San Mateo Daily Journal
By Sue Lempert
Josh Becker, a Democrat, is our new state senator as of Jan. 1, replacing termed-out Jerry Hill. His 13th State Senate district runs from Brisbane in the north to Sunnyvale in the south. This is his first elected position.
I asked Becker what surprised him the most about Sacramento. And his answer really surprised me. He said it was quite entrepreneurial. You start off with a blank sheet, hire staff for your Sacramento and district offices and then decide what bills you want to introduce.
(It should be noted he has an exemplary entrepreneurial record. As a young student in business/law school, he developed what later became Lex Machina, a digital law library used in law offices throughout the world.)
Most of the inspiration for Becker’s earliest bills have come from constituents — establishing and funding training programs in technology for teachers to help close the digital divide. Or from cities such as one from Belmont to allow smaller cities to work together for highway fund grants.
Two of his new and biggest bills concern climate change...