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Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (D-Merced) introduced legislation this week aimed at curbing deadly high-speed driving by targeting the drivers most likely to cause catastrophic crashes. Assembly Bill 2276, The Stop Super Speeders Act would create a statewide pilot program requiring reckless and excessive speed offenders to install active intelligent speed assistance (ISA) devices in their vehicles as a condition of regaining driving privileges.

There’s a push at the California State Capitol to allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degree programs.

Responding to student needs and expanding access — that’s what state lawmakers say two new bills aim to do. They would allow students to earn a bachelor’s degree at a community college without transferring to a four-year university.

There's a push at the California State Capitol to allow community colleges to offer bachelor's degree programs.

Responding to student needs and expanding access — that's what state lawmakers say two new bills aim to do. They would allow students to earn a bachelor's degree at a community college without transferring to a four-year university.

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — With animal shelters overcrowded and pet owners struggling to find affordable veterinary care, a new bill introduced in Sacramento aims to expand access to spay and neuter services across California, including in rural areas where help can be hours away.

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A Central Valley legislator is pushing for stricter punishments for reckless drivers. 

“I refuse to accept the status quo because obviously it’s not working,” District 27 Assembly Member Esmeralda Soria said. 

Soria is now sponsoring AB 2276, or the Stop Super Speeders Act. 

“If you are not following the laws, if you are a repeat offender, you kind of lose some of those privileges that you get with not following the law,” Soria said. 

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — California lawmakers are moving to crack down on the state’s most dangerous speeders with a proposal that would require some drivers to install monitors in their cars to prevent them from exceeding the speed limit.

Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria introduced the Stop Super Speeders Act.

It would establish a statewide pilot program requiring reckless speeders to install active Intelligent Speed Assistance devices in their vehicles before getting back on the road.

A new bill introduced by a Fresno-area state lawmaker aims to expand access to spay and neuter services to combat a stray pet overpopulation crisis that has overwhelmed local vet shelters. 

The proposal by Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (D-Merced), AB 2010, would increase the availability of high-quality, high-volume sterilization procedures statewide. It would also authorize the use of Mobile Animal Sterilization Hospital (MASH) clinics, allowing traveling surgical units to operate in underserved areas where such services can be out of reach.

A shuttered Northern California hospital is getting a lifeline from Congress, but it doesn’t come with money to actually reopen and serve patients. 

A new federal law will restore the “critical access” designation for Glenn Medical Center, the only hospital in Glenn County. As a result, once it reopens, the hospital qualifies for full Medicare reimbursement, a key source of revenue. 

California Assemblymember Esmerelda Soria, D-Fresno, wore a black cross-body bag to the Problem Solvers Caucus news conference on Wednesday.

She keeps her passport there, she said, in case she needs to prove her citizenship.

“My own family members are scared,” she said. “Some are scared to go to the store, to the doctor, to simply live their lives.”

Soria is a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which includes 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans and meets bi-weekly to find common ground on contentious issues.

Well over 70 people — a group made up of local leaders, members of the media and neighborhood residents alike — braved the projected triple-digit forecast Monday morning to get a glimpse of American icon Dolores Huerta at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new city park named after her. 

Cameras and phones swarmed around the 95-year-old Huerta as she slowly walked toward the podium. When she finally spoke at Monday morning’s ceremony, she revealed she was unfazed by the heat that day.