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Legislation in the realm of criminal justice has a history in California of swinging back and forth like a pendulum, overcorrecting itself each time. Tough-on-crime gets too tough, locking people away; reformers go too far, allowing crime to get out of ha

More than 20 state lawmakers gathered with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) on Thursday to telegraph their commitment to the fire-ravaged Los Angeles region and announce a sweeping legislation package to aid recovery efforts.

The Palisades and Eaton fires are “a catastrophe at an unprecedented scale in California’s history: thousands of homes and businesses gone, more than 100,000 people displaced, too many precious lives lost,” Rivas said.

With retail theft legislation, Robert Rivas strives to chart a new path.

Legislation in the realm of criminal justice has a history in California of swinging back and forth like a pendulum, overcorrecting itself each time. Tough-on-crime gets too tough, locking people away; reformers go too far, allowing crime to get out of hand; and the cycle repeats.

Can California curb retail theft without changing Prop. 47? Assembly Democrats unveil their plan

SACRAMENTO — Two approaches are gaining traction as California confronts the issue of retail theft, which was propelled to the top of the state’s political agenda this year by viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies and the proliferation of drugstores locking up basic goods.

Rural California can finally claim both legislative leaders as its own

The last time both legislative leaders came from rural districts was more than 50 years ago.

SACRAMENTO, California — It’s the first time in more than 50 years that both of California’s legislative leaders hail from rural districts. Local politicians accustomed to being on the outskirts of Sacramento policymaking are enjoying the view from the inside.

Rural interests, particularly agriculture but also forestry and local government, see an opening to finally make their mark on nation-leading policies, especially on the environment.

State lawmakers urge continued prioritization of Pajaro River levee project

Planning for the levee's 100-year flood protection project has been decades in the making with construction finally marked for a 2025 start date, but with California Assemblyman and Speaker Robert Rivas' AB 876 signed into law last October, work on the new levee is to begin this year instead.

The Year Ahead: Assembly Speaker Rivas Discusses Priorities, Problems

(CBM) – Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas shared his legislative priorities and vision for the future of California during a luncheon hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) in downtown Sacramento.

Titled a “Conversation with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas” for PPIC’s 2024 Speaker Series on California’s Future, the 44-year-old Democrat lawmaker from Hollister, who represents the 29th Assembly District, is the 71st speaker of the Assembly.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas talks budget, crime and more

Perhaps the newest news from Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on Wednesday: He and his wife are in the process of adopting a seven-month-old baby.

Public bus service returns between Santa Clara and Monterey Counties

GILROY-- After being shut down for three years during the pandemic, public bus service between Monterey and Santa Clara counties returned on Monday, marking a move towards regular, affordable transit service connecting Silicon Valley to the Central California coast.

A bill to speed up reconstruction of the Pajaro river levee heads to Newsom’s desk

The California State Legislature has passed a bill that could significantly speed up the long-awaited reconstruction of the Pajaro River levee — a project that has been talked about for nearly 60 years.

The bill, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas who represents the region, exempts the project from some of those rules, and allows it to bypass review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that could have held it up for years. It also allows construction to begin next year instead of 2025, as originally planned.

Robert Rivas wants to use small-town charm to wield big political power in California. Will it work?

SAN BENITO COUNTY, Calif. — In case it wasn’t obvious on the two-lane highway that carves through golden hills, cow pastures and rows of grapevines, a sign inside the roadside Paicines General Store makes the point clear: “Welcome to the country.”

When Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas was a boy in the 1980s, his grandmother would walk him and his brother to the store for ice cream before heading to her night shift at a local cannery.