Press Releases

Sacramento, CA – Today Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) introduced legislation, SB 1083, to strengthen oil spill contingency planning by requiring the Office of Spill Prevention and Response to add a communications element to the State’s Oil Spill Contingency Plan.  The legislation is intended to ensure that those leading oil spill cleanup efforts have a mechanism in place to distribute timely information to all affected communities, and to enable local governments and organizations to share critical information with the unified command.

SACRAMENTO -- Following on the heels of a Senate Education Committee hearing that highlighted the severity of a growing shortage of qualified teachers in California, three senators are proposing legislation to address the crisis.

Sacramento, CA – Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica), chair of the Joint Committee on the Arts, introduced legislation today to establish single-subject teaching credentials for dance and theatre.

Sacramento, CA – Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica), chair of the Joint Committee on the Arts, will hold a press conference on Wednesday, January 27, to announce the introduction of state legislation pertaining to arts education.

Who:

Four decades of US Supreme Court decisions have left states and municipalities with limited options on how they may regulate campaign spending. The Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments, chaired by Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica), will examine current state and local practices as well as the outlook for advances in campaign finance regulation and disclosure.

Sacramento, CA – The Senate Select Committee on the Refugio Oil Spill will meet on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 in Manhattan Beach, California to conduct an oversight hearing on the local impacts of the Refugio Oil Spill to the South Bay.

What:              Senate Select Committee on the Refugio Oil Spill Oversight Hearing - “Local Impacts of the Refugio Oil Spill to the South Bay”

Sacramento, CA – Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica), chair of the state legislature’s Joint Committee on the Arts, will convene an oversight hearing to examine the state of arts education in California schools on Friday, November 6, 2015.  Current state law requires all schools to provide arts education to students, but many schools are not doing so.  The lack of arts education is particularly prevalent in disadvantaged communities.  The hearing will delve into why there is a high rate of noncompliance with the arts education mandate, and what steps can be taken to compel m

Sacramento, CA - Every year, in a rich tradition dating back to 1987, the California State Senate celebrates Women’s History Month by recognizing remarkable women throughout the state who make a positive difference in their communities.  On Friday, October 30th, it was “standing room only” as Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) honored Stacey Anne Armato in Hermosa Beach as this year’s Senate District 26 Woman of the Year.