SACRAMENTO – On January 14, 2014, an elderly woman lost control of her vehicle and crashed into the New Bridges Presbyterian Church in Hayward. The vehicle accelerated, nearly hitting several people in the church courtyard before smashing through a wooden fence, crashing through the church's double doors then driving through the church vestibule.

Vehicle-into-building crashes, like the one New Bridges Presbyterian Church experienced, have been reported to occur as many as 60 times per day in the United States. According the Storefront Safety Council, between 2013 and 2014, there were over 380 reported incidents in California.  Motivated by data and reports of these incidents, Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) sought to propose new legislation to address this serious problem.

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Assembly voted 64-3 to approve Assembly Bill 33, by Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), which would help to ensure that California is able to successfully meet its renewable energy goals.

AB 33 would establish the Energy Integration Advisory Council (Council) consisting of representatives from the California Energy Commission (CEC), the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).  The Council would then be charged with analyzing various strategies to integrate a 40%, a 50%, and a greater than 50% Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) in order to minimize over-generation and eliminate the need for energy curtailment. 

SACRAMENTO – On January 14, 2014, an elderly woman lost control of her vehicle and crashed into the New Bridges Presbyterian Church in Hayward. The vehicle accelerated, nearly hitting several people in the church courtyard before smashing through a wooden fence, crashing through the church's double doors then driving through the church vestibule.

Vehicle-into-building crashes, like the one New Bridges Presbyterian Church experienced, have been reported to occur as many as 60 times per day in the United States. According the Storefront Safety Council, between 2013 and 2014, there were over 380 reported incidents in California.  Motivated by data and reports of these incidents, Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) sought to propose new legislation to address this serious problem.

On April 23, 2014, an elderly driver, attempting to park in a disabled parking stall in front of Farrell’s in Buena Park accidently pressed on the gas pedal. The driver crashed into the store, killing one patron and injuring several others.

Vehicle-into-building crashes, like the one Farrell’s experienced, have been reported to occur as many as 60 times per day in the United States. Evidence suggests that more than 3,600 people are seriously injured every year nationwide, with more than 500 killed due to this type of accident.

Most of these crashes can be prevented with some simple and inexpensive steps.

FREMONT – Assemblymember Bill Quirk attended the 2015 Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair where he spent time visiting with students and learning about their creative and innovative science projects. In order to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), the Assemblymember established the ‘Bill Quirk STEAM Works Scholarship’. This Scholarship is awarded to a student in the 20th Assembly District who participates in the Fair and shows an interest in the field of physics. After much deliberation, the Assemblymember awarded Vanessa Wang of American High School in Fremont, California this year’s $1,000.00 scholarship for her project entitled Little Insect.