Last year, lawmakers postponed the bill with an acknowledgment that a full expansion would not be funded. Older undocumented residents are expected to become eligible for food benefits in 2025.

“People go hungry, and we can’t wait a number of years,” Santiago said.

Sen. Monique Limón will be on her fourth effort to pass a law documenting the diversity of gubernatorial appointments.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed the three past Limón bills. Each one would have required the governor’s office to issue annual reports on the demographic information of appointees to state boards and commissions.

In his most recent veto message, Newsom said the demographic information required by the bill “would not necessarily accurately reflect the diversity of appointees.”

“Our continued work on this bill is not about placing blame on any one entity,” Limón said of her latest bill, Senate Bill 782. “Rather, it’s about showing the reality that the data presents. A reality that we’re not able to fix if we cannot see.”

Caucus prioritizes education

Many of the caucus’ newest priorities this year will focus on education, ranging from children as young as five to young adults in their early 20s.

Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, led the presentation of education legislation with SB 1056. The measure would mandate California parents to send their children to one year of kindergarten before they attend first grade. If passed, the legislation would take effect in the 2026-27 school year.

Assemblyman David Alvarez, D-San Diego, and Cervantes also presented legislation that would open up historic opportunities for undocumented students at California universities and colleges.

...continued

©2024 The Sacramento Bee. Visit at sacbee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.