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Josh Newman

State senate

Chair of Education Committee

D
District

SD-29

Party

democrat

Score
64
Contact

Votes

Type Year Categories Name Description Vote
floor_votes 2023
  • criminal-justice

SB94

Would allow a person sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole to petition for judicial review and resentencing if they have served at least 25 years of their sentence or were convicted of a crime that happened before 1990. Passed by the Senate; held in the Assembly.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • environmental-protection

SB252

Would require the state's public retirement systems, CalPERS and CalSTRS, to divest of all fossil fuel investments by 2031. Passed by the Senate; held in the Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement.

No Vote
floor_votes 2023
  • workers-rights

SB399

Bans companies from requiring employees to attend closed-door meetings designed to communicate particular religious or political views; prohibits companies from retaliating against an employee for failing to attend such a gathering. Passed by the Senate; in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • criminal-justice
  • racial-justice

SB50

Would limit traffic stops -- for minor violations like car registration issues or broken tail lights -- that are often the starting point for violent and fatal police interactions. Passed by the Senate; held in the Assembly.

No Vote
floor_votes 2023
  • gun-violence-prevention

AB28

Establishes an 11% tax on firearm and ammunition sales and routes the revenues to the new Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Fund to finance prevention, safety, response, and investigation programming. Passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • economic-justice
  • health

AB616

Would improve affordability and medical transparency by authorizing the public disclosure of financial reports and data from large medical groups, providers, and physician organizations. Passed by the State Legislature; vetoed by the Governor.

No Vote
floor_votes 2023
  • economic-justice
  • housing

AB12

Caps the security deposit required by any landlord for a rental unit at no more than one month of rent. Passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

No Vote
floor_votes 2023
  • workers-rights

AB504

Would give unionized public employees the right to sympathy-strike with other public employee unions. Passed by the State Legislature; vetoed by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • workers-rights

AB524

Would ensure protection against discrimination for individuals who are caregivers for family members. Passed by the State Legislature; vetoed by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • environmental-justice
  • environmental-protection

AB1167

Improves environmental accountability by requiring oil well owners to establish a bond to cover the full expense of plugging, decommissioning, and restoring the oil well site. Passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

No Vote
floor_votes 2023
  • workers-rights

AB1484

Expands worker rights by allowing temporary employees of cities and counties to join existing bargaining units alongside permanent employees. Passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • education

AB1604

Would increase charter school accountability by placing more regulations and reporting requirements on financial distributions from the Charter School Facility Grant Program, which provides facilities and operations funding for many charter schools in the state. Passed by the State Legislature; vetoed by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • workers-rights

AB1699

Would require certain education employers to offer open positions to existing classified staff for 10 days before opening the position for applications from the general public; mandates that the employer must provide job training to an interested, but unqualified, internal candidate. Passed by the State Legislature; vetoed by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • criminal-justice

AB280

The California Mandela Act would limit the use of solitary confinement in jails, prisons, and private detention centers and protect certain populations from ever being placed in solitary confinement, including youth, the elderly, pregnant people, and people with certain disabilities. Passed by the State Legislature and held by the author in the Assembly to allow for more conversations with the Governor.

No Vote
floor_votes 2023
  • health
  • workers-rights

SB616

Guarantees five days of paid sick leave for most workers in California. Passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • economic-justice
  • housing

AB309

Would create a Social Housing Program and develop up to three qualified social housing projects for people of all income levels on state property. Passed by the State Legislature; vetoed by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • workers-rights

AB647

Prevents the new owner of a grocery store or distribution center from executing mass layoffs of existing workers or retaliating against workers who are involved in collective bargaining efforts. Passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • economic-justice
  • housing

SB567

Closes loopholes that allow for rampant abuse of the no-fault just causes for eviction and provides mechanisms for accountability and enforcement. Passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

No Vote
floor_votes 2023
  • workers-rights

SB686

Would extend workplace safety laws to the majority of domestic workers, including nannies, homecare workers, and housekeepers. Passed by the State Legislature; vetoed by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2023
  • health

SB779

Expands public healthcare reporting requirements to include data from Community Health Centers on labor, revenue, workforce development, and mergers and acquisitions. Passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • environmental-protection

SB260

Increases climate accountability by requiring corporations to annually report and verify their greenhouse gas emissions

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • lgbtq-rights

SB923

Improves access to gender affirming healthcare by requiring insurance companies to undergo cultural competency training and provide a list of affirming in-network providers, establishing state-wide enforcible quality standards for care, and providing data and oversight for complaints about care quality

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • environmental-protection

SB1173

Requires the public pension systems, CalPERS and CalSTRS, to divest of fossil fuels by 2030

No Vote
floor_votes 2022
  • health
  • reproductive-choice

SB1375

Expands abortion access by allowing Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwifes to perform the procedure without a doctor's supervision after they've completed 4,600 transition-to-practice (TTP) hours

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • health

SB57

Allows Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland to provide overdose prevention programs, including safe injection sites with sterile consumption supplies, trained staff, and treatment resources

No Vote
floor_votes 2022
  • criminal-justice
  • racial-justice

SB731

Expands educational and work opportunities by sealing the arrest and conviction records of any person who has completed their sentence and had four years without justice involvement, with the exception of sex offenders

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • criminal-justice

AB2167

Requires that courts consider alternatives to incarceration in criminal sentencing, including collaborative justice, restorative justice, and diversion programs

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • criminal-justice

AB960

Expands the type of conditions that would qualify an incarcerated person for compassionate release and mandates that any inmate who is medically incapacitated be reviewed for release without individual recommendation from the Department of Corrections

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • workers-rights

AB2183

Expands the existing in-person secret ballot process by which farmworkers can unionize to include new procedures for mail ballots, authorization cards, and petition signatures

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • criminal-justice
  • racial-justice

AB256

Expands the Racial Justice Act to allow individuals convicted before January 1, 2021, to petition the court on instances of racial bias in their cases

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • workers-rights

AB257

Establishes a statewide, 10-member Fast Food Council through 2029 to determine minimum wages, working hours, and health and safety standards across the sector

No Vote
floor_votes 2022
  • voting-rights

AB759

Transitions District Attorney and County Sheriff elections to presidential primary years instead of gubernatorial primary years by providing the 2022 electeds with a one off 6-year term

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • voting-rights

AB1416

Creates greater political transparency by adding the names of organizations, businesses, and individuals supporting or opposing a ballot measure directly to the ballot label so that voters can see the information as they vote

Oppose
floor_votes 2022
  • criminal-justice

AB2632

Mandates that all prisons or similar facilities create and follow written standards for segregated confinement, including protections for disabled individuals, people under the age of 26, and people over the age of 59

No Vote
floor_votes 2022
  • criminal-justice

AB503

Minimizes the duration of a court issued probationary period for a minor to no more than 6-month increments

No Vote
floor_votes 2022
  • voting-rights

AB759

Transitions District Attorney and County Sheriff elections to presidential primary years instead of gubernatorial primary years by providing the 2022 electeds with a one off 6-year term

Support
floor_votes 2022
  • criminal-justice
  • immigration

AB937

Repeals the requirement that the Department of Corrections identify undocumented inmates subject to deportation, prohibits state or local agencies from conducting or facilitating immigration arrests, and disallows courts from considering immigration status in probation, rehabilitation or other diversion program placement decisions

No Vote
floor_votes 2022
  • environmental-protection

SB1137

Prohibits establishing new oil and gas wells, or updating existing wells, within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, nursing homes, or hospitals

No Vote
floor_votes 2022
  • housing

SB679

Addresses homelessness and the low income housing crisis by creating the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency to centralize efforts to increase funding, preservation, development, and updated zoning across the region

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • economic-justice
  • housing

SB91

Temporarily extended California’s state-wide eviction protections to all covered tenants until July 1, 2021.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • economic-justice
  • workers-rights

SB93

Requires certain employers to rehire eligible employees who were laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • health
  • workers-rights

SB95

Extends supplemental paid sick leave for certain essential workers.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • racial-justice

SB73

Stops mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders of drug crimes, and replaces with paths to rehabilitation, probation and treatment.

No Vote
floor_votes 2021
  • economic-justice
  • workers-rights

SB93

Requires certain employers to rehire eligible employees who were laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • economic-justice

SB447

Allows courts to award damages for a deceased person’s non-economic damages of pain, suffering, or disfigurement to the deceased person’s estate.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • health

SB410

Increases health and safety protections by exempting certain OSHA requirements from cumbersome regulatory review.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • gun-violence-prevention
  • racial-justice

SB2

Prohibits someone convicted of certain felonies from regaining peace officer employment based on a court vacating, withdrawing or expunging the conviction, unless the court finds them innocent of the crime.

No Vote
floor_votes 2021
  • environmental-protection

SB47

Significantly raises the amount of money state oil regulators can spend to clean up old, leaky wells.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • racial-justice

SB483

Provides resentencing hearings for anyone currently serving a sentence made up of certain (now eliminated) sentencing enhancements.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • health
  • workers-rights

SB213

Broadens the range of injuries for which certain hospital workers are presumed entitled to claim Workers Compensation damages to include COVID-19, PTSD, and certain other diseases.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • racial-justice
  • voting-rights
  • workers-rights

AB616

Enfranchises farmworkers by giving them more ways to vote in union elections.

Excused
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • gun-violence-prevention
  • racial-justice

AB26

Ensures all law enforcement agencies require officers present during an excessive use-of-force incident to intervene and report the offending officer.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • housing

AB838

Requires a city or county that receives a complaint of a substandard building or a lead hazard violation to inspect the building and document the violations.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • education

AB1550

Protects bargaining rights by allowing faculty to remain eligible for union representation if their positions are hierarchically reorganized.

No Vote
floor_votes 2021
  • education
  • workers-rights

AB438

Guarantees permanent school employees and certificated employees the same rights in regard to layoffs.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • workers-rights

AB701

Requires specified employers to provide distribution center employees with written performance quotas and adverse employment action that will result from failure to meet them.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • political-accountability

AB339

Requires city councils and county boards of supervisors of cities of a certain size to expand digital access for public meetings.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • gun-violence-prevention
  • racial-justice

AB481

Requires law enforcement agencies to receive approval from their governing bodies before acquiring military equipment.

No Vote
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • racial-justice

SB81

Provides guidelines to judges on the use of sentence enhancements, which have been disproportionately applied to people of color and those suffering from mental illness.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • environmental-protection

AB1395

Codifies California’s goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2045.

No Vote
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • workers-rights

SB357

Repeals “loitering for purpose of prostitution” law, which results in profiling and harassment of sex workers.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • economic-justice
  • workers-rights

SB62

Requires an hourly minimum wage for garment workers by banning piece rate pay.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • racial-justice

SB73

Stops mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders of drug crimes, and replaces with paths to rehabilitation, probation and treatment.

No Vote
floor_votes 2021
  • criminal-justice
  • racial-justice

AB48

Prohibits the use of injurious and life-threatening projectiles or chemical agents by law enforcement agencies when dispersing protests.

Support
floor_votes 2021
  • environmental-protection

AB1346

Mandates the adoption of cost-effective and technologically feasible technology to prohibit engine exhaust from certain new off-road engines.

No Vote

Corporate Money

Type Amount
Real Estate $28,900
Oil & Gas $46,900
Cops $83,400
Health Insurance $13,800

2023 Score Card Grades from Partners

Partner Score
Health Access
94
Planned Parenthood
100
Reproductive Freedom for All
B
California Environmental Voters
76
Initiate Justice Action
B
California Food + Farming Network
100

Contact Josh Newman

    NOTE: Although you may be disappointed with your representative, please be respectful. Use this opportunity to offer constructive feedback. Please abstain from negative, disparaging language, including, but not limited to: expletives, comments about race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion, and anything specific to appearance.