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SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

A bill that would make possession of a detached catalytic converter a crime and punishable with jail time faced stiff opposition on California's Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Assm. Carlos Villapudua, D Stockton, vied for his bill in front of the Assembly committee, where he spoke about the importance of implementing a bill that cracks down on thefts, so his constituents can feel some relief.

Nearly two-dozen state lawmakers unveiled a proposal on Thursday to give California taxpayers $400 rebates to offset spiking gas prices and inflation.

“Too many Californians are struggling to make ends meet right now,” Assembly member Cottie Petrie-Norris (D–Laguna Beach) said at a press conference outside the state Capitol. “We are here to offer help.”

STOCKTON, Calif. — It's a familiar crime that takes seconds to commit but leaves victims without a car and out hundreds of dollars in some cases. 

As some police departments in California note an uptick in catalytic converter thefts in recent years, videos showing the at-times brazen thefts have swept the internet and have caught the attention of state lawmakers.

On February 14, Assembly Member Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton) introduced Assembly Bill 2035 to make important changes to California’s existing New Employment Credit (NEC). Under existing law, in both the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law, there is a tax credit, the NEC, for tax years 2014 through 2025.

SALINAS – A bill that has its origins in Monterey County, was recently signed into law allowing consumers to bring their own wine bottles to be refilled at participating tasting rooms, reducing waste and expanding business.

“It is important to have a level playing field for all winery establishments. The new legislation allows wineries to reduce packaging waste and cost,” said Heather Brand, owner I. Brand & Family Winery. “This is a win, win situation. We can reduce our environmental footprint and pass savings through to our guests and customers.”

California Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton) celebrated the Assembly’s approval of $15 million recently to support our state’s pollinator habitats.

By: Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua

Warming weather in the San Joaquin Valley used to mean going to the annual asparagus festival, Stockton Heat games and car shows. Due to the global pandemic, housing and unemployment crises, catastrophic wildfires and energy shortages during heat waves, traditional events and daily life for Stockton residents have not been the same.

Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua says he doesn't want to see a repeat of “the senseless killing of George Floyd.” 

That is why he is the lead author of Assembly Bill 931, a legislative bill proposing changes to peace officer – including police – training.   

Villapudua, D-Stockton, says the idea is to implement training where officers are encouraged to stand up and intercede if they see a fellow officer potentially violating someone's rights. 

The Almond Alliance is lauding California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s inclusion of bee habitat projects and funding for growers in the revised budget proposal he unveiled recently.

The $267.8 billion budget that Newsom submitted on Friday, May 14 would include $213 million for an agricultural equipment incentive program, $150 million for the Alternatives to Agricultural Burning Incentive Program and $30 million in pollinator habitat funding, the organization notes.

Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua was elected in November 2020 to represent District 13 – composed of areas throughout Stockton, Tracy, Mountain House, Lodi, and Thornton – at the State Assembly. He was born and raised in Stockton and graduated from California State University, Sacramento.  

He previously served on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors for eight years and was the CEO of the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. 

1. Why should people get vaccinated?