Non-profit CEO and businesswoman Judie Mancuso, candidate for State Assembly District 72, earned the California Democratic Party’s (CDP) pre-endorsement with a unanimous vote this weekend. The party’s pre-endorsement joins a growing list of impressive public and voluntary sector endorsers on the local, state, and federal levels.

Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) and bill co-sponsors, Friends of the Earth, and Social Compassion in Legislation, announced the reintroduction of the Deforestation Free Procurement Act to answer last year’s veto of AB 416. The coalition thanks Governor Newsom for committing to working with them to address his concerns on implementation. The new bill, AB 1979, will primarily mimic AB 416 along with modifications to the rollout for the operational procedures of the state’s procurement process.

What is at the intersection of saving California’s wildlife and habitats, reducing recidivism rates of formerly incarcerated individuals, and protecting our communities from the ravages of wildfire? AB 1908, the Formerly Incarcerated Recruits finding Employment (F.I.R.E) Act of 2022, and formerly incarcerated individuals who are trained as effective firefighters.

Senator Min (D-Irvine) introduced new legislation to ban offshore drilling in the State of California, including oil production under current lease agreements. Min’s Senate Bill 953 fulfills his pledge for action in the wake of last year’s Orange County Oil Spill, which leaked nearly 25,000 gallons of crude oil just off the coast of Huntington Beach, shutting down beaches from Orange County to San Diego. This was the largest spill in California waters since the 2015 Refugio Beach oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara.

Today, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) introduced AB 1881, the Dog and Cat Bill of Rights. The bill, sponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation, describes the rights of dogs and cats in seven broad clauses ranging from the right to be free from cruelty and neglect to the right to daily mental stimulation and appropriate exercise. The entire bill can be found here.

Today, Assemblymember Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) introduced AB 1781, the Safe Transportation of Dogs and Cats Act. The bill, sponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation, requires mobile or traveling housing facilities, such as animal control vehicles, to transport dogs and cats in such a manner that conditions do not endanger the health or well-being of the animal due to extreme temperatures or lack of food or water.