Newsroom

Senate Democrats Refuse to Clean Up Voter Rolls

June 2, 2020
To ensure trust in California’s statewide all vote-by-mail system planned by Governor Gavin Newsom and the Democrat-controlled Legislature for the November 2020 election, Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) introduced an amendment to improve ballot security in Assembly Bill 860. Senator Nielsen proposed...

Governor Must Release Federal Dollars to Local Government, Says Senate Budget Vice Chair

May 27, 2020
States such as California are withholding federal funding from cities and counties, revealed in a recent report by the National League of Cities . To maintain local services during this pandemic, Congress passed the CARES Act, which created the Coronavirus Relief Fund to provide $150 billion for...

Newsom Administration Claims Another '$1.831 Billion Needed' by June 30

May 22, 2020
In a last-minute call Thursday evening, Department of Finance officials notified the Legislature that Governor Newsom is transferring an eye-popping $1.831 billion to the Disaster Response-Emergency Operations Account to spend through the current fiscal year with only limited details. “The spending...

Newsom Proposes to Abandon Paradise Recovery Effort

May 15, 2020
While unveiling his revised budget Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom turned his back on fire victims and the struggling Town of Paradise. The Governor’s May Revise budget claws back $7.3 million in funding that was approved in last year’s budget to help keep the Paradise Irrigation District (PID)...

Republican Senator Jim Nielsen Reacts to Governor's May Budget Revision

May 14, 2020
Due to the government-mandated shelter in place to slow down the spread of COVID-19, the state budget went from a $6 billion surplus to an estimated $18 - $54 billion deficit. Governor Gavin Newsom today submitted his 2020-21 May Revision budget proposal to the Legislature. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-...

ICYMI: Suicides, alcohol, drugs: Pandemic could result in 75,000 'deaths of despair,' study says

May 13, 2020
Isolation, unemployment and fear brought on by the coronavirus could result in 75,000 “deaths of despair” years after the worst of the pandemic is over, a new study suggests.

Butte County Receives State Approval to Reopen

May 12, 2020
Leaders of Northern California congratulated Butte County for being the first county in the state to receive approval of its plan to reopen. These rural elected officials also rallied in support of Yuba and Sutter Counties for their foresight in demonstrating that rural counties can safely reopen...

Expert Independent Review Is Needed to Comb through PPE Contracts, Says Senate Budget Vice Chair

May 11, 2020
Today, the Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review and the Assembly Governmental Organization Committees will host panel discussions on the state’s failed contract with one company – Blue Flame. News reports have since exposed more troubling failures in administration contracting efforts...

Republican Lawmakers Request Immediate Audit of $1 Billion Contract with BYD for PPE

May 7, 2020
Sacramento – Several Republican lawmakers submitted a request to pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) to immediately convene the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) for the purpose of hearing our audit request of the state’s handling of all 2020 spending on...

Lawmakers React to New State Guidelines for Reopening

May 7, 2020
Sacramento – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled new indicators and conditions to safely re-open certain segments of the state’s economy in Phase Two. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) and Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), who have fiercely advocated for small businesses and their employees...

In Case You Missed It: Rural areas have a message for Newsom: One size doesn't fit all in reopening California

May 4, 2020
SACRAMENTO — Rebellion is infectious. Rural people are in revolt against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide virus-fighting rules, which make little sense in burgs such as Bieber. Bieber has hardly anything in common with the likes of Burbank or Balboa. “There’s a bar, a restaurant, a hardware store,...

North State Senator Jim Nielsen Issues Statement on Governor's Re-Opening of Phase Two

May 4, 2020
Sacramento - Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his plan to re-open certain segments of the state’s economy. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), who represents northern rural counties, issued the following statement: "Governor Newsom is responding to the messages from so many of California's counties that...