Senator Dean Florez says a state of emergency should have been called for the Central Valley during days of triple digit temperatures last month. The Fresno County Democrat has called the state’s response timid— and he’s invited state and county emergency service agencies to the Capitol to create what he calls a pro-active strategy.  He says he wants the state to take the lead when the electrical grid is stressed.
 
                                     “When we hit stage two, are the signs there to call for an automatic state of emergency, that then alerts the locals to coordinated plans which are not in place today and should have been in place.”
 
Meanwhile Senator Florez says he supports a statewide requirement that some residences—particularly homes for the elderly—have air conditioning, much like there are requirements that homes have heat. The Governor has created a task force to review heat wave policies.