Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee
Key Moments
Benjamin Allen — Called present during quorum roll call.
Benjamin Allen — Mentioned as having presented the names of those who were lost.
Benjamin Allen — Senator Allen is addressed directly in the remarks.
Benjamin Allen — Senator Allen votes aye.
Benjamin Allen — Will take over the gavel while the speaker goes to vote in another committee.
Benjamin Allen — Benjamin Allen is mentioned in a continuous sequence that includes a brief vote reference, followed by remarks praising him as chair, acknowledging that it may be his last day in that role, thanking him for his leadership during a pivotal year, and noting his incoming leadership of the committee.
Jesse Arreguín — Called present during quorum roll call.
Jesse Arreguín — Asks a question and praises the presentation.
Jesse Arreguín — The speaker thanks Senator Arreguín by name at the end of the remarks.
Jesse Arreguín — Votes aye.
Anna Caballero — Called present during quorum roll call.
Anna Caballero — Senator Caballero votes aye.
Anna Caballero — Votes aye.
Megan Dahle — Called present during quorum roll call.
Megan Dahle — During the roll call, Megan Dahle was called and recorded as voting no.
Lena Gonzalez — During quorum roll call, Lena Gonzalez was called present and responded 'Here.'
Lena Gonzalez — Lena Gonzalez was called during roll call; her vote is not captured in this excerpt.
Shannon Grove — Called present during quorum roll call.
Shannon Grove — Shannon Grove was called during roll call; the excerpt does not capture her vote.
Melissa Hurtado — Called present during quorum roll call.
Melissa Hurtado — During the roll-call vote, Melissa Hurtado’s vote is recorded as aye.
Jerry McNerney — Called present during quorum roll call.
Jerry McNerney — Jerry McNerney is recorded voting aye, then appears to present SB 327, accepting committee amendments and asking for an aye vote.
Jerry McNerney — Jerry McNerney is thanked for his leadership, is called on during the vote and recorded as voting aye, and then is referenced as preparing to give his closing remarks. He follows with a brief closing, saying it was an honor to chair during a pivotal year and noting that he will move on to chair two other committees while remaining an active member under Senator Allen's leadership.
Susan Rubio — Called present during quorum roll call.
Susan Rubio — Senator Susan Rubio is recognized and then speaks in support of the bill, thanking the Chair and emphasizing that fire risk is year-round and that safety and mitigation efforts must remain a priority. She notes her perspective as chair of the Insurance Committee, raises concerns that legislators do not always receive enough information back from agencies, and says better communication is needed. She also identifies herself as a co-author and frames the bill as a life-safety measure. The sequence concludes with Rubio voting aye.
Susan Rubio — Senator Susan Rubio thanks participants and stresses that clarity is important when taking bold steps, especially to avoid blurring the lines around who the regulator is. Shortly afterward, she votes aye during the roll call.
Henry Stern — Called present during quorum roll call.
Henry Stern — The chair calls on Senator Stern to speak next.
Henry Stern — Raises questions about utility plans and the cost implications of removing unused equipment.
Henry Stern — The speaker says they are turning the discussion over to Senator Stern.
Henry Stern — The speaker says Senator Stern was about to make the same point.
Henry Stern — Supports the bill and notes it fits within the SB 254 framework while balancing cost and safety.
Henry Stern — Senator Stern is credited with articulating the balance between safety and affordability.
Henry Stern — Senator Stern votes aye.
Henry Stern — Henry Stern is recorded voting aye.
Tony Strickland — Called present during quorum roll call.
Tony Strickland — Senator Strickland votes aye.
Tony Strickland — Tony Strickland is recorded as voting no during the roll call.
Aisha Wahab — Called present during quorum roll call.
Aisha Wahab — Senator Wahab votes aye, and then requests to be added as a co-author and joint author on SB 327; the request is accepted.
Aisha Wahab — Senator Aisha Wahab is named as the sponsor of the motion and then appears during roll call, where her vote is recorded as aye.
SB742 — SB 742, the Wildfire and Emergency Management Act, is introduced and the author requests committee amendments. The discussion then explains that the bill would require utilities to participate in emergency operations centers, inventory abandoned facilities, and develop plans to remove them and decommission lines in order to reduce wildfire risk. Witnesses express support for the bill and urge an aye vote, while later comments emphasize that the measure creates a timeline for removing decommissioned lines and addressing the identified fire-safety flaw.
SB742 — SB 742 was taken up for a do pass as amended vote and moved to Appropriations, then was reported out of committee with a unanimous 12-0 vote.
SB256 — Referenced as a similar bill that was held in the Assembly last year.
Andrea Tinnon — Introduced as a witness from TURN, Director of Race, Equity, and Legislation.
Dr. Adria Tinnon — Introduced as a witness from TURN and begins testimony in support of SB 742.
Will Abrams — Identified as a supporter from the Utility Wildfire Survivor Coalition.
Will Abrams — Will Abrams, speaking for the Utility Wildfire Survivor Coalition, expressed support for the bill and voiced interest in continued legislative efforts to support wildfire survivors going forward.
SB254 — SB 254 is repeatedly referenced as the framework guiding the discussion, with speakers noting that it was intended to address cost issues, that it works within the new framework without sacrificing safety, and that it is now being implemented to move the issue forward in a practical, cost-conscious way.