California State Senate

The California Senate on Thursday approved a joint resolution calling on the federal government to halt crackdowns on licensed medical marijuana dispensaries.

The resolution, SJR 20, was approved 24 to 15 and was authored by outgoing state Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco.)

California State Sen. Abel Maldonado appears to have in hand another term as state senator of the 15th State Senatorial District, without an opponent.

Maldonado campaign manager Brandon Gesicki said an attempt by a Pismo Beach attorney to get enough write-in votes in the June primary to be Maldonado's Democratic opponent in November appears to have fallen short.

State Sen. Pro Tempore Don Perata has said he welcomes a Republican push on fixing California's prison overcrowding problem, but feels there's a more broad solution than just building more prisons.

In a statement issued after Republicans called for support legislative support on a bill that would make it easier for new state prisons to be built, Perata welcomed the bill, SB 1705.

"In addition to building more beds, the population must be reduced," Perata said in the statement. "That is why Senate Democrats wrote reforms as part of our budget plan. The package would save the state $531 million and significantly reduce the prison population."

California State Senate and Assembly Republican leaders will have a press conference this morning to push their ideas for solving the state's prison overcrowding problems.

In a 10 a.m. press availability at the office of State Senate Minority Leader Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto), the GOP politicians will present a solution that is both comprehensive and fiscally responsible, according to a press advisory.