Releases and Articles

ADVISORY: Proposal to Implement State Auditor Recommendations to Fix EDD up in Senate Labor Monday

April 24, 2021
Over a year into the pandemic, and more than a million Californians are still waiting for their benefits from the California Employment Development Department. In October of 2020, 1.6 million Californians were on a backlog. The nonpartisan state auditor’s investigation found “poor planning and...

Senator Jim Nielsen Blasts LA District Attorney George Gascón

April 22, 2021
The Los Angeles Times reported that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón “ fundamentally change the way the largest prosecutor’s office in the nation handles gang crime .” By reducing a top-notch prosecution team from 40 to 26 prosecutors, Gascón is seriously jeopardizing the safety...

Governor’s Wildfire Funding Not Enough

April 13, 2021
Paradise State Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Red Bluff) issued the following statement as the Governor held a press conference to tout his wildfire plan: “This is only a drop in the bucket to fight wildfire – simply a band aid on an open wound. “While it is encouraging that Fire Safe Councils will receive...

Republicans Push for Forgiveness of Water, Gas, Electricity & Internet Debts with State's $25 billion Bonus

March 9, 2021
SACRAMENTO – The State of California is expected to receive an additional $25 billion, and Republicans want to use that surplus money to pay the billions of unpaid water, utility and internet bills. They also asked for assistance for pharmacies that are critical in the delivery of hands-on patient...

GOP Budget Vice Chair: Open Public Schools Full Time & Fix EDD

March 9, 2021
Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his State of the State address in Los Angeles Tuesday evening. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), Vice Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement: “It is unfortunate that more isn’t being done to open public schools full time – five days a week...

Republican Lawmaker: Important to Open Public Schools

March 2, 2021
The Senate Budget Committee unanimously passed Assembly Bill 86, a measure to provide $6.6 billion to schools to open in-person instructions. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), Vice Chair of the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee, issued the following statements: “The divide between the haves...

Republican Lawmakers Introduce Solutions to Fix Disastrous EDD to Better Serve Californians

February 26, 2021
SACRAMENTO - Riddled with systemic mismanagement, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) is failing miserably at its mission to serve the people of California in their most crucial time of need. EDD’s negligence and lack of protection against fraud cost taxpayers billions that could...

Public Deserves More Information on Contracting Process & Funding with Third Party Vaccine Administrators

February 4, 2021
Providing few details, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that Blue Shield of California will take over the state’s struggling distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. Kaiser Permanente has agreed to serve in a supporting role. With no contracts available for review, the public is left in the dark with...

Senate Republicans to Governor Newsom: Public Deserves Transparency in Contract with Vaccine Distributor

January 27, 2021
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and Government Operations Secretary Yolanda Richardson said Tuesday that the state was evaluating many parties to be the Third Party Administrator to oversee the allocation of vaccines. However, no information regarding a contract or a...

Senate Budget Vice Chair to Governor Newsom: Do Better for Small, Poor Counties with Funding & Vaccine Distribution

January 22, 2021
Following Governor Newsom’s Administration’s discrimination of small counties in its funding to fight the Coronavirus , it is now revealed that his Administration is shortchanging rural counties in the distribution of the life-saving vaccines. Attached is a copy of the letter Senator Jim Nielsen (R...

Pages

State, Local Leaders Ask Governor to Lift Stay-At-Home Order in Rural Counties

April 27, 2020
YUBA CITY – Today, a bi-partisan group of legislators, county officials and mayors sent a letter to the Governor asking him to allow six Northern California counties to come out of the statewide stay-at-home order, in accordance with their respective local and regional plans. Signers of the letter...

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources

April 23, 2020
We are living through an extraordinary public health event. Millions are without jobs, and schools are closed. Thousands of Californians have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus; most are recovering at home and others are hospitalized. Sadly, more than one thousand of our fellow...

Senator Nielsen to Serve as Vice Chair of Legislative Hearing to Review COVID-19 Spending

April 14, 2020
Respected for his experience and keen attention to detail, Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) was selected to serve as Vice Chair of the newly created Senate budget subcommittee focused on the state’s COVID-19 response. The first hearing is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, at 2 p.m. The public can...

DMV allows customers to avoid coming to a DMV office for 60 days

March 17, 2020
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today asked California law enforcement to exercise discretion for 60 days in their enforcement of driver license and vehicle registration expiration dates beginning March 16, 2020. The DMV is taking this action...

ICYMI: Families mourn indirect, 'forgotten' deaths from Camp Fire

February 11, 2020
By CAMILLE VON KAENEL | Chico Enterprise-Record PUBLISHED: February 11, 2020 at 11:03 am PARADISE — Donovan James Iverson’s family says he died because of the Camp Fire. But he does not appear in the only official accounting of the disaster’s victims, the Butte County coroner’s list of 85. … 15...

California Lawmakers Urge FEMA Not to Raid Fire Victims' Fund

January 22, 2020
BUTTE COUNTY – Today, the California Legislature urged FEMA officials to reconsider its pursuit of reimbursement from PG&E's $13.5 billion fire victim fund. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) and Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), who represent Camp Fire survivors, pushed for the signing of...

Republican Senator Jim Nielsen Issues Statement on Governor's Spending Plan

January 10, 2020
Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his $222-billion budget proposal, an increase of 2.3 percent from last year. This plan sets a record for high spending. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), Vice Chair of the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee, issued the following statement: "Governor Newsom...

Pages

State Officials Testify Before Lawmakers on Oroville Dam Spillway Failure

April 25, 2017
In a special hearing, the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee called on Natural Resources Secretary John Laird and Department of Water Resources Acting Director Bill Croyle to speak before the Legislature and the public Thursday. “This is a positive step in the right direction,” said...

DWR Announces Oroville Community Meetings

April 24, 2017
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is hosting seven public meetings in multiple locations to update communities in the region about the ongoing Oroville spillway recovery effort. The meetings will be opportunities for members of the public to hear from DWR leadership and experts...

Statement from Senator Jim Nielsen on Passage of Massive $52 Billion Tax Increase

April 6, 2017
Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), Republican Caucus Chairman, issued the following statement:

Sacramento Democrats' $52 billion Tax Plan: Myths vs. Facts

April 6, 2017
Senate Bill 1

Sacramento Democrats Doing Too Much to Protect Felons; Not Enough for Working Californians

April 3, 2017
Sacramento Democrats passed two legislative proposals (Senate Bill 6 (Hueso) and Senate Bill 54 (de León) that would make California a sanctuary state for convicted felons who are in the country illegally and provide free legal service for them.

Republican Budget Vice Chair - Jim Nielsen - Issues Statement on Democratic Partisan Transportation Tax Deal

March 29, 2017
Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) issued the following statement on the five tax transportation increases imposed by the Democratic leadership led by Governor Brown: “$52 billion in new tax increases is what we will be forking over to the government. Negotiated behind closed doors, this is the largest...

Legislation to Ban Sale of Nitrous Oxide Unanimously Passes First Committee

March 28, 2017
After hearing heartbreaking stories of a mother’s grief over the loss of her daughter and a young man who suffered spinal cord degeneration and was confined to a wheelchair, both due to nitrous oxide abuse, members of the Senate Public Safety Committee unanimously passed Senator Jim Nielsen’s (R-...

Sanctuary State Puts Californians in Harm's Way

March 13, 2017
SACRAMENTO - Along partisan lines, Senate Democrats passed two legislative proposals that would make California a safe haven for convicted felons who are in the country illegally and provide free legal service for them. Former chairman of California’s state parole board, Senator Jim Nielsen (R-...

California Cannot Afford to Be a Sanctuary State

March 6, 2017
Former Chairman of California’s state parole board, Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) joined Senator Joel Anderson (R-Alpine), Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, and Kings County Sheriff David Robinson in calling on all Californians to resist Democrat leaders...

California Must Not Be a Sanctuary State

February 28, 2017
SACRAMENTO – Former Chairman of California’s Board of Prison Terms, Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) issued the following statement regarding the attendance of the widows of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Oliver and Placer County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Davis at tonight’s Presidential...

Pages