SB 163, Bob Hertzberg’s “Vote-from-Home” bill, may or may not be voted out of the “suspense” file on Thursday

SB 163, a bill authored by California State Senator Robert M. Hertzberg (D-18^th) that would order the provision of vote-by-mail/absentee ballots to all registered voters in California, will meet its fate at a meeting of the Senate Appropriations Committee scheduled to convene on Thursday, May 28^th, “upon adjournment of Floor Session” in the John L. Burton Hearing Room (4203) in the State Capitol.

Along with almost 300 other bills, this piece of legislation is in the committee’s  “suspense” file and the purpose of this committee session is to either pass these bills on their way forward or retain them in the suspense file indefinitely, until the session ends or they are plucked out of that status at some unknown and uncertain future time.

Staff at the committee said that the votes go pretty fast, but are impossible to predict beforehand.

Etopia News reached out to members of the committee for comment on this bill and their intentions regarding its future.  Sergio Reyes, Communications Director for Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) replied as follows:

“I have confirmed that Senator Leyva does not yet have a public position on SB 163 (Hertzberg), as the bill is currently on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s suspense file and Senator Leyva is still reviewing all information regarding the bill prior to making a final decision on SB 163.”

Not much has been written or spoken about this bill, but it deserves more attention than it’s getting.  It's gotten more coverage on Etopia News than anywhere else.  Follow Etopia News for the latest on SB 163.