Sacramento – Just days after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing concealed weapons at most places, the California State Legislature sent AB 1594 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) to the Governor after today’s approval from the State Senate. The bill empowers California residents, the state Attorney General, and local governments to sue firearm manufacturers and retailers for the harm their products cause when they don’t follow the state’s strict gun laws. The threat of civil litigation aims to push the gun industry to be more responsible and improve their practices. There have been at least 278 mass shootings in the United States this year through mid-June, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, released the following statement on the Legislature sending SB 154 to the Governor:

“Once again, we had a tremendous opportunity with a robust surplus to address the critical needs of California’s most vulnerable by providing more funding for families, small businesses, CalWORKS and SSI recipients, students, and child care. This spending plan prioritizes necessary infrastructure improvements for affordable housing, transportation and transit, school facilities, student housing projects. I’m proud of the budget that we put together, which focuses on lifting up individuals who have been left behind from the last two years of economic growth and provides smart investments that will benefit Californians for years to come.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) released the following statement regarding the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) Oversight Committee’s vote to penalize drivers who weren’t able to pay their toll fees:

“The Bay Area Toll Authority should have identified these drivers sooner to provide earlier notice and create payment plan options. Bay Area drivers should not be penalized because BATA chose to remove their operators. The switch to using technology to pay tolls has disproportionately impacted drivers who don’t have debit or credit cards. Now many drivers who rely on their vehicles for work or to bring their kids to school may face not being able to renew their DMV registrations.

Today, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), and Senate and Assembly Budget Committee Chairs, Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), announced a Legislative budget agreement that will deliver prosperity and strengthen the future by putting California’s wealth to work.

The joint legislative plan, which contains the budget priorities laid out by both houses and includes elements the Governor included in his proposals, strikes the balance of providing real relief to families and small businesses—including $8 billion to help Californians withstand the rising cost of gas and consumer goods—while investing in programs that will bolster Californians and our economy. For more than a decade, responsible budgeting has been the cornerstone of Legislative Democrats’ approach, and this budget further builds upon that record by investing an unprecedented $37.5 billion in reserves.