012-03-06T21:42:05+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/epa_bans_ships_from_dumping_waste_off_state_coast/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/epa_bans_ships_from_dumping_waste_off_state_coast/#When:18:50:02Z A federal rule banning ships from flushing their sewage into the sea within 3 miles of the California coast was approved Thursday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The prohibition, which will go into effect next month, means cruise and cargo ships will no longer be able to discharge treated or untreated effluent or gray water anywhere along the coast, a practice that regulators blame for spreading bacteria and disease in marine mammals, fish and people. The new rule will create the largest coastal no-sewage zone in the nation, covering the entire 1,624 mile coast from Mexico to Oregon 3 miles out into the ocean. It is expected to prevent the dumping of 22.5 million gallons annually of ship waste, a good portion of which has historically oozed into San Francisco Bay. Environment, Joe in the News, Print, 2005-2006 Legislation, SB 771: Vessels : Discharge Ban 2012-02-13T18:50:02+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/editorial_dont_cut_funding_for_kindergarten_preschool/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/editorial_dont_cut_funding_for_kindergarten_preschool/#When:22:13:33Z California's preschool and kindergarten set are targeted to take some of the biggest hits to funding in the state budget proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown. The governor should withdraw his plan before it undercuts the critical years of education for some of California's most vulnerable children. Almost one-fifth of the $4 billion in state program cuts Brown has proposed would come from early childhood education -- child care, preschool and the new transitional kindergarten scheduled to start in the fall. These programs should be among the state's highest priorities. Children are our most precious resource, and their success paves the way for California's economy to grow and prosper. Education, Contacts, Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 30: Kindergarten Readiness Act Implementation, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1381: Kindergarten Age 2012-02-01T22:13:33+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/lets_work_together_to_help_prevent_elder_financial_abuse/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/lets_work_together_to_help_prevent_elder_financial_abuse/#When:01:09:26Z The financial exploitation of seniors can take many forms. Some scams involve persuading people to put up good faith money, or a spurious transaction fee to claim a lottery prize. Others are more menacing, where a perpetrator coerces an elder into signing over investments, real estate or other assets through the use of manipulation, intimidation or threats. Often, these scams raise the suspicions of bank employees who -- when given proper guidance and training -- are effective guards against financial abuse of elders. Since the passage in 2005 of the Financial Elder Abuse Reporting Act, authored by State Sen. Joe Simitian D-Palo Alto, bank employees have been required to notify authorities of incidents where elder financial abuse is suspected. Elder Protection, Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 33: Financial Elder Abuse Sunset Elimination 2012-01-24T01:09:26+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/high-speed_rail_on_msnbc/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/high-speed_rail_on_msnbc/#When:02:15:52Z Joe in the News, Audio/Visual 2012-01-21T02:15:52+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/jerry_browns_budget_proposes_killing_transitional_kindergarten_funds/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/jerry_browns_budget_proposes_killing_transitional_kindergarten_funds/#When:18:36:39Z Before lawmakers approved the 2010 bill, a major concern was what would happen to children who no longer qualify for kindergarten, particularly those from low-income families that could not easily afford private pre-kindergarten programs. State leaders compromised by providing money for school districts to run the transitional program for those students, said Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. "The governor is talking about depriving 125,000 kids a year an opportunity to go to school," Simitian said. "I think it's a non-starter." Education, Joe in the News, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1381: Kindergarten Age 2012-01-09T18:36:39+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/review_urges_delay_in_borrowing_billions_for_bullet_train/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/review_urges_delay_in_borrowing_billions_for_bullet_train/#When:21:41:53Z The panel includes private-sector financial experts, a University of California dean of engineering, a former Caltrans director and a local government representative. Their warnings are likely to weigh heavily on lawmakers as they consider the project in coming months, said Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), a longtime supporter of high-speed rail who has grown increasingly concerned about the project. Simitian has raised the possibility of putting the entire project on hold for a year to reevaluate the current plan. "We can't simply dismiss the legitimate concerns by a group of this caliber," Simitian said. "Denial is not going to move the project forward." Joe in the News, Print 2012-01-06T21:41:53+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/curbing_cough_medicine_abuse_target_of_calif._law/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/curbing_cough_medicine_abuse_target_of_calif._law/#When:00:50:53Z Starting Sunday, California will become the first state to try to curb the abuse of over-the-counter cold medicines containing a powerful cough suppressant by requiring consumers to show proof they're over age 18. The ingredient is dextromethorphan, or DXM, and it's found in popular medications such as Robitussin-DM, Mucinex-DM, Delsym, Coricidin and NyQuil. Some teenagers, and even younger kids, down the drug in excessive quantities to get a euphoric high, an act known as "robotripping," "skittling" or "dexing." The drug is sometimes referred to as "poor man's PCP" for its hallucinogenic effects. "By limiting the sale to minors, we hope to reduce the number of cases where there's misuse or abuse of over-the-counter cough medications containing DXM," said the bill's author, state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. "This is really nasty stuff with very serious consequences." Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 514: Dextromethorphan: sale to minors ban 2011-12-30T00:50:53+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/op-ed_new_law_to_stop_robo-tripping_needs_a_village_to_make_it_work/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/op-ed_new_law_to_stop_robo-tripping_needs_a_village_to_make_it_work/#When:21:59:15Z When we were growing up, the drugs of choice for teenagers were beer and marijuana. So much has changed. Now, kids are into hard liquor and a variety of really dangerous drugs. Dextromethorphan (DXM) is one such drug. Taken as directed in products such as Robitussin and Coricidin, it is safe and effective. But when taken at higher doses, DXM can cause hallucinations, loss of motor control, vomiting, paranoia, numbness, lethargy, slurred speech and "out-of-body" sensations similar to PCP and LSD. But now, we fervently hope, the abuse of DXM will decrease. As of Jan. 1, a new law authored by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, prohibits the sale of cold and cough medicines containing DXM to minors. Joe in the News, Print, There Oughta Be A Law News, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 514: Dextromethorphan: sale to minors ban, 2003-2004 Legislation, AB 1853: Dextromethorphan: sale to minors ban 2011-12-23T21:59:15+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/pge_restores_power_to_smartmeter_protesters/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/pge_restores_power_to_smartmeter_protesters/#When:20:59:38Z PG&E decided to restore power after hearing from customers and public officials. California Sen. Joe Simitian spoke with PG&E executives and urged them to "take a step back and take a deep breath," he said. "I don't have a problem with SmartMeters per se - I just thought this was over the top," said Simitian, D-Palo Alto. "It's inappropriate for a bill-paying customer to have their power cut off while there's an ongoing process at the CPUC. It's not like they can walk down the street and purchase power from another utility." Joe in the News, Print 2011-12-19T20:59:38+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/u.s._safety_board_urges_cellphone_ban_for_drivers/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/u.s._safety_board_urges_cellphone_ban_for_drivers/#When:21:03:53Z Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 28: Cell Phones and Texting While Driving, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1475: Cell Phones and Texting While Driving, 2007-2008 Legislation, SB 28: Texting while Driving Prohibition, SB 33: Teen Driver Cell Phone Safety 2011-12-15T21:03:53+00:00 http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/ntsb_cell_phones_should_not_be_used_while_driving_read_more_http_www.sfgate/ http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/ntsb_cell_phones_should_not_be_used_while_driving_read_more_http_www.sfgate/#When:19:45:50Z Joe in the News, Print, 2011-2012 Legislation, SB 28: Cell Phones and Texting While Driving, 2009-2010 Legislation, SB 1475: Cell Phones and Texting While Driving 2011-12-14T19:45:50+00:00