California lawmakers are pushing forward a first-of-its-kind bill that seeks to rid food products of five chemicals linked to cancer and developmental issues in children.

The legislation, AB 418, seeks to prohibit the manufacture, sale, delivery and distribution of food products that contain brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, red dye 3 or titanium dioxide.

After years of pandemic-spurred pivots and local concern regarding the possible loss of parklet dining permits, restaurants could get help from a new state bill that would extend the life of temporary outdoor dining.

Assembly Bill 1217, authored by California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills), aims to prolong the benefits of local and state programs such as L.A. Al Fresco that streamlined the application process and waived fees for restaurants and bars when operators could not seat guests indoors.

Two California legislators are moving forward with an effort to ban five chemicals that are present in many foods in the United States, contending the chemicals are unsafe and are not permitted in the European Union and other countries. 

With their proposed Assembly Bill 418, Assemblymembers Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) are leading the charge for California to prohibit the manufacture or distribution of foods containing the additives red dye No. 3, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propyl paraben. 

The top California lawmaker in charge of privacy legislation will focus on protecting children online and safeguarding those seeking reproductive health care as a core part of his agenda this session at the state legislature.

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D), chair of the state Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, outlined those measures as his main priorities in an interview Tuesday. His panel will likely be a focus by tech companies concerned about further regulation amid increased scrutiny of privacy rights.

Hopping in a Tesla and driving from San Francisco to downtown Los Angeles has gotten easier as charging stations along Interstate 5 rapidly expand. The trip now takes about eight hours, including two charging stops that double as meal and bathroom breaks.

But making the same road trip in another type of electric vehicle can be problematic due, in large part, to a lack of access to fast-charging stations, according to a new EV road trip planning tool The Chronicle launched Thursday.

The introduction frenzy is over. The Legislature’s deadline for introducing bills was Friday, meaning Senators and Assemblymembers now turn to the real business of the session — pushing their measures through the Capitol and hammering out a state budget. Lawmakers have more than 2,000 bills to consider, not mention a special session on oil company price gouging and a budget deficit of more than $22 billion. There is still a way to put new proposals into play.

Cristina Ochoa often worries if the food she's feeding her two young kids is safe, even after carefully reading ingredient labels. 

"Some ingredients I have no idea what they are, how to pronounce them," she said. "I want the best for my children. I would think that as a society we want the best for our children."