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Events that honor our veterans!

As we approach Veterans Day, this November 11th, I think fondly of my family members and loved ones who have served in our military.

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Press Release

Cervantes Bill Prohibiting Expansion of Detention Facilities in California Signed into Law by Governor Newsom

(SACRAMENTO) – Today, Senate Bill 1367 by Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. This law prohibits local governments from issuing new land-use authorizations that would allow the construction of a detention facility or a change of use that permits using an existing building as a detention facility, when a private entity would operate the detention facility on behalf of a government entity. SB 1367 is sponsored by the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice.
Press Release

Senator Cervantes Statement on California Supreme Court Decision on Unlawful Ballot Seizure

STATEMENT: "I applaud the California Supreme Court for standing on the side of voting rights, California voters, and our democracy. No one, including law enforcement officers, is above the law when it comes to safeguarding the integrity of elections in our Golden State,” said Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside).
In The News

SF Chronicle: 'Democracy is on the line': Newsom signs wave of election protections

In another defense against election interference in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Friday that expands an existing ballot protection law to prevent the destruction of election data stored on electronic media. The bill - by state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside - includes an urgency clause that requires the legislation to immediately take effect, ensuring the protections apply in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
In The News

The Observer: Sheriff’s Office Keeps Lock On Flock Camera Use

Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office lacks a public Flock transparency portal, while records reviewed by The OBSERVER redact deputies’ reasons for searching the license plate reader network.
In The News

Press-Enterprise: Gov. Newsom signs bills meant to stop Trump changes in CA elections; legislation by Sens. Cervantes, Umberg seeks to bolster voting rights

Californians’ voting rights just got a booster shot. Gov. Gavin Newsom late last week signed three bills from Democratic Southern California state senators intended to shield state elections from interference. The bills are not-so-subtle jabs at President Donald Trump.
Press Release

Cervantes’ Bill Safeguarding California Elections Records from Interference Signed by Governor

On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1418 by Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), a bill that directly improves defenses against election interference in California. SB 1418 builds on Senate Bill 73, which the Governor signed into law earlier this year, by extending many of the chain-of-custody protections for voted ballots in that bill to other forms of election records. To provide these protections for the November midterm elections, SB 1418 includes an urgency clause that allows its provisions to take effect immediately. California Attorney General Rob Bonta sponsored the bill.
Press Release

Senator Cervantes Champions Voting Rights California Voting Rights Act of 2026 Signed by Governor

The California Voting Rights Act of 2026 (CVRA 2026), authored by Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday. CVRA 2026, which includes Senate Bills 1164 and 1360, provides stronger protections against vote dilution and voter suppression and expands language access assistance to more limited-English proficient (LEP) voters. CVRA 2026, a long-needed update to the California Voting Rights Act of 2001, also strengthens defenses against other forms of voter discrimination that Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited before the unfortunate U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais.
In The News

Valley News Op-Ed: America is slamming the brakes on the camera network tracking your every move

Officials across party lines are moving to dismantle the growing network of cameras tracking American drivers. Several state and federal officials are calling to restrict automated license plate readers (ALPRs), artificial intelligence-powered cameras that scan the plates of passing cars. Pushback to this technology — specifically Flock Safety cameras — has brought together Republicans and Democrats who say these tools amount to warrantless mass surveillance, while law enforcement warns that restricting them would hinder their ability to solve crimes.