October 24, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President laid out the importance of serving as good stewards of the environment and maintaining the planet for generations to come.  Since taking office the President has prioritized protecting the places that make America special.  He has repeatedly said that no challenge poses a greater threat to our future than a changing climate, which is why he’s taken bold actions at home and encouraged historic action abroad on the issue.  In his address, he encouraged Congress to reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund which has protected more than 5 million acres of land for more than half a century, without costing taxpayers a dime.  Republicans in Congress let the fund expire despite strong bipartisan support. And he reminded us that we all have to do our part to address climate change, promote clean energy and energy efficiency, and ensure a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations.

October 17, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President highlighted the problems in our criminal justice system.  Our country faces a vicious cycle of poverty, criminality, and incarceration that traps too many Americans and weakens too many communities.  There are 2.2 million people behind bars in America today, compared to 500,000 just 30 years ago.  This topic isn’t new – the President has talked about the unfairness of much of the criminal justice system since his time in the Senate.  And while we’ve taken steps to address this issue, members of both parties agree that we can do more.  Over the next few weeks, the President will travel the country and meet with Americans who are working to fix the criminal justice system, from law enforcement officials working to lower the crime and incarceration rates, to former prisoners who are earning their second chance.  And he promised to continue to work with Congress to pass meaningful criminal justice reform that makes the system cost-effective, fairer, and smarter, while enhancing the ability of law enforcement to keep our communities safe.

October 10, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President spoke to the merits of the high-standards trade agreement reached this past week.  The Trans-Pacific Partnership helps level the playing field for American workers and businesses, so we can export more Made-in-America products all over the world, supporting higher-paying American jobs here at home.  The President acknowledged that past trade agreements have not always lived up to expectations, but emphasized that this is a good deal, with the strongest commitments on labor and environment of any trade agreement in history.  It reflects America’s values and gives our workers the fair shot at success they deserve.  The President encouraged everyone to read the agreement, which will be available online well before he signs it, and looked forward to working with lawmakers from both parties as they consider and approve this deal.

October 9, 20115

Comprehensive bill package ushers in much-needed medical marijuana regulation

Sacramento, CA – With a historic and significant stroke of a pen, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the most comprehensive medical marijuana regulation legislation ever seen in the state of California.

North Coast Senator Mike McGuire worked to find common ground and build a strong coalition of support behind SB 643 – The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, signed into law today.

“From seed to sale, for the first time in our state’s history, medical marijuana will now be regulated across the state of California,” Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) said. “Voters passed Proposition 215 nearly twenty years ago and the promised rules and regulations from the legislature were never advanced and our communities and environment have been paying the price ever since. This is a historic day for our state and generations of Californians will benefit from these sweeping rules and regulations that will protect our neighborhoods, our environment and the safety of patients.”

SB 643 was part of a three-bill package that moved forward through the legislature together. Paired with AB 266 and AB 243, the three bills will change the face of a multi-billion dollar industry that has gone largely unregulated for almost 20 years.

“After the hard work of countless individuals over the last 20 years, we have finally been able to pass the strongest medical marijuana regulation package in the country. I want to thank our partners in the State Assembly, Governor Brown and the hundreds of folks who have put in thousands of hours over the past eight months to ensure this bill was signed into law.”

The new laws cover every aspect of the commercial medical marijuana industry which would be regulated and subject to licensure – both by the state and local authorities. The bills create a Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation under the Department of Consumer Affairs led by a Director who will be confirmed by the Senate. Cities and counties will be eligible for grants from the Marijuana Production and Environmental Mitigation Fund. These monies can be used for local law enforcement activities and environmental cleanup.

Key to SB 643 are provisions that will track and trace all marijuana products, and a provision that will once and for all make medical marijuana officially an agricultural product in California. Cultivators will have to abide by the same rules and regulations as all other agriculture, including water use, water discharge, pesticide and insecticide use and more. SB 643 also includes robust provisions governing indoor and outdoor cultivation standards for small, medium and large growers to ensure that best practices related to land conversion, grading and electricity usage are instituted. The bill makes sure that the environment is cared for and that the products are safe, while also mandating strict standards for transportation to ensure that no marijuana is diverted out of state for illegal use.

 “These regulations are long overdue and I’m thrilled that we were able to work together to find common ground on these historic medical marijuana regulations for our state,” Senator Mike McGuire said. “The time is now.”

Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) represents the North Coast of California, where the majority of marijuana is grown in the nation.

October 7, 20115

Sacramento, CA – Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed landmark legislation that solidifies the State of California as a leader in the nation and the world with its proactive renewable and clean energy standards. SB 350 will increase renewable energy generation and make buildings more efficient.

North Coast Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), who is a strong supporter of this historic legislation, issued the following statement:

“California has long been at the forefront of the battle against climate change and SB 350 will help achieve significant reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions. With today’s action, California’s reliance on dirty energy sources will be dramatically reduced and our state will be a global leader when it comes to utilizing clean, renewable power.”

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October 03, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President emphasized that we need to do everything we can to strengthen economic growth and job creation.  This week, despite the fact that more than half of Republicans in Congress voted to shut down the government for the second time in two years, Congress managed to pass a last-minute bill to keep the government open for another ten weeks.  That means that in December, we could face yet another Republican threat to shut down the government.  The President emphasized that Congress needs to stop kicking the can down the road and do its job.  He stressed that Republicans and Democrats need to work together to pass a budget that fully funds the government and reverses the harmful sequestration cuts, and vowed that he would not sign another shortsighted spending bill like the one Congress sent him this past week.

October 1, 2015

President Obama delivers a statement on the shooting at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon. October 1, 2015.

September 25, 2015

Lakeport, Calif. — County officials provide vital fire survivor information and answer questions Friday afternoon during courthouse press conference

Topics include relief efforts, housing, health and environmental concerns as well as an update about the Valley Fire.

September 26, 2015

In this week’s address, on “National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day,” the President spoke about the importance of preventing and treating substance use disorders.

September 23, 2015

In light of the extraordinary tragedy our community faces, the Democratic Party of Lake County has cancelled our Annual Legislator’s BBQ (originally scheduled for Sunday, October 4, at the Senior Center in Clearlake).

The  devastation the Valley Fire has left each of us very personally touched. Like most in our County, every one of us can share a story. The scope of this disaster has profoundly impacted those we love and the community we cherish, and our priority can only be to help family, friends, and neighbors.

Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to everyone — sponsors, auction donors, local businesses, musicians,generous volunteers, and legislators — who are, now, helping our community get needed support.

We especially want to express our gratitude to State Controller, Betty Yee, for her generous relief efforts.

Sponsor contributions we had received will be donated to Lake County Rising, http://www.lakecountywinegrape.org/ and the Redwood Credit Union’s Valley Fire Relief  fund – https://www.redwoodcu.org/lakecountyfirevictims.

We invite you to join the members of the Lake County Democratic Party, to volunteer your time through North Coast Opportunities https://ncoinc.fundlyconnect.com/default.aspx.

And please ask friends to support these local organizations, as they do the challenging and vital work necessary to help our families and communities rebuild.

We look forward to your company, and happier times, next year.