A split Palo Alto City Council tonight (April 7) voted to support a bill by state Sen. Josh Becker that aims to rein the Builder’s Remedy, a state law that has led to proposals for much larger buildings than cities have planned for.
All council members were interested in the idea, but Vicki Veenker, Julie Lythcott-Haims and George Lu voted to not support the bill due to outstanding questions and concerns they have about it.
(Los Altos Town Crier) - With Trump’s executive order underway, with effects such as permission from the Supreme Court last Friday to freeze teacher training grants, threatening public school officials with a memo by having them list out any of their programs that go against Title VI and revoking international students of their F-1 Student Visas, local officials are doing their best through public policy and the court system to revoke the current education downturns.
Leaders are left with many questions about impacts of funding cuts
“This freeze on federal grants is illegal, immoral, and dangerous,” said state Sen. Josh Becker. “These funds support critical programs and jobs that people depend on every day. Halting them would put lives at risk, jeopardize major infrastructure projects, and hurt the economy by driving up unemployment.”
SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) has been appointed by Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire to serve as Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications. This appointment places Senator Becker at the forefront of shaping California’s energy policies, with wide-ranging implications for the state’s economy, workforce, and global leadership in clean energy.
While SB 1120 does not entirely prohibit the use of AI technology, it mandates that human judgment remains central to coverage decisions
(The Mercury News) - Last year, about a quarter of all health insurance claims were denied in California — a reality mirrored nationwide that has stoked public anger toward health care companies, and led to accusations that such decisions lack human empathy.
(The Almanac) - State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, has been appointed as chair of the Senate Committee on Energy Utilities and Communications by Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, according to a press release from Becker’s office on Monday, Jan. 6.
(Spectrum News) - LOS ANGELES — During the Great Depression, around a million people of Mexican descent, many of which were U.S. Citizens, were coerced into going to Mexico with the pretense of opening up jobs for other Americans.
(Palo Alto Online) - California health insurers will be prohibited from relying solely on artificial intelligence to deny claims under new legislation that was authored by state Sen. Josh Becker and that will take effect next month.