News Room: Audio/Visual

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. read more ...

Today, as some major Bay Area school districts begin a new school year, the youngest of students are entering a new grade, the first new level in California primary education in over a century—it’s called Transitional Kindergarten.

11th District Senator Joe Simitian was a driving force behind the new grade. He says it benefits the children and the entire educational community.

“Over all the years we have had too many kids who have been held back over the years unnecessarily, too many kids who need remedial help, too many kids who were placed in special education unnecessarily and not only has that been a struggle for them and their families, but it has been a cost to the schools and the public at large,” said Simitian.

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A bill from Palo Alto State Senator Joe Simitian would crack down on red light cameras and would make it easier for drivers to fight tickets, reports CBS Channel 5.

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Senator Simitian appeared on MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan show to discuss high-speed rail.

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California lawmakers passed 600 bills in recent weeks, and Jerry Brown vows to veto most of them, explaining simply, “not every human problem deserves a law.”

NBC Bay Area couldn’t agree more.

But, we’re sorry the governor vetoed a bill that would have toughened the hands-free, no-texting laws for drivers.

As we see on the roads, compliance with our current law is low — the bill’s author, State Senator Joe Simitian, hoped to raise deterrence by raising the base fine from $20 to $50, the same fine as rolling through a stop sign.

Governor Brown said “no.”

So we ask him - if you won’t raise fines, Governor, how will you get drivers to put away their cell phones?

Hundreds of lives are at stake.

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Saying that government funding for California’s High-Speed Rail program will be “severely limited ... for the foreseeable future,” local federal and state representatives are calling upon the California High-Speed Rail Authority to essentially link the high-speed rail route from Los Angeles with an improved and electrified Caltrain system running from San Jose to San Francisco.

U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto), state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) and state Assemblyman Rich Gordon (D-Menlo Park) made their announcement Monday morning (April 18) at the Menlo Park Caltrain station. The three legislators described the “blended” system of high-speed rail and Caltrain as the best way to save money, protect Peninsula communities from unnecessary construction and ensure the continued viability of Caltrain, which is facing a financial crisis.

Palo Alto Online has posted a YouTube Video of the announcement.

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Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill into law that requires the state’s public and private utilities to obtain at least 33 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.  He talked about the challenges of environmental policy and even invoked his old nickname:

“You can’t be afraid to be called a moonbeam, weird, deviant, interesting, unexpected and let’s get it done.  Senator will you come up here so we can sign this bill?  Clapping fades.”

The bill was written by Democratic State Senator Joe Simitian, who’s been pushing the change for several years.

“When we have hit 33% by 2020 ,we will look back on this day and say ‘look what California has done.’”

 

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The lawmaker who wrote California’s hands-free cellphone laws says too many motorists are ignoring it. He’s backing legislation that will make the fines and penalties a lot tougher.

Even though the hands-free law has been around for more than three years, Californians are still breaking the law calling, texting and checking emails on their handheld device while behind the wheel.

“Probably 60 or 70 percent of Californians are complying. That means another 30 to 40 percent of folks out there could do a better job,” said California Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto).

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In an editorial, NBC Bay Area applauds Sen. Joe Simitian’s Senate Bill 2X, that would require the state to obtain 33% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020.

Suzanne Shaw, NBC Bay Area Editorial Director, says, “We can lead the nation away from foreign oil and build a greener future for this state. We need our legislators and our governor to pass Senate Bill 2X.”

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In an interview with John Fensterwald of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Sen. Joe Simitian discusses the state budget, K-12 education and what might happen if Gov. Jerry Brown’s revenue proposals lose in a June election.

Fensterwald writes: “Business leaders on the fence on whether to push Republicans to join Democrats in putting tax extensions on the June ballot should consider what might happen if the measures fail. Democratic Sen. Joe Simitian is telling them they’ll probably face voter-led tax initiatives in November they’ll find far less palatable – an oil severance tax or even a challenge to Proposition 13 that raises property taxes on commercial property; it’s known as a split roll tax”

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On Jan. 4, Senator Joe Simitian was the guest on KLIV Radio’s CEO Show, hosted by Carl Guardino, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. They discussed the state budget, transportation, education and other critical issues facing California. Follow the link for a podcast of the show.

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Two Palo Alto teachers, reading specialist Natalie Bivas and kindergarten teacher Diana Argenti, were honored Nov. 9 for suggesting a bill to State Senator Joe Simitian that would require children to be five years old when they begin kindergarten.  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill September 30.

In this KQED Radio interview—at the link below—Natalie Bivas and Diana Argenti talk about their experiences in the classroom that led them to propose the bill, and Sen. Simitian describes how they persuaded him to carry it.

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KQED Radio reports on Sen. Joe Simitian’s FasTrak privacy bill, Senate Bill 1268

“Bridge commuters will no longer have a conflict between privacy and convenience beginning in January. The governor has signed a bill written by state Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to restrict law enforcement access to FasTrak data. Except in emergencies, the law requires police to go to court for a search warrant to get their hands on pesonally identifiable information.”

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If you watch Oprah with any regularity, you know she is on a crusade to get people to stop texting and talking on the phone while driving. In California, the cell phone law may be about to get a lot tougher.

Refusing to use a hands-free device could get more expensive. A Senate committee agreed to make violators pay more. [...]

“The notion here is a somewhat more significant fine, we’d have a greater deterrent and save more lives. It’s really just that simple,” says Simitian.

The California Highway Patrol says traffic collisions and fatalities dropped 20 percent from the previous five-year average before California’s hands-free law took effect, but that point on a driving record worries commercial truckers, who could lose their jobs.

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KUCI host Mari Frank interviews California State Senator Joe Simitian on his 2010 privacy legislation. read more ...

David Lazarus interviews Joe on the need for strengthening California’s hands-free and no texting laws for drivers.

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Ronn Owens interviews Joe about hands-free cell phone use while driving and new statistics revealing the percentage of accidents caused by mobile phone use.

Click here to listen to the interview (MP3)

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This week KLIV’s Jason Bennert is profiling people who made a significant local impact in Santa Clara County during the 2000s.

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California lawmakers on Wednesday passed an $11 billion overhaul of the state's antiquated water system in a bid to supply a soaring population while preserving a fragile environment. read more ...

With all the millions of cases of identity theft you would think we would want everybody to know when their sensitive data is in the wrong hands. But your right to know is far from guaranteed. read more ...

In Sacramento, stakeholders are lining up in support of and in opposition to a series of bills that would change how fresh water moves through the California Delta. read more ...

State Democratic leaders have unveiled another legislative fix for the state's ongoing water problems. It's a package of bills that would mandate new conservation goals and create a commission with unprecedented authority over water policy. read more ...

It turns out texting while driving is even more dangerous than experts thought. A new study shows texting is the most dangerous distraction you can face while driving. read more ...

State Senator Joe Simitian is having sidewalk office hours to give people the opportunity to ask him questions. Lisa Chan went to San Jose to see what was on people's minds. read more ...

Privacy Piracy host Mari Frank interviews State Senator Joe Simitian on his range of legislation aimed at protecting Californians' privacy. read more ...

[F]or Los Altos doctor Jerome Blum, it's the wounds you don't see that concern him.... Simitian entered Dr. Blum's letter in his "There Oughta be a Law Contest" and out of over 400 entries, his won. By the end of 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger had signed Senate Bill No. 1401 into law. read more ...

The effort to discourage California motorists from using mobile devices in moving cars took another step forward Thursday when the state Senate passed a bill to outlaw adults from text messaging while driving. This is the second of a one-two punch by Palo Alto Democratic Sen. Joe Simitian, the man behind a law that went into effect in July making it illegal to hold a cell phone to your ear while behind the wheel. read more ...

The state lawmaker who wrote the hands-free cell phone law that goes into effect July 1 is going after people who text-message while driving. State Senator Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, introduced SB 28 Thursday which would ban drivers from typing text messages and e-mails while driving. read more ...

One State Senator wants to put a peace officer on every cruise ship in California waters and is pushing legislation to require that. read more ...

BERKELEY, CA -- There's a much more common threat to health and safety to think about tonight. A new government study shows three million young people, between 12 and 25, are getting high from cough syrup. It contains a drug that young people are trying just as often as methamphetamine. read more ...

Palo Alto - A lot of stuff goes down the toilet that probably should not, for instance unwanted and expired prescription drugs. But the efforts of one Northern California teen helped put a new law into place that requires pharmacies to take back and properly dispose of the drugs. 18-year-old Rebecca Kassel looked into the issue, created her own website and campaigned for the new law. She was aided by State Senator Joe Simitan of Palo Alto, who holds an annual "There Ought to be a Law" contest. read more ...

Starting next July, California teenagers will have to hang up the phone before getting behind the wheel. At Redwood City's Sequoia High School on Thursday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning anyone under 18 years of age from using electronic devices while driving, including cell phones. read more ...

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS) -- California drivers under 18 who use cell phones or other wireless devices while driving could face a small fine, under a bill passed by the state Assembly. read more ...

About one year from now, July 1, 2008, it will be illegal to talk on a hand-held cell phone and drive a car in California. The bill was sponsored by state Senator Joe Simitian of Palo Alto. And it's one of many legal responses to the hazard of distracted drivers on our nation's roads and highways. Studies show that talking on a cell phone, while you drive, is about as dangerous as driving drunk. And traffic safety officials in California say that most accidents result from drivers being distracted. Legislatures have passed laws against use of cell phones while driving. Text messaging while driving has also been the target of state prohibitions. read more ...

What if you lost a child and the authorities could track and find him or her, using radio frequencies? Now, what if authorities could track your movements in the same way, and know whether you were attending, for instance, an anti-war rally. The monitoring ability of RFID, which stands for radio frequency identification, has become a very hot topic lately. So far, it’s a debate that pits the electronics industry against privacy-rights advocates.

This year, concerns about the use of RFID have prompted State Senator Joe Simitian, of Palo Alto, to sponsor legislation. He wants to place real limits on the ability of authorities to use RFID to keep track of people and identify them.

Audio Segment on KPBS Website

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Scoop a handful of critters out of the San Francisco Bay and you'll find tourists from far away shores. Invasive kinds of mussels, fish and more are choking out native species, challenging experts around the state to change the human behavior that brings them here. read more ...

If you've ever come across an issue or problem and thought, "there oughta be a law" about that, then this next story should interest you. State Senator Joe Simitian has announced the winners of his annual contest to see which Californians could come up with the best new bills. From Sacramento, Marianne Russ reports. read more ...

All it takes is a second, and it's gone -- a modern day pick-pocket can snatch your credit card and other personal information without ever touching your wallet. The thieves need only a little know how, and about a hundred bucks. The technology we rely on everyday -- is being abused. read more ...