Press Release Archive
March 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) has introduced Senate Bill 1425 which aims to curtail the problem of pension spiking in California. Pension spiking is a term used when an employee boosts their final salary before retirement by cashing out on vacation time or administrative leave, among other things, in order to get a higher payout.
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Tuesday, March 09, 2010
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Wednesday State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will join representatives of the National MS Society, the Diabetes Coalition of California, the California Conference of Environmental Health Directors and other consumer health organizations to present criteria that will be used to evaluate safe needle disposal plans prepared by drug manufacturers. The criteria come on the heels of Simitian’s Senate Bill 486, which was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger last fall.
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Monday, March 08, 2010
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today his selection of San Jose Vice Mayor Judy Chirco as the 11th State Senate District’s Woman of the Year.
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Thursday, March 04, 2010
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Today State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) reintroduced legislation that requires all energy providers to buy 33 percent of their energy from clean, renewable energy sources by 2020.
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February 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has named State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) their California Legislator of the Year.
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Monday, February 22, 2010
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today the introduction of Senate Bill 1475 which strengthens the state’s hands-free and anti-texting laws for motorists.
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010
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Recently released collision and fatality data from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirms that California’s streets and highways are safer following the implementation of California’s “hands-free” cell phone law.
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Monday, February 01, 2010
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) was recognized today with a 2009 distinguished leadership award by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). The organization recognized Simitian for his work in the legislature dating back to 2001, when he became one of the first legislators to pass design-build laws for public agencies, focusing on K-12 school districts.
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January 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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Simitian, a member of the Senate Education Committee, will provide an in-depth update on K-12 education funding, “Race to the Top”, and legislation pending in Sacramento.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
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The Consumer Federation of California and the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), two statewide consumer rights organizations, have recognized State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) for his 2009 voting record. Both organizations gave Simitian 100% scores on their annual legislative scorecards.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold a public informational hearing on California’s high-speed rail project on Thursday, January 21st at Palo Alto City Hall.
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Friday, January 08, 2010
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Governor Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill (SB) 2 (in the 5th Extraordinary Session), authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). Senate Bill X5 2 expands and improves public access to California’s student performance data (CALPADS). The bill passed during a special session focused on enacting legislation to qualify California to compete for up to $700 million in federal “Race to the Top” funding.
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Thursday, January 07, 2010
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold an “Education Update” meeting on Saturday, January 23rd in Palo Alto for school board members, superintendents, teachers, parents, and other education advocates.
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December 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
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The State Legislature approved Senate Bill (SB) X5 2, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). The legislation, passed Thursday in a special session focused on education reform, would expand and improve public access to California’s student performance data.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) has received top marks from state environmental and senior groups for his voting record this year.
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November 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed legislation by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which aims to restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and ensure an adequate supply of water for California in the years ahead.
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Thursday, November 05, 2009
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The hearing will be held in collaboration with the Senate Select Committee on Bay Area Transportation, Chaired by Senator Mark Leno, (D-San Francisco) and the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee’s sub-committee on Caltrans’ budget, headed by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto).
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Wednesday, November 04, 2009
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SACRAMENTO - The California State Legislature has approved a package of legislation which aims to restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and ensure an adequate supply of water for California in the years ahead. A key element of the package is Senate Bill 1 (in the Seventh Extraordinary Session), authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D- Palo Alto). Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D- Sacramento) is a joint author.
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October 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will extend the deadline for his ninth annual "There Oughta Be A Law" contest, which invites Californians to submit ideas for new state legislation. The new deadline is Sunday, November 15, 2009.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
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Sacramento – As the first major storm of the season hits much of California today, State Senator Joe Simitian (D – Palo Alto) joined law enforcement officials in reminding drivers about the importance of keeping “Wipers On, Lights On.”
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Monday, October 12, 2009
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Sacramento – Governor Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 486, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). The new law – suggested by a constituent in Simitian’s annual “There Oughta Be A Law” contest – will help an estimated one million Californians safely dispose of their “sharps” (a type of medical waste that includes syringes and needles).
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
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Statements of Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) on Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto of SB 14, Senator Simitian’s bill that would have required all electric utilities to generate a third of their power from renewable resources.
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
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Today Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed State Senator Joe Simitian's (D-Palo Alto) Senate Bill 20. The bill would have strengthened and updated California's landmark privacy protection law that requires businesses and state agencies to notify residents when sensitive personal information is lost or stolen from their databases.
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
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Today Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill 19, by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which ensures California’s eligibility to compete for $4.35 billion in federal school funding.
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Friday, October 09, 2009
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Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Senator Joe Simitian (D- Palo Alto), Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, sent the Governor the following letter requesting continued productive conversations working toward adopting an enforceable renewable portfolio standard.
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Monday, October 05, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold town hall meetings in Campbell on October 14th and in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood on October 15th to talk with community members about state government issues.
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September 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will be participating in U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s Distracted Driving Summit this week in Washington, D.C. The Department of Transportation has invited 200 participants from around the country to determine the best ways to reduce the number of crashes and deaths due to distracted driving.
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Monday, September 28, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) is set to meet with top U.S. Department of Education officials in Washington, D.C. Tuesday regarding California’s “Race to the Top” eligibility; and specifically his legislation, Senate Bill 19, which is on its way to the Governor’s desk for a signature.
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) kicked off his ninth annual “There Oughta Be A Law” contest today. The contest invites Californians to submit ideas for state legislation.
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Monday, September 14, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) and supporters of his legislation, Senate Bill 14, called on the Governor today to reconsider threats of a possible veto.
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Monday, September 14, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will hold a conference call with members of the media to discuss SB 14, his bill to require all electric utilities in California to generate one third of their power from renewable sources by 2020.
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Saturday, September 12, 2009
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Sacramento – Senate Bill 14, which requires all energy providers to buy 33 percent of their energy from clean renewable energy sources by 2020 has been approved by the legislature. The bill, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) now heads to the Governor who has until October 11th to either sign the legislation or veto it.
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Friday, September 11, 2009
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Sacramento- The State Legislature has passed SB 19 by State Senator Joe Simitian, (D-Palo Alto). The measure is designed to put to rest a controversy Simitian describes as “a tempest in a teapot” over California’s eligibility for federal funds for schools.
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Thursday, September 10, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that his bill, SB 486, to facilitate the safe disposal of “sharps” (a type of medical waste that includes syringes and needles) passed its final hurdle in the Legislature.
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Wednesday, September 09, 2009
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The State Legislature approved State Senator Joe Simitian’s (D-Palo Alto) SB 20, a bill to strengthen and update California’s landmark privacy protection law.
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Tuesday, September 01, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today a series of town hall meetings this month in Cupertino, Redwood City, and Palo Alto to talk with community members about state government issues.
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August 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
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Sacramento- Today the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa released a letter in strong support of SB 14 by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). The bill requires investor owned utilities, publicly owned utilities, and energy service providers to procure 33% of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal by 2020. SB 14 passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee last week, and is currently on the Assembly floor awaiting a vote.
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold “sidewalk office hours” in Willow Glen on August 29th and Campbell on August 30th.
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Thursday, August 06, 2009
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Sacramento- Today Governor Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 159, by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), making legislation that requires drivers to move over or slow down when approaching roadside emergency scenes along the highway, permanent.
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July 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold “sidewalk office hours” in Los Altos on July 30th and San Carlos on August 6th.
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June 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold “sidewalk office hours” in Redwood City on July 11th and Menlo Park on July 12th.
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Monday, June 15, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold “sidewalk office hours” in Palo Alto on Saturday, June 27. Simitian invites community members to visit and voice their questions and concerns about state issues.
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Monday, June 08, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) today announced his selection of Campbell-based painter Sonya Paz as the Eleventh Senate District Artist of the Year. Born and raised in the South Bay, Paz designs and sells artwork from her newly-expanded studio and gallery in downtown Campbell.
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Friday, June 05, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold “sidewalk office hours” in Campbell on June 14, Cupertino on June 19, and San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood on June 20. Simitian invites community members to visit and voice their questions and concerns about state issues.
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Thursday, June 04, 2009
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The League of Women Voters of Palo Alto will host a screening of a new documentary, titled $100 a Day, in Palo Alto on June 11. California State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will participate in a panel discussion following the film, along with filmmaker Gwen Essegian and Rick Walker, the film’s subject.
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Monday, June 01, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold an “Education Update” meeting on Saturday, June 13 in Palo Alto for school board members, superintendents, teachers, parents, and other education advocates.
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May 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold three “sidewalk office hours” on May 29-31 in Cupertino, Campbell, and San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood.
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Monday, May 11, 2009
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State Senator Joe Simitian announced today that he will hold his fifth annual Ice Cream Social and Open House on Thursday, May 21, from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM at his office in Santa Cruz. He invites residents of the 11th Senate District to drop in for informal conversation and ice cream.
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Friday, May 08, 2009
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Sacramento – The California State PTA honored State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) with an Honorary Service Award at its 110th annual convention held last week in San Jose.
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Monday, May 04, 2009
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian is inviting constituents in the 11th State Senate District to participate in the Senate’s first ever live streaming town hall from the State Capitol. “E-Upd@te With State Senator Joe Simitian” will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13th. All topics will be open for discussion during the one hour event.
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April 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
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Sacramento – Winners in State Senator Simitian’s 2009 “There Oughta Be A Law” contest traveled to Sacramento this week to testify in the State Senate – with good results. Advocates for all three bills persuaded Senate Committee members that each of their bills should become state law. Each of the bills now moves onto the next steps of the legislative process.
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Monday, April 27, 2009
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Sacramento – The California State Senate approved today SB 20, legislation by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which aims to strengthen existing privacy protection laws for California consumers. The new law builds on legislation authored by Simitian in 2002 that requires a business or government agency that incurs a data breach to provide notice to the individual(s) whose information was compromised. More than 40 states have adopted similar legislation since that time, largely based on the California measure.
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Thursday, April 16, 2009
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Sacramento -- The State Senate Thursday voted to approve legislation to provide for creation of a regional park and open space district in Santa Cruz County. SB 211, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) and co-authored by State Assemblymember Bill Monning (D-Santa Cruz) is sponsored by the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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Palo Alto -- State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will host a community celebration in honor of Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, the 11th State Senate District’s Woman of the Year, in Cupertino on April 23.
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Thursday, April 09, 2009
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Palo Alto -- State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today his selection of Hicklebee’s as the 11th Senate District Small Business of the Year.
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March 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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Sacramento – Senate Bill 14, which requires all energy providers to buy 33 percent of their energy from clean renewable energy sources by 2020 has been approved by the Senate 21-16. The bill, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) now heads to the Assembly.
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
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Sacramento -- After reviewing 331 proposals from residents around the state, State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today the three winners of this year’s “There Oughta Be A Law” contest. Simitian’s annual contest invites Californians to submit suggestions for new legislation.
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Thursday, March 12, 2009
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SACRAMENTO – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today his selection of Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto as the 11th State Senate District’s Woman of the Year.
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January 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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Sacramento - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced that he will hold an “Education Update” meeting on Saturday, January 24 in Palo Alto for school board members, superintendents, teachers, parents, and other education advocates.
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Thursday, January 15, 2009
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Sacramento - Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) announced that he has appointed State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) as Chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy & Transportation. Steinberg also reappointed Simitian as Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, with jurisdiction over environmental quality, air quality, toxics, water quality, and hazardous waste.
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December 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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Palo Alto – As Californians usher in the New Year, they will find new protections for many including victims of sexual abuse, veterans and seniors. The protections will come from laws that State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) authored and will take effect on January 1, 2009. The following are among the 14 bills that Simitian received signatures on this fall from the Governor.
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Tuesday, December 02, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he introduced Senate Bill 14, which requires the state to buy 33 percent of its energy from clean, environmentally friendly renewable energy resources by 2020. Simitian said he introduced the bill on the first day of session, “because of the urgency of this issue.”
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October 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) kicked off his eighth annual “There Oughta Be A Law” contest today. The contest invites Californians to submit ideas for state legislation.
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Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian’s legislation (SB 31) to outlaw “skimming,” the covert reading of personal information stored on RFID-enabled ID cards, was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill makes it a crime to surreptitiously read information stored on tiny electronic devices known as RFID tags.
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Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger has signed his Senate Bill 1400, which provides greater protection for the elderly and vulnerable against deceptive sweepstakes solicitations. Simitian’s measure is the first such effort in the past 10 years.
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September 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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Sacramento – Governor Schwarzenegger today signed legislation to address the needs of the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta in the event of an emergency. Senate Bill 27, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), requires the Office of Emergency Services to convene a Multi-Hazard Coordination Task Force that is responsible for emergency response planning in the Delta. Simitian said his goal with SB 27 is, “to make sure that at the moment of emergency, we know who’s in charge and what’s to be done; and that folks are properly trained for a successful response.”
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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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Sacramento – Governor Schwarzenegger today signed legislation creating outreach programs for veterans to learn about and seek treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Senate Bill 1401, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), ensures that service men and women returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are aware of the causes, symptoms, impacts and treatment options for these injuries.
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Monday, September 29, 2008
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger signed his Senate Bill (SB) 1298, which will create the Education Data and Information Act of 2008, an unprecedented first step towards linking data about K-12 education with databases of dozens of state agencies. Armed with the data from these linked systems, policymakers will be able to make more informed decisions about how to spend the more than $50 billion education budget in California.
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Monday, September 29, 2008
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Sacramento – Governor Schwarzenegger today signed legislation to ensure that first-responders are adequately trained and prepared to take action on marine oil spills. Senate Bill 1739, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), addresses a variety of key obstacles to ensure the environmental health of California’s coast and ocean.
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Monday, September 29, 2008
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger signed his Senate Bill 509, which establishes the Toxics Information Clearinghouse to allow consumers, businesses, and workers to gain knowledge about chemicals. SB 509 helps form the foundations for the Governor's Initiative on Green Chemistry, the most comprehensive in the nation, as a means for establishing a scientific-based process to evaluate chemicals and alternatives.
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Sunday, September 28, 2008
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger signed his Senate Bill (SB) 640. The measure is designed to close a loophole in the law that currently prevents victims of childhood sexual abuse from seeking justice later in life, and which inadvertently creates an incentive for school districts to look the other way in cases of sexual misconduct by their staff.
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Saturday, September 27, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger has signed his Senate Bill 1311, which will make more small business loans available to California businesses.
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian’s legislation (Senate Bill 28) to prohibit text messaging while driving was signed into law today by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The measure takes effect January 1, 2009.
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Monday, September 22, 2008
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will hold town hall meetings in Campbell, Cupertino and Willow Glen on Wednesday, October 1, Wednesday, October 15 and Thursday, October 16, respectively. He invites residents of the 11th Senate District to bring their questions, comments, and concerns about state government.
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August 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold his “sidewalk office hours” on Friday, September 5 in Cupertino and Sunday, September 7 in Campbell. Simitian once again invites community members to visit and voice questions and comments about state legislative issues.
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July 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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Sacramento – The contentious issue of “trees versus solar power” –– that produced a criminal conviction and drew international attention –– has been put to rest. State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger has signed his Senate Bill 1399.
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Thursday, July 03, 2008
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SACRAMENTO – Governor Schwarzenegger today signed legislation extending the life of the San Mateo County Child Care Subsidy Pilot Project. Senate Bill 1304, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which extends the life of San Mateo County’s “first in the state” affordable child care program. Because the cost of living in San Mateo County is high, many of the state’s rules and regulations have historically not allowed San Mateo County residents to qualify for affordable child care. As a result, fewer children were served and unspent funds had to be returned to the state.
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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Sacramento - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today the Governor’s signature of his Senate Bill (SB) 612 which gives victims of identity theft a better opportunity to obtain justice. “As criminals adapt technology to devise new ways to steal, the state must adapt its laws to prosecute them,” said Simitian.
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June 2008
Monday, June 09, 2008
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will hold his “sidewalk office hours” on Saturday, June 14 in Palo Alto and Sunday, June 15 in Menlo Park. Simitian once again invites community members to visit and voice questions and comments about state legislative issues.
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May 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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Sacramento - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today his selection of Linden Tree Children's Recordings and Books as the 11th State Senate District’s Small Business of the Year.
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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Sacramento - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will host an “Education Update” meeting on Saturday, May 17 in Palo Alto for local school board members, superintendents, teachers, parents and other education advocates.
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that research conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) estimates 300-900 lives will be saved annually once California’s hands-free cell phone law goes into effect.
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Thursday, May 08, 2008
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Students, parents, teachers and officials of the Redwood City School District will present Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) with ten boxes full of their letters and artwork expressing concern about proposed budget cuts to education. Simitian plans to personally deliver the letters to Governor Schwarzenegger when he is in Sacramento on Monday.
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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian announced today that he will hold his fourth annual Ice Cream Social and Open House on Thursday, May 22, from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at his office in Santa Cruz. He invites residents of the 11th Senate District to drop in for informal conversation and ice cream.
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April 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that his Senate Bill 1399, which strikes a balance between trees and solar, and provides a clear exemption from the California Solar Shade Control Act law for pre-existing trees, passed the California State Senate on a unanimous 38-0 vote. The bill now moves to the State Assembly for a hearing in June or July.
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008
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Sacramento – Legislation aimed at curbing cruise ship crime and pollution passed its first hurdle today –– with flying colors. On a bipartisan 5-0 vote, the Senate Public Safety Committee approved State Senator Joe Simitian’s Senate Bill 1582, legislation that protects the public, enhances homeland security and ensures compliance with laws banning offshore dumping of cruise ship waste. The measure requires that every cruise ship entering and exiting a California port have a qualified Ocean Ranger on board.
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Thursday, April 03, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), author of the bill that established the San Mateo County Child Care Subsidy Pilot Project, announced today that SB 1304, his bill to extend that program for another 5 years, has passed out of the Senate Education Committee on a 6-0 vote. The bill will next go to the Senate Floor for approval.
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March 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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Sacramento – After reviewing 429 bill ideas from within and outside of his district, State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) today announced three winners in this year’s “There Oughta Be A Law” contest.
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Monday, March 10, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today legislation to require that every cruise ship entering and exiting a California port have a qualified Ocean Ranger on board to protect the public, enhance homeland security and ensure compliance with laws banning offshore dumping of cruise ship waste.
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Tuesday, March 04, 2008
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Sacramento - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Campbell resident Jeanette Watson has been named the 11th Senate District’s Woman of the Year. She was chosen because of her leadership in civic improvement and historical preservation, including spearheading projects for seniors, community beautification, and cultural growth.
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February 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
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Sacramento - Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) has recognized State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) for scoring 100% on his 2007 voting record on legislation to protect reproductive health and rights. Simitian has consistently scored 100% for his voting record on pro-choice measures.
Simitian was previously honored by Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte in 2007 with their “Voices for Change” Legislator Award.
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Friday, February 01, 2008
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Sacramento - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced that he will host an “Education Update” meeting on Thursday, February 7 in Santa Cruz for local school board members, superintendents, teachers, parents, and other education advocates.
Simitian timed this meeting with the recent release of the Governor’s budget proposal. Simitian said, “I’m particularly anxious to hear from folks given these tight budget times and the Governor’s proposal that the state suspend Proposition 98, the voter-approved minimum guarantee for education funding.”
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Friday, February 01, 2008
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Sacramento - “As criminals adapt technology to devise new ways to steal, the state must adapt its laws to prosecute them,” said State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), praising Senate approval of his Senate Bill (SB) 612, which would give victims of identity theft a better opportunity to obtain justice.
Simitian introduced SB 612, which passed 40-0, to allow identity theft to be prosecuted in the county in which the victim lives, which is not always the case now. Current law permits prosecution in the county in which the theft occurred or the county in which the information was illegally used, both of which may be hundreds of miles away from the victim’s home.
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January 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
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Sacramento - The California State Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 364, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which would require that consumers receive a clear, informative notification letter when personal data kept by a business or public agency has been stolen. It also requires the state to establish a central reporting site to catalog security breaches. The vote of 30-7 moves the bill to the State Assembly.
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Thursday, January 31, 2008
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Sacramento - The world's warming climate is a prime concern of California's elected officials, international diplomats, venture capitalists, and even Hollywood filmmakers.
"California's students need to understand what's happening and what's causing it," said State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), announcing passage of his Senate Bill (SB) 908 in the Senate. The bill would require climate change to be included in California schools’ science curriculum and in textbooks for environmental education.
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
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Sacramento - The California State Senate has endorsed the important principle that consumers should be able to find out what is in the products they purchase by passing a “disclosure of ingredients” bill introduced by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto).
The measure, Senate Bill (SB) 509, would require manufacturers of consumer products to publish on the Web a list of every substance in a product that makes up more than one-tenth of one percent of the whole. While previous laws have mandated disclosure of ingredients in food and cosmetics, no similar requirement exists for the thousands of consumer products that people buy and use every day.
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
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Sacramento - The California State Senate took action today to outlaw “skimming,” the surreptitious reading of personal information stored on RFID-enabled ID cards, State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, announced today.
RFID stands for radio frequency identification. It involves placing a “tag,” a tiny receptor device containing electronic information, on an object. The tag can be read by directing radio waves at it, which causes the tag to send back a signal containing the information.
“The problem is real,” Simitian said. In a controlled experiment, “the card I use to access the State Capitol was skimmed and cloned by a hacker in a split second. Minutes later, using that clone of my card, he was able to walk right into the Capitol through a ‘secure’ and locked entrance.”
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
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Sacramento - The world’s warming climate is a prime concern of California’s elected officials, international diplomats, venture capitalists, and even Hollywood filmmakers.
“California’s students need to understand what’s happening and what’s causing it,” said State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), announcing that he has proposed his Senate Bill (SB) 908, which would require climate change to be included in California schools’ science curriculum and in textbooks for environmental education. The bill is slated to be voted on by the State Senate tomorrow. If passed, it will move next to the State Assembly.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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Sacramento - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will host a pair of “Education Update” meetings on Saturday, January 26 in Palo Alto and Thursday, February 7 in Santa Cruz for local school board members, superintendents, teachers, parents, and other education advocates.
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