Releases

Senate Committee Says "No" to Closing Campaign Finance Loophole

April 23, 2019
The Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments today rejected Senate Bill 401 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would have closed a major loophole that allows elected officials and candidates to avoid contribution limits. SB 401 would have subjected candidate-...

Bill to Protect Emergency Preparedness at Shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Plant Clears First Hurdle

April 23, 2019
The Senate Government Organization Committee today approved Senate Bill 465 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would ensure local governments continue to receive funding for offsite emergency response planning, training, and exercises related to the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear...

Statement on Governor's Wildfire Strike Team Report

April 12, 2019
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management, issued the following statement after Governor Newsom released his administration’s report today on addressing wildfires: “The report is a welcome contribution to the ongoing discussion on...

Senate Committee Approves Sen. Bates' Bill to Screen All Sexually Violent Predators Before Release

April 9, 2019
The Senate Public Safety Committee today approved Senate Bill 141 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would improve the safety of California’s communities by requiring all inmates convicted of a sexually violent offense to be administered a comprehensive risk assessment before their...

Sen. Bates' Statement on Latest DMV Motor Voter Revelations

April 9, 2019
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) released the following statement after the Los Angeles Times published its investigation today that found that the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) launched automatic voter registration despite computer bugs, exposure to hackers, and other...

Sen. Bates' License Portability Bill Wins Bipartisan Support

April 8, 2019
The Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee today approved Senate Bill 679 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would streamline the process for licensed professional clinical counselors (LPCCs), marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), and clinical social...

Sen. Bates' Effort to Ban Deceptive Marketing in Rehab Industry Clears Major Hurdle

April 3, 2019
The Senate Health Committee this evening approved Senate Bill 589 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would prohibit an operator of addiction treatment facilities from providing any form of false advertising or marketing services. “California’s hands-off approach to the addiction...

Senate Committee Blocks Sen. Bates' Bill to Address Fentanyl Drug Trafficking

March 26, 2019
For the third year in a row, the Senate Public Safety Committee today in a party line vote refused to pass Senate Bill 161 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would help protect Californians from the dangers of fentanyl and pursue illegal distributors. “It’s disappointing that the...

Statement on Governor’s Wildfire Emergency Declaration

March 22, 2019
SACRAMENTO – Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management, issued the following statement after Governor Newsom declared a statewide emergency today to speed up fire prevention efforts: “The Governor deserves credit for acting with...

National Federation of Independent Business Confers "Guardian of Small Business" Award to Sen. Patricia Bates

March 20, 2019
Sen. Bates with John Kabateck, NFIB State Director in California. Photo credit: Nate Haderlie. SACRAMENTO – The National Federation of Independent Business , one of the nation’s leading advocates for small and independent business owners, awarded its “Guardian of Small Business” award to Senator...

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Legislature Approves Fallen Firefighter Memorial Resolution

August 29, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Senate Concurrent Resolution 159 (SCR) recently passed out of the California State Assembly and is a memorial resolution to commemorate fallen Long Beach Fire Captain David Rosa. Senator Patricia Bates ( R-Laguna Niguel ) is a joint author of SCR 159 with Senator Ricardo Lara ( D-Bell...

Senator Patricia Bates' Statement on Passing of Senator John McCain

August 25, 2018
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) released the following statement today on the passing of United States Senator John McCain (R-Arizona): "America has lost a patriot and public servant in Senator McCain. He served our country with honor on the battlefields of Vietnam and in the arena of...

Assembly Blocks Sen. Patricia Bates' School Safety Bill

August 21, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Senator Patricia Bates ( R-Laguna Niguel ) issued the following statement after the Assembly Appropriations Committee refused to approve her Senate Bill 1203 that requires most K-12 schools to have policies on hand for conducting lockdown drills. The Senate approved SB 1203 on a...

Senators Patricia Bates and Jim Nielsen Issue Statement on Potential Wildfire Legislation

August 14, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Today, Senators Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) released a joint statement on potential wildfire legislation: “We believe it is in the best interest of the public for the Legislature to defer discussion of inverse condemnation to a later time. The...

Senator Patricia Bates Responds to Rejection of DMV Audit

August 8, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Senator Patricia Bates ( R-Laguna Niguel ) issued the following statement after a request to audit the California Department of Motor Vehicles failed to pass today during a hearing of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee: “Fixing the DMV is not a partisan issue, but a California issue...

Sen. Patricia Bates' Bill Will Give Californians Relief from Long DMV Lines

August 3, 2018
SACRAMENTO – In an effort to provide some relief to Californians who have to wait for hours at their local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office to conduct routine business, Senator Patricia Bates ( R-Laguna Niguel ) will propose urgency legislation that will give an additional 90 days on all...

Senate Republican Leader Bates Responds to California Water Commission's Announcement to Fund Water Storage

July 25, 2018
Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement after the California Water Commission announced its approval to allocate $2.7 billion to build a variety of water storage projects using funds from Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure...

Statement by Senator Patricia Bates on Passage of Consumer Privacy Bill

June 28, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement today after the Senate approved Assembly Bill 375 (Chau and Hertzberg) that will provide more power for Californians to hold companies accountable for the potential abuse of their data: “I am pleased to help pass a...

Senator Bates' Legislation for Neighborhood Electric Vehicles combines Innovation with Convenience

June 26, 2018
SACRAMENTO – Senate Bill 1151 , authored by Senator Patricia Bates ( R-Laguna Niguel ), passed out of the Assembly Transportation Committee on a unanimous vote yesterday. SB 1151 would authorize San Diego County or any city in the County to establish a Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV)...

Senator Bates' Legislation Would Bring 'Granny Flats' Out of the Shadows

June 20, 2018
SACRAMENTO - Today, Senate Bill 1226 , authored by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), passed out of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee on a unanimous vote. SB 1226 would make changes to laws governing residential properties and direct the California Building Standards...

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Senate Republican Leader Bates Issues Statement on Passage of Bill Diluting North County's Voice on Transportation Issues

September 7, 2017
SACRAMENTO – The California State Senate today approved Assembly Bill 805 (Gonzalez Fletcher) that would change the governing structure of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). It would concentrate decision-making over all regional transportation funds in San Diego County into the...

Senate Approves Bill Co-Authored by Sen. Bates to Help Level Campaign Playing Field

September 6, 2017
SACRAMENTO – The California State Senate yesterday unanimously approved Senate Bill 45 (Mendoza) that would prohibit taxpayer-paid mass mailings from being sent to constituents within 60 days preceding an election by or on behalf of a state or local candidate running for office. The bill is co-...

Senate Republican Leader Bates Issues Statement on DACA Program

September 5, 2017
Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates ( R-Laguna Niguel ) responds to today's announcement from the federal government about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program: "The President has rescinded an unconstitutional executive order from the prior administration that he had...

Senate Republican Leader Bates Issues Statement on Assembly Bill 1250

September 1, 2017
Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee moved Assembly Bill 1250 to the Senate Rules Committee to undergo further legislative review, and could be considered next year. AB 1250 is a special interest bill sponsored by two of the most powerful public employee unions in California under the guise...

In Case You Missed It: "They risked their lives for their country. Here's what California could do for them."

August 18, 2017
SACRAMENTO – Senate Bill 197 is a bipartisan proposal authored by Senator Patricia Bates ( R-Laguna Niguel ) and Senator Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) that supports a public-private partnership helping California’s veterans. It is currently pending a decision in the Assembly Appropriations Committee...

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 24, 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...

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

July 17, 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,...

Senator Bates Conveys Cap-and-Trade Concerns to Governor Brown

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...

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Assembly Committee Approves Bill to Address Fentanyl Drug Trafficking

June 21, 2016
The Assembly Public Safety Committee today on a bipartisan 5 to 1 vote approved Senate Bill 1323 by Senators Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and Bob Huff (R-San Dimas) that would enhance criminal penalties for illegal distributors of fentanyl, which has been linked to numerous deaths in California this year.

Statement on Passage of 2016-17 State Budget

June 15, 2016
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement regarding the passage of the 2016-17 state budget negotiated between Governor Brown and legislative Democrats:

Statement on Report Listing Fentanyl Overdose as Prince's Cause of Death

June 2, 2016
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement in response to the news today that music legend Prince died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl.

Senate Approves Bipartisan Bill to Combat "Ransomware"

May 31, 2016
The California State Senate today unanimously approved Senate Bill 1137 authored by Democratic Senator Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) and co-authored by Republican Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and others that would make “ransomware” the criminal equivalent of extortion.

Senate Supports Bill to Address Fentanyl Drug Trafficking

May 31, 2016
The California State Senate today approved Senate Bill 1323 by Senators Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and Bob Huff (R-San Dimas) that would enhance criminal penalties for illegal distributors of fentanyl, which has been linked to numerous deaths in California this year.

Senate Approves Bill to Expand Tax Exemption for Veterans With "100 Percent" Disabilities

May 31, 2016
The California State Senate today approved Senate Bill 1458 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would expand eligibility for the state’s property tax exemption to military veterans who previously did not qualify.

Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Bill to Combat Fentanyl Drug Trafficking

May 27, 2016
The Senate Appropriations Committee today unanimously approved Senate Bill 1323 by Senators Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and Bob Huff (R-San Dimas) that would enhance criminal penalties for illegal distributors of fentanyl, which has been linked to numerous deaths in California this year.

Measure that Would Have Closed Loophole Highlighted by Leland Yee Case Fails in Committee

May 27, 2016
Majority party members on the Senate Appropriations Committee today refused to move forward Senate Bill 1467 by Senator Patricia Bates (R – Laguna Niguel) that would have closed a major loophole in campaign finance law.

Vista's "Prohibition Brewing Company" Honored as Small Business of the Year

May 25, 2016
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) today honored Vista’s “Prohibition Brewing Company” as the 2016 Small Business of the Year for the 36th Senate District.

Senator Patricia Bates Responds to Governor's Revised Budget Plan

May 13, 2016
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) today responded to the release of Governor Jerry Brown’s revised 2016-17 budget proposal:

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Senator Patricia Bates Proposes Amendment to Allow Schools to Save for a Rainy Day

July 15, 2015
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) has introduced an amendment to Assembly Bill 531 that, if approved, will repeal the cap on public school reserves. The Senate could debate AB 531 as early as this Thursday, at which time Bates will ask that her amendment be incorporated. “Parents, local...

Assembly Committee Approves Senator Patricia Bates' Bill to Increase Punishment of Sex Offenders Who Remove GPS Devices

July 14, 2015
The Assembly’s Public Safety Committee today approved Senate Bill 722 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) on a bipartisan vote. If enacted, the bill will crack down on sex offenders who intentionally remove or disable their GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking devices. “I’m encouraged...

Senator Patricia Bates and Assemblyman Bill Brough Commend Decision to Delay Bill to Remove Junipero Serra's U.S. Capitol Statue

July 2, 2015
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and Assemblyman Bill Brough (R-Dana Point), whose districts include Mission San Juan Capistrano that Father Junipero Serra founded, today issued the following statement after the State Assembly delayed consideration of Senate Joint Resolution 4 (Lara) that...

Senator Patricia Bates Appointed to Transportation Infrastructure Special Session Committee

June 30, 2015
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) has announced her appointment to the Transportation and Infrastructure Development Committee to explore solutions to California’s infrastructure challenges. This committee is one of three convened for the Special Session on Transportation as called by...

Senator Bates and Supervisor Bartlett to Host South County Senior Summit on July 24

June 22, 2015
I’m partnering with Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett to hold this FREE summit for seniors on July 24. The summit will offer important information for adults in their golden years, as well as complimentary breakfast and lunch!

Senator Patricia Bates Celebrates Unveiling of Statue Honoring President Reagan at State Capitol

June 22, 2015
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) today joined dignitaries and colleagues in celebrating the dedication of a new statue at the State Capitol honoring former California Governor and President Ronald Reagan. “Ronald Reagan’s remarkable record as president has left us a nation that is stronger...

Statement by Senator Patricia Bates on Final Budget Vote

June 19, 2015
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement in response to today’s vote on the final budget plan crafted by legislative Democrats and Governor Jerry Brown: “The final budget is marginally better, but still gives a false sense of security to Californians that our state is...

Statement by Senator Patricia Bates on Budget Passage

June 15, 2015
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) today issued the following statement in response to today’s vote on the majority party’s state budget plan: “This budget gives a false sense of security to Californians, especially to young people and those seeking to escape poverty. While the budget...

Senator Patricia Bates Honors South Orange County's "Coffee Importers" as Small Business of the Year

June 10, 2015
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) today honored Dana Point’s “ Coffee Importers ” as the 2015 Small Business of the Year for the 36th Senate District. “The Coffee Importers embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of pursuing a great idea and seeing it become a reality,” said Bates. “Jim Miller,...

Senate Approves Senator Patricia Bates' Bill to Imprison Sex Offenders Who Remove GPS Devices

June 2, 2015
The State Senate today unanimously approved legislation by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would crack down on convicted sex offenders who remove or disable their GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking devices. “I am delighted that both Democrats and Republicans approved my bill to...

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