In The News

San Francisco Chronicle: Legislators take aim at Proposition 13 loophole

July 7, 2015
A bill similar to what Ammiano proposed last year was picked up by state Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel (Orange County), but that too faces major hurdles, this time in earning support from labor and Democrats.
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Washington Times: Junipero Serra statue to stay in U.S. Capitol -- for now

July 7, 2015
An effort to remove the statue of saint-to-be Father Junipero Serra from the U.S. Capitol has been set aside for the time being.
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L.A. Times: Resolution to replace Junipero Serra statue in U.S. Capitol put on hold

July 6, 2015
A measure calling for the statue of Father Junipero Serra in the U.S. Capitol to be replaced with one of NASA astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, was shelved in the Legislature on Thursda
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San Jose Mercury: California delays plan to replace Junipero Serra statue

July 2, 2015
"Debating such a bill just before the Pope's visit would have conveyed a terrible message to him and millions of Catholics around the world, contradicting California's reputation as a tolerant and welcoming place for all people," Sen. Patricia Bates and Assemblyman Bill Brough, Republicans whose...
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OC Register: Judge: Serial killer suspects in the deaths of 4 O.C. women will be tried separately

July 1, 2015
As the court process continues, the Gordon and Cano case has also led to a larger discussion regarding the use of GPS to track criminals. State Sen. Pat Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) earlier this year introduced a bill to increase prison time for those who cut off their monitoring bracelets.
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Orange County Register: Coffee shop still runs on its winning formula

June 17, 2015
For Coffee Importers and its owner, Jim Miller, the road to success in Dana Point has been long. State Sen. Patricia Bates on June 10 named the coffee house the 2015 Small Business of the Year for the 36th Senate district.
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OC Register: Honoring residents dedicated to city

June 11, 2015
The city (Laguna Niguel) honored more than 130 volunteers at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Saturday.
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OC Register: California Senate passes bill giving longer sentences to sex offenders who remove GPS tracker

June 3, 2015
The bill by state Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, cleared the Senate floor and is headed to the Assembly.
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Daily Pilot: Irvine council supports bid to enact flag law on state campuses

June 1, 2015
When a student government committee at UC Irvine voted in March to ban flags of all nationalities — including the United States — from a common area on campus, the news quickly went viral and condemnation in the court of public opinion was swift.
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OC Register: State Senate to vote on GPS-tampering bill inspired by O.C. serial killings

May 29, 2015
The bill, by state Sen. Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, passed unanimously through the seven-member Senate Appropriations Committee and will be taken to the Senate floor next week. Bates is a member of the committee.
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