Welcome to my legislative website. It is an honor to have this opportunity to serve my community. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns that you may have with the district—or with your state government.
Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill proposed by Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, which would have required schools to consider how zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policies keep students from seeking help when crafting suicide prevention policies. “I agree with the goal of this bill but believe this is a matter more appropriately handled at the local level,” Brown said in returning the bill without his signature.
Ten years ago, a Bay Area teenager died by suicide after being expelled from school for substance abuse. He had been doing well academically and participated in sports." All the things the general public doesn't associate with someone who takes his life," said former Palo Alto Mayor Victor Ojakian, who knew the youth.
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Monday that would have required school districts that have zero-tolerance policies toward drugs or alcohol use to hold community-wide conversations on whether expulsions related to substance abuse deter students from seeking help for mental health problems.
The first bill proposed by a Palo Alto state assemblyman to be signed into law will make it easier for low-income California residents to access emergency food services.
Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, who was elected in November, said that the bill works to eradicate food insecurity.
The bill, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed earlier this month, allows revision to the national 2-1-1 referral service so that residents can use the free phone number or online database to find entities that provide food to needy residents, including those with pending CalFresh applications.
AB 398, which extends cap and trade until 2030, was signed by Governor Brown today. This legislation represents a compromise that was balanced enough to achieve a two-thirds vote in the Legislature, and strong enough to represent a significant step forward for our environment. Location: Angel Island
Assembly Bill 323, authored by Assemblyman Marc Berman, was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday, July 17, allowing counties to connect CalFresh applicants to emergency food providers through a referral from a 2-1-1 service. The new law is Berman's first bill signed in the state Legislature.
CalFresh assists low-income households in purchasing the food they need at grocery stores. Berman, D-Palo Alto, said that state residents often won't apply for CalFresh until they hit their lowest point, but the application can take up to 30 days to be approved.
SACRAMENTO – Today Governor Brown signed a bill by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) to connect families to nutrition assistance programs. Assembly Bill 323 will allow counties to connect CalFresh applicants to emergency food providers through a referral to 2-1-1 services.
“Millions of Californians rely on CalFresh to meet their basic nutritional needs, so it is imperative that they have timely access to emergency food aid,” said Berman. “AB 323 takes a meaningful step towards curbing hunger by employing technology to immediately refer individuals and families to reliable food providers.”
SACRAMENTO – In response to the Legislature approving and sending to the Governor AB 398 (E. Garcia) and AB 617 (C. Garcia), Assemblymember Berman issued the following statement:
“As the Trump Administration abdicates its responsibility as a global leader in combating climate change, it is paramount that California reaffirms its commitment to protecting the environment. The benefits of AB 398, which extends California’s cap-and-trade program, and its companion bill to reduce air pollutants, AB 617, will be felt for years to come. Environmentalists and businesses alike recognize that reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air and water quality will boost California’s economic competitiveness, protect our precious resources, and increase people’s quality of life — now and in the future.
Just as an abysmally short commercial salmon season concluded in the region, federal officials recommended a $1.4 million grant toward a creek restoration project aimed at rejuvenating the dwindling species and reducing flooding in Pescadero.
Fish die-offs and road closures have plagued the coastal area for years, prompting a local nonprofit to begin a dredging and sediment reuse project along a nearly 8,000-foot stretch of riparian habitat.
Students who rack up debt attending for-profit colleges were supposed to get some additional protections this month. If their school was found to have misled them into borrowing money to attend, a new rule would have simplified the process for seeking loan forgiveness.
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