Currently, more than 50% of all the ground floor space in the square is sitting empty.

But a new law taking effect next year may change that by relaxing restrictions on the types of businesses the Port of Oakland can lease to.

"Current restrictions limit the leasing of property at Jack London Square, and so we can't have things like a grocery store, or a cafe," said the law's author, State Sen. Jesse Arreguin.

The relaxation of the zoning rules is scheduled to last for 40 years.

And Arreguin, says he's hopeful it'll help revitalize not just Jack London Square but also the city as a whole.

"The status quo is not working, and we need to remove obstacles to opening businesses, to building housing to getting things done that are so important for our state," said Arreguin.

Read the full story here. 

Senate Bill 98, co-sponsored by state Sen. Jesse Arreguín, who represents west Contra Costa County, mandates that school administrators notify families and students when federal agents conduct immigration operations on any school or college campus.

Senate Bill 627, authored by Arreguín and state Sen. Scott Wiener, prohibits federal and local law enforcement officers from wearing face masks while performing their duties. The law applies to local and federal officers but exempts California Highway Patrol officers. It was primarily aimed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wearing masks that make them unidentifiable. Violations are punishable as an infraction or misdemeanor. Officers who commit assault, battery, false imprisonment or false arrest while masked face civil penalties of at least $10,000.

Read the full story here. 

New state law goes into effect January 1, State Senator Arreguín says ICE should comply now

State Senator Jesse Arreguín issued an email to constituents on Monday, November 10, confirming that the FBI issued a warning that criminals are posing as agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and urging actual ICE agents to clearly identify themselves.

Senator Arreguín, who represents District 7 (including Alameda), reaffirmed the critical importance of the “No Secret Police Act” (SB 627) and pointed to the crimes committed by ICE impersonators as an indication that ICE should immediately begin compliance with SB 627.

“This alert from the FBI is a loud and unmistakable signal that our work is not just timely, it’s critical for public safety,”  Arreguín stated. “When armed operatives walk into our communities obscuring their face, and without a badge or a name, the public’s trust is broken and the risk to everyone increases. That risk is significantly heightened when there are known impersonators exploiting ICE’s propensity to withhold their identity. Public safety demands that ICE immediately comply with SB 627 rather than wait until next year.”

Arreguín’s email stated that the FBI bulletin noted that masked criminals masquerading as ICE agents have carried out robberies, kidnappings, and assaults. A Newsweek report noted that sexual assaults also were on the list of crimes committed by ICE impersonators.

“SB 627 is precisely the kind of legislation that addresses this moment—requiring transparency, accountability and identifiable law-enforcement personnel,” Arreguín stated. “The fact that the FBI is effectively telling ICE to identify themselves proves that we can no longer postpone this reform.”

Read the full story here. 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a bulletin to all California healthcare providers, service plans, and contractors summarizing their new responsibilities under Senate Bill 81 (SB 81). Authored by State Senator Jesse Arreguín (D-Oakland), SB 81 amends the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) and the Health and Safety Code to designate the immigration status of patients as protected medical data and requires healthcare facilities to designate non-public areas where access for immigration enforcement purposes is limited. SB 81 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom and took effect on September 20, 2025.

Read the full story here. 

Senate Bill 524, signed into law on Oct. 10, requires police officers to disclose when they use AI tools to write police reports. Those tools include Draft One, an AI “assistant” that transcribes and summarizes audio from police bodycam footage to draft a report based on the incident. Officers can then revise and edit AI’s work as necessary.

“With SB 524, California is sending a clear message: Innovation in policing must be tethered to accountability,” wrote State Senator Jesse Arreguín, who wrote the bill, in the statement. “No more opaque reports, no more guessing whether AI shaped the narrative.”

Read the full story here. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 63, a bill that will lead to a ballot measure that could save and expand Bay Area mass transit. The measure, which voters will weigh in on in next year’s general election, on November 3, 2026, will propose a regional sales tax that would fund public transit in the Bay Area for a generation.

If the measure passes, the tax will be in place for 14 years and, according to a California Senate analysis, could raise more than $1 billion annually for Alameda County, Santa Clara County, Contra Costa County, and other participating jurisdictions. The tax would be 0.5% for those three counties and 1% in the City and County of San Francisco.

SB 63 was authored by California state senators Scott Weiner, of San Francisco, and Jesse Arreguín, the former Berkeley mayor who now represents — and lives in — Oakland.

Arreguín said in a statement that he was grateful to Newsom for signing the bill and giving voters the final say. “Ensuring that we have reliable and accessible transit systems is essential,” he said.

Read the full story here. 

The three bills—SB 9, SB 489, and SB 786—were authored by State Senator Jesse Arreguín, who represents Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Hercules, Oakland, Piedmont, Pinole, Richmond, and San Pablo.

These new laws will collectively help advance housing development across the state in a more efficient manner, benefiting tenants, prospective homeowners, and construction workers, Senator Arreguín’s office stated in a press release.

“As someone who experienced housing insecurity growing up, I am committed to addressing housing affordability to prevent Californians from experiencing the same hardships I had to overcome,” Arreguín said. “With the signing of these bills, California will be able to better plan for smart growth that will meet the housing needs of our communities.”

• SB 9 ensures that local laws regarding the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are consistent with state law, and provides a pathway to nullify illegal, local barriers to ADUs.
• SB 489 creates improvements to the Permit Streamlining Act by requiring public agencies to post detailed information online for what an applicant needs to complete their application, making the housing approval process more efficient.
• SB 786 resolves ambiguities in state law by having a jurisdiction’s certified Housing Element supersede general or specific plans when there are conflicts or inconsistencies. It also expedites court trials to ensure quicker relief and avoid additional costs incurred by delays.

Read the full story here. 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Friday that Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two major housing bills sponsored by his office—Senate Bill 786 by Senator Jesse Arreguín and Senate Bill 808 by Senator Anna Caballero—both aimed at cutting red tape and accelerating housing construction across the state. The two measures will take effect on January 1, 2026.

“SB 786 addresses housing affordability impacting millions of Californians by ensuring that the housing being planned for actually gets built. This bill will make it easier to create desperately needed housing across the state by minimizing costly delays and eliminating court loopholes,” said Senator Arreguín. “I am thankful for Attorney General Rob Bonta’s sponsorship of this bill and his leadership to ensure housing for all.”

Read the full story here. 

Senate Bill 704, introduced by Senator Jesse Arreguín (D–Berkeley), updates state regulations on firearm barrels to address illegal weapon modifications.

Read the full story here. 

SB 704, landmark legislation, will regulate and require background checks on the purchase of firearm barrels —  the only parts of a functional firearm that cannot effectively be produced using a 3D printer. Currently, these barrels are entirely unregulated and can be purchased online or in-store without a background check or any restrictions, contributing to their use in crime. This vital solution, which was championed by Sen. Jesse Arreguín and Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani, will help prevent individuals from manufacturing  untraceable illegal ghost guns. 

Read the full story here. 

Senate Bill 627 by Sens. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley) targets masked federal immigration officers who began detaining migrants at Home Depots and car washes in California earlier this year.

Sen. Jesse Arreguín’s (D-Berkeley) Senate Bill 81 will prohibit healthcare officials from disclosing a patient’s immigration status or birthplace — or giving access to nonpublic spaces in hospitals and clinics — to immigration authorities without a search warrant or court order.

Read the full story here.