Latest news with #DaveCortese
E&E News
09-08-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Trump admin agrees to preserve Calif. high-speed rail grants during court case
California officials have reached an agreement with the Trump administration that prevents it from awarding $4 billion in revoked grants to other projects while a court case plays out. What happened: The Federal Railroad Administration agreed to keep the money in reserve while California litigates the administration's revocation of the money, California officials said Thursday. 'This agreement ensures that the funding will remain available until the legal process is resolved,' state Senate Transportation Chair Dave Cortese (D) said in a statement. Advertisement A spokesperson for the California High-Speed Rail Authority confirmed the agreement but declined to comment further, saying the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation.
Auto Blog
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
State Senators Overwhelmingly Vote to Raise Car Dealership Fees 488%
Only one California Senator voted against the state raising its dealership document processing fees for new car purchases by 488%. Driving may get even more expensive in California California's state Senate has approved legislation allowing car dealers to charge buyers up to 1% of a vehicle's purchase price in document processing fees, with a $500 cap. This $500 limit represents an increase of nearly 500% from the current cap of $85, and the average starting price of a new car in May was $48,656, Cox Automotive reports. 2025 Ford Maverick: 4 reasons to love it, 2 reasons to think twice Watch More The bill passed with only one Senator voting against it, and its supporters, including California's New Car Dealers Association, say the fee is necessary since the $85 cap hasn't kept pace with the state's rising business costs over the decades. Processing paperwork that the added costs would help pay for includes loan documents, fraud protection forms, and Department of Motor Vehicles registration. Anthony Samson, the California New Car Dealers Association's lobbyist, said in April that other businesses can recoup similar costs through service charges, but dealers can't. 'If we believed we could simply recover our costs and the price of the vehicle, I assure you that we would not be here today asking for your support on this measure,' Samson said, according to Cal Matters. A line of Mustangs at a San Diego, California car dealership — Source: Getty However, Senator Dave Cortese said he's working with the California New Car Dealers Association to lower the fee's ceiling when it's heard in the Assembly. Senator Henry Stern was the only Senator who voted against the bill, noting he feels that car sellers have undermined the state's efforts to protect consumers and the environment with actions like lobbying for the U.S. Senate to pass federal legislation blocking California's electric vehicle mandates. Not everyone is on board with this idea 'The car dealers haven't earned the trust to justify this major increase in junk fees,' Stern said, according to Cal Matters. Ray Shefska, CarEdge Co-Founder, added that 'This bill reinforces that in America, whether it be national, state, or local, we have the best politicians money can buy. When things are already barely affordable, let's by all means make it even more difficult for people buying cars in California.' The California New Car Dealers Association has donated $2.9 million to the state's lawmakers since 2015, according to Digital Democracy's database. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Kia vehicles at a Kia Dealership in Richmond, California — Source: Getty One California Senator, Carolyn Menjivar, didn't vote on Tuesday but stated: 'If we're looking to help everyday Californians with affordability, why are we looking at helping an industry that is making a healthy profit?' California is one of the most expensive states to buy a car since it charges the highest sales tax rate at 7.25% and imposes significant registration fees. The document processing fees vote occurred amid reports of auto dealers using incentive strategies to sustain profits without raising vehicle prices in reaction to Trump's tariffs. State government vehicle purchases are exempt from the document charge. Final thoughts House Assembly members still have to vote on the car dealer fees bill before it heads to California's Governor for approval or veto. If the House Assembly approves the legislation in its current form, a $500 cap could increase Governor Newsom's chances of vetoing it. Florida has the highest car dealer document fees in the U.S., with its $999 cap, followed by Virginia at $799, and Colorado registering third at $699. About the Author Cody Carlson View Profile
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats support bills guaranteeing cash for low-income
(NewsNation) — A group of Democratic lawmakers from 17 states is hoping to garner support for legislation that would provide recurring cash payments to low-income residents as a way of alleviating poverty in the United States. The group of 20 Democrats launched 'Legislators for a Guaranteed Income' this week. The newly formed group will partner with a network of 245 mayors and local officials who have attempted to introduce similar pilot programs around the country, according to a news release issued by the group. The organization said that there are 25 proposed bills across 11 states that are seeking to establish some sort of guaranteed payments to low-income residents. Proposed legislation has been introduced in California, Illinois, Tennessee and North Carolina. Where do the DOGE stimulus checks stand? The California bill, introduced by State Sen. Dave Cortese, would provide recurring guaranteed cash payments to homeless teens as they transition into adulthood. The Tennessee bill, which is sponsored by State Rep. Justin Pearson, would offer eligible residents $3,000 per year. Under the California bill, eligible teens would receive four monthly $1,000 payments as part of a program that would cost $40 million to $50 million, reported. Despite the cost, Democrats see value in the investment. Cortese said he believes homeless teens deserve more than a chance to survive, but instead 'a real chance to thrive,' Cortese said in a statement issued by the organization. Other Democrats agreed that those in need would benefit from legislation aimed at cutting down on poverty. 'We need leaders of moral courage who see the world as it is and are ready to fight for a vision of what it can be,' Pearson, the Tennessee Democrat, said in a released statement. 'The call for guaranteed income that Dr. (Martin Luther) King put out is being answered today by hundreds of cities and counties across the nation, and I'm proud to expand the movement by joining Legislators for a Guaranteed Income.' How Karen Read's past media interviews could hurt her at trial The mayor's group claims that more Americans are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living continues to rise. Many of those work multiple jobs, the organization said, and yet more than one in three Americans are considered to be part of the working poor. In addition, 63% of working Americans do not have enough money saved to cover a $500 emergency if needed. The push for guaranteed income arose after a 2019 experiment in Northern California, where 125 residents received $500 per month for two months. Researchers found that participants saw their financial stability increase after being assisted through the pilot program, reported. 'The work-around guaranteed income is moving from cities and counties to states,' Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, Calif., where the experiment took place, told the online news organization. 'We're going to be organizing state officials across the country who see what we all see: that affordability is an issue, that the Trump tariffs and gross mismanagement of the economy has made the problem even worse.' Yet, as Democrats push to gain support for more legislation to assist low-income residents, Republicans argue that those types of legislation encourage those people not to work. 'If you get people addicted to just getting a check from the government, it's going to be really hard to take that away,' former South Dakota Republican State Sen. John Wiik told Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
24-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Proposal seeks to improve cleanup of abandoned shopping carts in California
A proposal brought on by Northern California lawmaker is seeking to improve the process of cleaning up abandoned shopping carts in the state, which are often a source of blight on streets and waterways. State Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) announced Monday that he introduced Senate Bill 753, a measure that is also being backed by officials in the Bay Area's largest city, including Mayor Matt Mahan. "My bill eliminates blight and creates incentives for retailers to work collaboratively with local governments," Cortese said in a statement . Under SB753, the measure would make multiple changes to the state's current laws on abandoned shopping carts, which his office said were "ineffective" at preventing carts from being abandoned and incentivizing proper recovery. Currently, cities are required to store carts at an impound lot and wait for retailers to pick them up. If approved, cities would be able to return abandoned carts directly to retailers, instead of impounding them. Cities would also be able to recover costs by billing stores for retrieval services. Other provisions of the proposal include cities and counties being able to set their own fines, which are currently capped at $50. Violations would also be re-defined, according to Cortese's office, to "each instance where a retailer fails to retrieve a cart within three business days after being notified by the city or county, rather than being based on a single day's collection of carts under the current law." "I am sick and tired of seeing shopping carts litter our streets and waterways, and I know I'm not alone," Mahan said. "I appreciate Senator Cortese's shared urgency — letting cities return stolen carts immediately and creating avenues to recover costs keeps them where they belong — in stores, not on our streets." It was not immediately known when the measure would be considered in the legislature.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bay Area lawmaker introduces bill targeting abandoned shopping carts
(KRON) — A Bay Area lawmaker has introduced a bill aimed at tackling abandoned shopping carts on city streets, sidewalks, and creek beds. Senate Bill 753 was introduced by State Sen. Dave Cortese (D-Silicon Valley) and has the backing of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. SB 753 would allow local governments to return carts directly to retailers, pick up carts immediately and return them to retailers without delay. The bill would also allow local governments to recover the costs of managing the program. 'My bill eliminates blight and creates incentives for retailers to work collaboratively with local governments,' said Sen. Cortese. As deadline looms, Sen. Scott Wiener introduces bill to fund Bay Area transit 'I am sick and tired of seeing shopping carts litter our streets and waterways, and I know I'm not alone,' said Mayor Mahan. 'I appreciate Senator Cortese's shared urgency — letting cities return stolen shopping carts immediately and creating avenues to recover cots keeps them where they belong — in stores, not on our streets.' Under SBB 753: Cities would be able to return abandoned shopping carts directly to retailers rather than impounding them They would be able to recover costs by billing retailers for retrieval services A 3-day waiting period would be eliminated, allowing cities to pick up and return carts immediately If a retailer fails to retrieve carts within 3 days, cities can still impound them The $50 fine cap would be removed, allowing cities and counties to set their own fines A violation would be defined as an instance where a retailer fails to retrieve a cart within 3 business days after being notified by the city or county 'Current state law has proven ineffective at preventing shopping cart abandonment and incentivizing proper recovery,' Sen. Cortese's office said in a news release. 'Existing law requires cities to store carts in an impound low and wait for retailers to pick them up, which is inefficient and very costly for large cities.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
