Releases and Opinion

Senator Shannon Grove

Senate Republican Leader Grove Reacts to Guidelines for In-person Houses of Worship Services
May 25, 2020
Senator Shannon Grove
Senator Patricia Bates

Times of San Diego: California Legislature Must Act Prudently to Protect Essential State Services
May 23, 2020
Senator Pat Bates
Senator Jim Nielsen

Newsom Administration Claims Another '$1.831 Billion Needed' by June 30
May 22, 2020
Senator Jim Nielsen
CA Senate Republicans

California Democrats Welcome Porch Pirates
May 22, 2020
CA Senate Republican Caucus
CA Senate Republicans

Senate Republican Leader Grove Welcomes Senator Melissa Melendez
May 18, 2020
CA Senate Republican Caucus
CA Senate Republicans

The Governor's Half-Truth Headline
May 18, 2020
CA Senate Republican Caucus
Senator Mike Morrell

Morrell: Sacramento Democrats Double Down on Job-Killing Freelancer Restrictions
May 15, 2020
Senator Mike Morrell
Senator Jim Nielsen

Republican Senator Jim Nielsen Reacts to Governor's May Budget Revision
May 14, 2020
Senator Jim Nielsen
Senator Patricia Bates

Statement on Rejection of AB 5 Relief Bills
May 14, 2020
Senator Pat Bates
Senator John Moorlach

Sen. Moorlach Responds to May Budget Revision
May 14, 2020
Senator John Moorlach
CA Senate Republicans

What is the Governor Waiting For? More Deaths? A Picture in a Newspaper?
May 14, 2020
CA Senate Republican Caucus
Senator Patricia Bates

Statement on Governor's Revised Budget Plan
May 14, 2020
Senator Pat Bates
Senator Andreas Borgeas

Senator Borgeas on Governor's Revised Budget: "The pendulum has swung"
May 14, 2020
Senator Andreas Borgeas
CA Senate Republicans

Senate Republican Leader Grove's Reaction to $54 Billion State Budget Shortfall
May 7, 2020
CA Senate Republican Caucus
Senator Jim Nielsen

Republican Lawmakers Request Immediate Audit of $1 Billion Contract with BYD for PPE
May 7, 2020
Senator Jim Nielsen
CA Senate Republicans

Governor Must Allow Houses of Worship to Reopen in Stage 2 to Assist Californians
May 6, 2020
CA Senate Republican Caucus
Senator Jim Nielsen

In Case You Missed It: Rural areas have a message for Newsom: One size doesn't fit all in reopening California
May 4, 2020
Senator Jim Nielsen
Senator Jim Nielsen

North State Senator Jim Nielsen Issues Statement on Governor's Re-Opening of Phase Two
May 4, 2020
Senator Jim Nielsen
Senator Ling Ling Chang

Senator Chang Applauds Governor Newsom's Actions on Child Care
May 4, 2020
Senator Ling Ling Chang
Senator Patricia Bates

Sen. Patricia Bates Responds to Governor’s Announcements Regarding Partial Business Reopening and Orange County Beaches
May 4, 2020
Senator Pat Bates

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Senate Republicans Advocate for Clean Drinking Water for Disadvantaged Communities

July 8, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Today, members of the California Senate Republican Caucus voted in support of Senate Bill 200 which creates the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund that will provide funding to communities that lack access to clean drinking water. SB 200 has an urgency clause which means the...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Says Record-Spending State Budget is Nothing to Celebrate

July 1, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) issued the following statement in response to Democrat leaders celebrating the 2019-20 state budget, describing it as “The Affordability Package.” “Celebration is the wrong word to describe a record-spending state budget. With a...

California Drivers - Get Ready to Pay More at the Pump

June 28, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Starting on July 1st, California drivers will be paying an additional 5.6 cents in gas taxes as a result of Senate Bill 1 (2017). According to GasBuddy.com , California has the highest gas prices in the nation. Legislative Democrats advocated for SB 1 which Governor Jerry Brown signed...

Senate Republicans "Keep the Promise" to the Developmentally Disabled Community

June 20, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Today, members of the Senate Republican Caucus are keeping the promise to the most vulnerable members of our communities. Senate Republicans voted in support of Senate Bill 81 which will improve transparency and accountability for regional centers, provide rate increases for service...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Responds to another Record-Spending Budget

June 13, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) released the following statement after the California State Legislature passed the 2019-20 State Budget today: “Year after year, Sacramento Democrats continue to push the envelope on spending. The majority party has passed...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Welcomes Newly Sworn-In Senator Brian Dahle

June 12, 2019
Senator Dahle will serve the residents of California’s 1st Senate District which covers all or portions of 11 counties, including Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sierra.

Senate Republican Leader Grove's Statement on Latest High Speed Rail Debacle

June 10, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) issued the following statement after a recent article published in the Los Angeles Times cited that the High Speed Rail Authority seized land from Central Valley farmers to build the tracks for the bullet train and now the...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Welcomes Senator-elect Brian Dahle to Republican Caucus

June 5, 2019
SACRAMENTO - Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) released the following statement: “Congratulations to Brian Dahle who will proudly represent constituents in California’s First Senate District. Brian and I served in the State Assembly together. As colleagues in the Assembly, we...

Senate Democrats Penalize the Faith-Based Community’s Health Care Coverage

May 24, 2019
SACRAMENTO – In a recent Senate Budget Committee hearing , members of the California Senate Republican Caucus voted against Democrats’ efforts to penalize members of Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSMs). HCSMs are an alternative form of health care coverage for members of faith-based communities...

California Medical Board Should Crackdown on Doctors Who Issue Fraudulent Vaccination Exemptions

May 22, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Today, Senate Bill 276 passed on a partisan vote, with all Senate Republicans voting against the legislation. SB 276 would create a system where government bureaucrats will review vaccination exemption requests and potentially overrule the decisions of family physicians. The California...

Senate Republican Leader Grove's Statement Following Today's Hearing on the Disastrous High-Speed Rail Project

May 21, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) issued the following statement after the Assembly Transportation Committee held an extensive hearing on the California High-Speed Rail project today. “The more we look at this project, the more uncertainties come to light...

Keeping Our Promise to the Developmentally Disabled Community

May 17, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) praised the decision by the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services to provide at least an eight percent increase for service providers who care for the developmentally disabled community. Republican Senator...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Responds to the Failure of the Water Tax

May 16, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) issued the following statement after discussion of a water tax proposal failed to come to fruition yesterday in the Senate Budget Committee. “The decision to kill the water tax is a victory for Senate Republicans. My colleagues and...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Responds to the Fate of the Doomed High-Speed Rail

May 16, 2019
SACRAMENTO - Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) issued the following statement after the United States Department of Transportation released a letter today to the California High-Speed Rail Authority announcing that it will terminate nearly $1 billion in funding for the...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Responds to Governor's May Revise

May 9, 2019
SACRAMENTO – With an anticipated budget surplus of $21 billion, the governor released his revised State Budget proposal today which called for record-spending of $214 billion, up from $209 billion in January. California’s budget surplus is more than four times Nevada’s annual budget. Senate...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Says: "It's time to kill the high-speed rail project."

May 2, 2019
SACRAMENTO - The California High Speed Rail Authority has released its 2019 Project Update Report which cites an additional $1.8 billion in cost overruns to complete a portion of the project from Bakersfield to Merced. The 119 mile project is now estimated to be completed no sooner than 2028 and...

Sacramento Democrats Kill Legislation that Would Help Independent Contractors

April 24, 2019
Senate Republican Leader Grove delivered opening remarks at a press conference in support of independent contractors. To receive a high resolution photo, please contact: Jacqui.Nguyen@sen.ca.gov . SACRAMENTO – Today, California State Senate Republicans rallied with independent contractors in...

Legislative Republicans Call on Newsom to Honor Foreclosure Settlement, Help Struggling Homeowners

April 10, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Legislative Republicans recently called on Governor Gavin Newsom not to appeal a court ruling directing the state to provide $331 million to help financially distressed homeowners . The funding, obtained from a settlement agreement in a 2012 lawsuit over unfair lending practices, was...

Senate Republican Leader Grove Issues Statement on Future Criminal Cases Seeking the Death Penalty

March 22, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove ( R-Bakersfield ) released the following statement regarding the Governor’s intention to administratively end imposition of the death penalty: “I’m concerned that the Governor may circumvent state laws on the death penalty. His intention to place...

New Rate Study Confirms Republicans' Calls for Increase Funding for Persons with Developmental Disabilities

March 20, 2019
SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Developmental Services released a long-awaited study last Friday evening regarding payments for services for persons with developmental disabilities. The study indicates that if provider rates are set fairly, the state would need to increase the budget by...

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California State Senate Republicans Pass Whistleblower Protection Bill to Protect Capitol Staff

February 1, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Today all state Senate Republicans voted for Assembly Bill 403 ( R-Melendez ), the Legislative Employee Whistleblower Protection Act. All 13 members also co-authored the bill, which will extend to legislative employees the same protections state workers already receive under the...

Senate GOP Leader Patricia Bates Responds to Governor’s State of the State Address

January 25, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement in response to Governor Brown’s State of the State address today: “I congratulate Governor Brown on his final State of the State speech. He will leave behind a deep legacy of public service to...

Senate Republicans Respond to Governor's 2018-19 Budget Proposal

January 11, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Members of the California State Senate Republican Caucus have issued the following statements in response to the governor’s 2018-19 budget proposal today: Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates ( R-Laguna Niguel ): “California’s projected budget surplus provides an opportunity to do...

Senate Republican Leader Bates and Senator Nielsen Respond to Governor's 2018-19 Budget Proposal

January 10, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Today, Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) , vice chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, responded to Governor Jerry Brown’s 2018-19 budget proposal : Senate Republican Leader Bates: “California’s projected...

Senate Republicans Recommend 2-2-2 Framework to Responsibly Invest Budget Surplus

January 9, 2018
SACRAMENTO - The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office recently projected that California could have a general fund surplus of $7.5 billion this year. If this proves correct, the Legislature will have an opportunity to address some of the significant challenges facing California. Rather than...

Senate Republicans Call for Supporting Vocational Education and Paying Off School Debt with Education Funding Surplus

January 9, 2018
SACRAMENTO – The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) recently projected that California could have an educational funding surplus of $5 billion in the upcoming budget year to spend on education programs. If this proves correct, the state will have an opportunity to address some of the...

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What They're Saying: County of Los Angeles Opposes Assembly Bill 1250

August 17, 2017
SACRAMENTO – The County of Los Angeles along with six other agencies added their names to a burgeoning list of opposition against Assembly Bill 1250 . The proposed legislation is a blatant political power play by two of the state’s largest public employee unions at the cost of public safety, health...

Senate Republican Leader Bates' Statement on the Passing of former GOP Leader Ross Johnson

August 16, 2017
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement today on the passing of Ross Johnson, who served as Assembly Republican Leader, Senate Republican Leader, and chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. He was the first person to...

Senate GOP Leader Bates Urges State to Address Potential Release of Dangerous "Nonviolent" Felons

August 15, 2017
Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) today submitted a letter to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) during a public comment period regarding proposed regulations that could lead to the early release of dangerous "nonviolent" inmates and diminish victim rights.

Senate Republican Leader Bates' Statement on Passing of former Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill

July 23, 2017
Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement on the passing of former Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill who passed away Sunday morning after battling pancreatic cancer: "I had the honor of working and serving with former Senate Republican Leader Dave...

Senate Republican Leader Bates' Statement on Senate Passage of Cap-and-Trade Legislation

July 18, 2017
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement after the California State Senate approved legislation to extend cap-and-trade [Assembly Bill 398]. “The real threat of climate change should not be used as an excuse to increase the cost of gas,...

Senate Republicans Convey Cap-and-Trade Concerns to Governor

July 13, 2017
SACRAMENTO – This morning, a letter from members of the Senate Republican Caucus was delivered to Governor Jerry Brown outlining their concerns on cap-and-trade. The letter conveys to the Governor that the “… Caucus is united in opposition to the current efforts to extend the state’s cap-and-trade...

Senate Republican Leader Bates Reacts to Assembly’s Action on SB 562

June 23, 2017
SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement regarding Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon's decision to hold SB 562, the government-run health care proposal, 'in the Assembly Rules Committee until further notice': "Speaker Rendon says that SB...

Senate Republican Leader Bates Releases Statement on Record-Spending 2017-18 State Budget

June 15, 2017
Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement after the passage of the 2017-18 state budget:

Senate Republican Leader Bates Issues Statement on Passage of Government-Run Health Care Proposal

June 2, 2017
Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement after Senate Bill 562, a government-run health care proposal, passed today in the California State Senate.

Senate Republican Leader Bates Responds to UM-Amherst Study on Government-Run Health Care Proposal

May 31, 2017
Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) today issued the following statement in response to a report produced by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, which was financed by those who want government-run health care through Senate Bill 562.

Senate Republicans Respond to Passage of Government-run Healthcare Proposal

May 25, 2017
Today, the government-run healthcare proposal, Senate Bill 562, passed out of the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations on a party line vote of 5 to 2. This week, the Sacramento Bee and the Los Angeles Times published articles critical of SB 562 with its staggering $400 billion price tag and the assumption of a 15% payroll tax on the paychecks of Californians.

Senate Republican Leaders Respond to Governor's May Revise

May 11, 2017
Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), vice chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, issued the following statement today in response to Governor Brown’s revised 2017-18 budget proposal:

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