Latest news with #AssemblyDistrict
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cat declawing bill passes California State Assembly
(KRON) — California's Democratic and Republican lawmakers are clashing over several bills in Sacramento this week. One issue, however, received bipartisan support Monday: protecting cat paws. AB 867, authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee, aims to outlaw cat declawing statewide. The bill passed the California State Assembly floor with a unanimous 72-0 vote. Removing a cat's claws involves amputating the toe bones or severing the tendon controlling its paws, according to Lee's office. 'Cat declawing is a cruel and barbaric surgical procedure that causes lifelong disfigurement and pain,' Lee said. 'Mutilating healthy cats merely for convenience is inhumane and unethical. It's the equivalent of removing a person's fingers at the top knuckle.' Lee said he wrote the bill with inspiration from his own beloved cats, named Udon and Soba. Lee represents the 24th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Fremont, Newark, Milpitas, and San Jose. AB 867 would prohibit the declawing of a cat unless a veterinarian performs the procedure for a medically necessary purpose that benefits the cat's health. 'Scratching is a natural cat behavior, and non-surgical alternatives are available to address inappropriate behaviors such as nail trimming, soft claw caps, and behavioral training,' Lee's office wrote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fresh from Sacramento, Ellis says he has hope
In his first local appearance since being sworn in to represent the 32nd Assembly District two weeks ago, Republican Stan Ellis said he was hopeful about his future in Sacramento. "This was my second week, and I would tell you that I've been overwhelmed, I've been disappointed, I've been pissed off," Ellis said Thursday evening. "I've been about every emotion that you could have, and yet there is hope." Speaking to a meeting of more than 50 members of the Greater Bakersfield Republican Assembly, Ellis said his first two weeks have been filled with trying to absorb an enormous amount of information. Ellis was the first candidate to announce candidacy for the 32nd District, even before there was technically a vacancy for the seat. He handily won a special primary election last month, taking more than 50% of the vote, which under state law elects the candidate to office. Ellis was sworn in March 3 and on Thursday he had just driven from San Francisco when he arrived at Hodel's Country Dining to speak to the GBRA. He said his first two weeks had been filled with meeting colleagues and trying to get filled in on myriad complex issues lawmakers are asked to deal with. A longtime businessman, Ellis addressed the litany of frustrations he and other Republicans have with policies coming out of Democrat-dominated Sacramento on issues such as oil, water and spending. "There are some really cool Democrats, and I think they're really good people," Ellis said. "However, what happens is they vote the party and they vote the politics. They don't vote, I think, the way they should vote." The GBRA regularly invites guest speakers, and Ellis had appeared before the group as a candidate, according to Angelo Frazier, executive vice president. "A lot of things that come down through California are policy driven, and they tend to be center left," Frazier told The Californian. "So what we're looking to do is let's get back to those conservative values." As members of a super minority with little political muscle, Republicans in the statehouse say their job is to educate their Democratic colleagues on how proposed policies are impacting their constituents. "I think it's just chipping away at it," Frazier said of Ellis' role in Sacramento. "You got to start someplace and and I think one of his strong suits is his ability to influence." Ellis told the audience one of his main priorities is oil, and trying to convince his Democratic colleagues of the benefits of domestic production, but he also said another priority, water, is likely outside his grasp. "I have, probably as an Assembly member, have very little influence over water. It's because it's a federal issue," Ellis said. "But I'm telling you, I will work towards it." When it comes to seemingly intractable issues such as oil production, Ellis said his strategy is to keep the issue front of mind for Democrats. "So, to me, it's like keeping it in front of them and saying over and over, 'look we're polluting (by importing oil)," Ellis told The Californian. "We are the cleanest producing state in the world. Our organic compounds that we emit are so regulated by the (California Air Resources Board) that we could be fined millions of dollars if we're off spec," he said. "We have the most incredible, incredible clean oil in the world." Ellis said he is willing to work with Democrats on bills that aligned with his values. He'd spoken with area colleague Dr. Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano, and was hopeful about a bill regarding fire safety she was working on. The Legislature's bill-filing deadline has passed so it's too late to submit any of his own bills, but even if he could, Ellis said he's not ready. "I'm not smart enough in the policy world. There are some things I certainly want to do, but I'm not ready for it," Ellis said. "So now it's just me understanding and voting. It's actually not a bad position to be in because I'm still so new."
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tuesday is Election Day in the 32nd Assembly District
Voters in the 32nd Assembly District should head to the polls Tuesday — or make sure the ballot that was mailed to them is cast and postmarked by 8 p.m. Tuesday — to vote for one of four candidates vying to fill a seat that has been vacant since May. Four candidates are on the ballot: Libertarian William Brown of Visalia; Democrat Chris Cruz-Boone of Bakersfield; Republican Stan Ellis of Bakersfield; and Republican Holli Willibey of Frazier Park. The 32nd District seat opened when Republican Vince Fong won a special election for a seat in Congress following former Rep. Kevin McCarthy's resignation. If one of the four candidates secures more than 50% of the vote, he or she will take the seat and there won't be a runoff. But if that isn't achieved, the two candidates with the most votes will face off April 29, making it nearly a year that the 32nd has been without representation. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., at which time ballot counting is expected to begin. Because the 32nd District covers parts of Kern and Tulare counties, watch the Secretary of State's website for the latest tally. The 32nd spans much of greater Bakersfield, Taft, Tehachapi, Lake Isabella and Visalia and other Tulare County communities.
