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Sacramento Snapshot: New bill aims to protect students from ‘institutional debt’ ramifications
Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco wants to ensure college students finish their education — and one way to do that is by helping them with debt owed directly to schools.
Bill aims to protect California college students owing ‘institutional debt’
A bill in the California state Assembly proposes a variety of consumer protections for students who owe debts directly to a college or university related to a mid-semester withdrawal from classes, unpaid meal plans or other outstanding fees.
You loot, we prosecute
“Voters spoke loud and clear that they don't want crime within their communities,” Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, a Los Angeles County Democrat behind a proposal to stiffen penalties for looting and impersonating first responders during emergencies, told Playbook. “People are frustrated that they don't feel safe, and as you know, perception is reality.”
California lawmakers want tougher penalties for looting and first responder shams
Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, (D-Downey), a co-author of the bill whose brother is a Los Angeles County firefighter who responded to the Eaton fire, noted the “clear risks” that these deceptions pose to public safety and emergency operations. “When people see a firefighter or other first responders during an emergency, they need to know with absolute certainty that the uniform and equipment is being worn and used by someone who is sworn to protect,” Pacheco said
Why California Doesn’t Allow Accent Marks On Official Documents
Does your name have a hyphen or accent mark that isn’t reflected on your California driver’s license or birth certificate? This is the norm in the Golden State, which doesn’t allow accents or hyphens in official documents. However, a proposed bill would allow residents to change their names to include diacritical marks — like accents and tildes — on government documents.
New bill would give legislators more info about legislations’ costs to utility customers
With monthly electricity bills soaring in California, a state legislator is pushing for independent analyses of rate changes to understand better how they impact residents and help ease the financial strain. Introduced by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey, AB 61 — one of the earlier bills filed for the 2025-26 legislative session — would require the California Public Utilities Commission to review any legislation that could raise costs for electricity and natural gas customers.
California Assemblywoman Introduces Identity Integrity Act
Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco proposed legislation that would allow for California citizens to include accents, umlauts and other diacritical marks on vital records.
Beyoncé may finally have her name recorded correctly in California.
In one of the most diverse states in the nation, some names still cannot be recorded correctly on birth certificates, marriage licenses and other vital records.
Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco wants to put an end to that.
Lawmakers Reject State Bar's Request for $125 Licensing Fee Hike
Members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee criticized state bar leaders' decision to give hefty pay raises to employees last year without seeking legislative approval, and money, first.
State lawmakers on Tuesday rejected state bar leaders’ plea for a $125 increase in lawyer-licensing fees, criticizing the trustees’ decision to give agency employees significant pay raises in 2023 without securing funding for them first.
You can't use accents on California birth certificates. This proposal would change that
Nicolás Agustín Espinoza Chaires may be only 6 years old, but he has a request for the state of California. “I want to be able to spell my name correctly,” he said on Wednesday afternoon, while holding his teddy bear.