AM Alert: Poverty, climate change, higher education on district agendas

Back amid their constituents until Monday, lawmakers will be spending their time holding talks and hearings on issues dear to the Democratic Party.

First up is climate change in the Bay Area. Sen. Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, will preside over an Environmental Quality Committee hearing examining how the water-bound region will cope with rising water, with an array of scientists and government environmental and planning officials weighing in on what comes next. The event will be at Oakland City Hall.

Simultaneously, the Assembly Committee on Higher Education will examine college education in chair Jose Medina’s hometown of Riverside - specifically, what the University of Riverside is doing to appeal to students from across the racial and socioeconomic spectrum. Staff and faculty will be testifying.

And over in Los Angeles, a trio of Democrats will speak on a panel on helping people break out of poverty, which depending who you ask could involve having California restore funding lost during the recession. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, and Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, are scheduled to be there.

GAVINABIS: Continuing to position himself as California’s go-to elected official on the implications of marijuana legalization, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom will join Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, for a talk in Humboldt County about how legalization would affect the grow-heavy North Coast region often referred to as the “emerald triangle.” State lawmakers representing the area have urged more controls on cultivation and have authored bills to secure more regulation.

CARE-FUL: For those curious about the difficult task of providing long-term care to elderly or disabled Californians, the Senate Office of Research is sponsoring a lunchtime briefing in the Legislative Office Building today. Starting at 11:30 in room 200.

TRACK THE LEGISLATURE: What’s influencing lawmakers’ actions? A new data feature in our legislative directory at sacbee.com lets you see which interests are the biggest givers to every legislator. You’ll also find key political and census information about every legislative district, including unemployment and poverty rates.

This story was originally published May 28, 2015 at 11:00 PM.