There's still time to register for Friday's 1 p.m. small business town hall hosted by Assemblyman Adam Gray of Merced and featuring state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. They and other participants will offer tips on how to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and point to the financial resources available. The virtual...
Adam Gray Pulls Bid to Legalize Sports Betting in California
Two Democrats — state Sen. Bill Dodd of Napa and Assemblyman Adam Gray of Merced — pulled their bid to legalize sports betting in California on Monday. By withdrawing their proposed state constitutional amendment a day before it faced an important Senate committee vote, the lawmakers set up a potential...
An Attempt to Steal Valley Water in the Dark of Night
With a global pandemic, a catastrophic economic recession, and record-high unemployment numbers, one would think the state has enough issues to tackle. But proponents of a state water grab that I have been fighting since the day I was sworn into office in 2012 disagree. Where others see turmoil and...
Legal California Sports Betting Clears Key Hurdle
The odds improved Tuesday that California voters will have their say on legalizing sports betting on the November 2020 ballot. A proposal from state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Assemblymember Adam Gray (D-Merced) to generate hundreds of millions of dollars with legalized sports betting cleared a key committee Tuesday. “The...
Merced Lawmaker Pitches Legalized Sports Betting in California
SACRAMENTO — Two California lawmakers on Thursday pitched legalized sports betting as a way to help prop up a state budget devastated by the economic shutdown designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, though their revised proposal immediately reignited a turf battle between powerful gambling interests. State Sen. Bill...
Traffic Fine Relief? Gray Wants to Eliminate 20% 'Tax' on Tickets.
A traffic fine is never just a fine in California. In addition to the monetary penalty and points on a license, the state can assess fees for a court building fund, driver education, and other public needs. Listen to this article: On top of all that, there's a state 20%...
We're Going to Get a Public Medical School, Costa Vows
Congressman Jim Costa says there finally is enough political will and money to open a long-needed publicly owned medical school in the San Joaquin Valley. Last week, Costa (D-Fresno) introduced the "Expanding Medical Education Act of 2020" in Congress. The goal is to leverage federal, state and private dollars to...
Assemblyman Adam Gray Demands Probe of PG&E's Chief Regulator
SAN FRANCISCO — A state lawmaker on Wednesday demanded an extensive review of the California Public Utilities Commission to determine whether regulators’ lax oversight enabled neglect at Pacific Gas & Electric that triggered catastrophic wildfires, a messy bankruptcy and exasperating blackouts. The request by Assemblyman Adam Gray could turn up...
Free Rides for 3 Assemblymen, and Wild Cards in House Race
Fresno Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson is unchallenged on the March ballot. So are Republican Assemblyman Frank Bigelow of O'Neals, and Democratic Assemblyman Adam Gray of Merced. But in a Valley congressional race that is expected to be highly competitive, two mavericks — a father and son from outside the region...
Senate Bill 1 Threatens California Farms, Water Supply: Adam Gray
California has made a sport of disagreeing with President Trump. When he tweets his favorite color is red, one of my progressive colleagues inevitably introduces a bill declaring the best color is blue. So it was somewhat surprising when legislative leaders decided to use the President’s worst habit — ignoring...