SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly issued a statement in response to the decision of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s to block the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 99, a vital bill that would have protected public health and local ecosystems by restricting the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and their widespread program of spraying harmful pesticides alongside highways in counties that adopted official resolutions restricting the deployment of such chemicals. AB 99 was referred to the Senate’s Appropriations Committee, where it was made a “two-year-bill,” a stalling tactic that blocks its passage until the next legislative session, despite the bill garnering strong support in both houses and already passing through five committees and the Assembly Floor. There was no explanation from the Committee regarding this decision.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Speaker Robert Rivas has appointed Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) to serve as Chair of the esteemed Joint Committee on Fairs Allocation and Classification. Assemblymember Connolly's appointment reflects his dedication to preserving California's rich agricultural traditions, promoting education, and enhancing community benefits across the state.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) extends his warmest congratulations to Assemblymember Robert Rivas on being sworn in as the new Speaker of the Assembly. The appointment of Speaker Rivas marks a significant milestone in his distinguished political career and recognizes his unwavering commitment to serving the people of California.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Connolly was joined by a number of pesticide-free advocates and integrated pest management specialists at a press conference to discuss the statewide importance of Assembly Bill (AB) 99, which would require the California Department of Transportation to develop and adopt a statewide policy that uses integrated pest management that does not include the use of pesticides except in specified circumstances in cities and counties that have restricted their use of pesticides locally.  AB 99 also requires Caltrans to make publicly available their pesticide use as well as notification of when they intend to spray pesticides 24 hours in advance.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Over the past week, several of Assemblymember Damon Connolly’s (D-San Rafael) bills were successfully voted out of the Assembly and are now on their way to be heard in various Senate committees. This was the first time Asm. Connolly has presented legislation on the Assembly floor since being elected in November. These bills cover a range of issue areas, including organic farming, wildfire mitigation, and public health and safety. They are:

SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblymember Connolly (D-San Rafael) announced that Sausalito-based Bridge the Gap was selected as Assembly District (AD) 12’s 2023 California Nonprofit of the Year. The mission of Bridge the Gap is to provide comprehensive educational, social and emotional resources to underserved students in Marin City and Southern Marin. Their goal is to ensure that all students graduate high school, and achieve their greatest potential through college completion or other pathways to economic sustainability and independence. Their vision is for all students to achieve their greatest potential with equitable access, opportunities, and choice. Research continues to demonstrate that the most powerful way for under-resourced and first-generation students to achieve a lifetime of increased opportunity and earnings is through higher education. It can be a game changer.

SACRAMENTO, CA – On May 8th, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 36, which designates the week of May 7, 2023, through May 13, 2023, as Compost Awareness Week. Composting is an effective form of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. Since organic materials make up over 30 percent of the material going to landfills, composting is becoming one of the primary methods communities use to reach waste diversion goals and create sustainable communities. Returning organic resources—remanufactured into compost and applied to the soil—reduces water consumption by over 30 percent on all soil types, conserves water during extreme drought and flooding conditions, decreases dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and decreases erosion and nonpoint source pollution. Composting is recognized by the State Air Resources Board as an important tool to sequester massive amounts of carbon in California’s soils to help immediately reverse global warming by drawing down excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it deep in California’s soils.