Welcome Message

Assemblyman Solorio celebrates the “Year of the Rat” at the 2008 Tet parade and festival.

This past month has been a busy time in the district and in the Capitol.

I’ve participated in some important events locally (see Photo Gallery) and tended to pressing state matters including the selection of the next Speaker of the Assembly.

On February 5, voters decided that California’s existing term limit law for legislators will stand. As a result, many legislators, including three of four legislative leaders, will be termed out this year.
       
While the California Senate has decisively endorsed Senator Steinberg, (D-Sacramento) as their next President Pro Tempore, the Assembly is considering several worthy and viable candidates for Speaker. The Assembly Democratic Caucus will vote on March 11 to determine their choice. To become Speaker, a candidate needs 25 votes, a majority of the Democratic Caucus members. Since Democrats hold the majority in the Assembly, the Democratic choice for Speaker will be elected Speaker of the Assembly.
 
In the running are several distinguished colleagues. The current candidates for Speaker are: Anthony Portantino of La Cañada Flintridge; Karen Bass, Kevin de León and Mike Feuer of Los Angeles; Alberto Torrico of Newark; Fiona Ma of San Francisco; Joe Coto of San Jose; Hector De La Torre of South Gate; Ed Hernandez of West Covina; and Chuck Calderon of Whittier.

Although I have not decided on my choice for the next Speaker of the Assembly, I have decided on a few fundamental indicators I will look for in the candidates’ records, and their vision for their possible tenure as Speaker.

In light of the current budget deficit, the next Speaker of the Assembly must possess a consensus-building track record and strong problem-solving skills. The Speaker will need to counterbalance the Governor’s unimaginative demand for cuts across the board with a clear vision of California's values and priorities.

The next Speaker must also be driven by the guiding principle that every possible solution should be on the table, whether it is the idea of a Republican, a moderate Democrat or a liberal. The next Speaker should also use the same guiding principle to position members on committees so that a full spectrum of ideas can be expressed and receive respectful consideration.

There are also other factors to consider. Is it better to elect a member with more experience but who would only hold office for two years, or for the sake of stability, elect a first-term member to serve a four-year tenure as Speaker? And since the Senate's leader is from Northern California, is it important to elect a Speaker from Southern California?

I am committed to meet with each candidate before making a decision. So far, it has been a pleasure to sit down and discuss how our House should function and what priorities we should have for California.

As your representative in Sacramento, it is important for me to hear your ideas on the most important attributes of the next Speaker and other ideas you would like to share. Or, if you need assistance with state matters, please contact me at Assemblymember.Solorio@assembly.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Jose Solorio
State Assemblyman

News Room

Solorio Congratulates Santa Ana on Enterprise Zone Renewal
Assemblyman Solorio congratulated Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and other city officials after Governor Schwarzenegger announced that the City of Santa Ana made the list of renewed California Enterprise Zones. The Assemblyman lobbied Governor Schwarzenegger’s office to renew Santa Ana’s enterprise zone designation and net more tax credit opportunities for local businesses. more

Students: Apply for Cal Grants Now
State grants for college are now available, and getting them is easy. Current or future undergraduates just have to apply by the deadline and meet certain criteria. That is information that Assemblyman Solorio wants 2008-2009 college-bound students in his district to know. more

Brochure Helps Parents Identify Gang-Membership Indicators
In an effort to stop the rising societal consequences of juvenile, gang-related violence, Assemblyman Solorio has developed a brochure full of gang-prevention ideas for parents. more

Solorio Deemed ‘Outstanding’ by California Sheriffs
The California State Sheriffs’ Association (CSSA) recognized Assemblyman Solorio for his “outstanding” legislative work in 2007. The selection underscored Assemblyman Solorio’s commitment to public safety in his first legislative year. more

2008-2009 Capital Fellows Programs Recruiting Applicants
The Center for California Studies is already recruiting the next class of applicants to participate in its California State Government fellowship programs. Assemblyman Solorio, interested in seeing students from his district well represented in the programs, is encouraging college graduates from Orange County to apply. more

Bills On The Move

Assemblyman Solorio often partners with other legislators to co-author legislation of mutual interest. Below are two significant measures relating to Orange County.

Teaching Children About Méndez v. Westminster School District
Have you ever heard of Gonzalo Mendez? Over 60 years ago, he and a few other courageous Latino Orange County parents sued their local school district for racially segregating their children into separate schools. Their case, Mendez v. Westminster School District, was successful, and ethnically divided California schools became a thing of the past.

Mendez v. Westminster School District set precedent for a more famous decision to come. Brown v. Board of Education, a landmark decision that banned segregation in all U.S. schools, followed seven years later.

The heroic efforts of these Orange County parents and the history of Mendez v. Westminster School District is something that California children should know. Therefore, Assemblyman Solorio joined Assemblymember Mary Salas (D- Chula Vista) to co-author AB 531, a bill that will include this history lesson in a curriculum framework now being developed for social studies instructional materials for elementary schools.

Controlling Bad Mortgage Broker Practices
It is time to hold accountable mortgage-loan brokers who gloss over terms, encourage subprime adjustable rate loans when a traditional loan would be a more affordable choice, and railroad consumers into homes and products they can’t afford.

AB 1830, a bill that Assemblyman Solorio is co-authoring with Ted Lieu (D- Torrance), addresses high-cost, subprime and nontraditional loans. It will ban mortgage brokers from offering loans to consumers unless they are confident the consumers can afford it. It also bans loans that are designed to keep payments lower, but in the end, aren’t paid off. Most importantly, the bill provides an avenue for consumers to recoup losses if the loan originator gives false or misleading information. It’s time for the mortgage banking industry to share some of the responsibility for the subprime mortgage mess and help prevent future foreclosures.

Good Deeds And Accomplishments Should Not Go Unnoticed

Congratulations to Anaheim Firefighter Fernando Negrete. Assemblyman Solorio presents Fernando Negrete with an official certificate from the California Assembly for his courage, leadership and exemplary public service with the Santa Ana and Anaheim fire departments. Negrete is retiring after 30 years of serving his community.

A huge round of applause to the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California (UVSA) for pledging $30,000 to initiate a fund to construct a Community Center in the Vietnamese American Community. The UVSA, consisting of young leaders in the Vietnamese Community, including professionals, educators, and college and high school students, is committed to cultural awareness, educating youths and community service.  In collaboration with local community organizations, the UVSA strives to help Vietnamese American youths develop their sense of heritage and identity through social, cultural, political and educational activities. For more information, visit www.thsv.org.

Congratulations to the City of Anaheim for being honored with an Award of Excellence from the California Park & Recreational Society in the category of facility design and park planning for its West Anaheim Police Station & Youth Center. For more information about the award, visit www.anaheim.net.

The City of Anaheim’s Rose Parade float, “Anaheim, the World’s Celebration Destination,” won the Governor’s Trophy for best depiction of life in California at the 119th Tournament of Roses Parade.  This win is the second in two years for the City of Anaheim.  To learn more, visit www.anaheim.net.

Orange County Water District Chairman of the Board, Steve Sheldon

Congratulations to the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District for the launch of the Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System, the world’s largest advanced water purification project of its kind. And special thanks to Orange County Water District Chairman of the Board, Steve Sheldon and Jerry Ferryman, chair of the board for the sanitation district.

Orange County Sanitation District Chairman of the Board, Jerry Ferryman

The GWR System takes highly treated sewer water and puts it through a three-step purification process that includes microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide. The result is near distilled quality water which is put into Orange County’s groundwater basin. For more information, visit: www.gwrsystem.com/.

Education Tips

It’s after school. Do you know where your children are? Low, after-school supervision with only some participation in extra-curricular activities poses developmental risks to both elementary school and middle school youth.

A new study finds that regular participation in high-quality after school programs is linked to big gains in test scores, work habits and desirable behavior.  Conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the report focuses on economically disadvantaged minority youth, many of whose families are recent immigrants.

Working together, youth-service providers, schools, local governments, and civic organizations can reach out to youth who would otherwise be unsupervised after school and can match them with organized, adult-supervised activities in the after school hours. To find quality after-school supervision for your child, contact your child’s school.

Photo Album

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca congratulates Assemblyman Solorio for receiving the 2007 “Outstanding” Achievement Award from the California Sheriff’s Association.	Assemblyman Solorio waves to the crowd at the 2008 Orange County Black History Parade. The popular event was held Feb. 2 in Santa Ana.
At a kick-off breakfast, Assemblyman Solorio presents an Assembly resolution to Dr. Milton A. Gordon, grand marshal of the 2008 Orange County Black History Parade and Cultural Faire. Gordon is also the longest serving president in California State University, Fullerton’s history.
Assemblyman Solorio recently visited Santa Ana’s new High School Inc. Located on the campus of the newly renovated Valley High School, High School Inc. is a public-private partnership that includes career-oriented, industry-specific academies emphasizing real skills for the real world. For more information about High School Inc., visit http://santaanachamber.com/HighSchoolInc/. Below are a few pictures from his tour.
In the business computer lab on campus, Superintendent Jane Russo, Assemblyman Jose Solorio and teacher Cynthia Holland discuss the achievements of business students on the campus.	Instructor Larry Mireles explains to Assemblyman Solorio that learning lessons in engineering and construction can be relevant and fun. His students are busy building and equipping a solar-powered boat for competitive racing.
Assemblyman Solorio’s tour of High School Inc. concluded with a lunch prepared and served by the school’s in-house restaurant and cafe, Valley Villa. Special thanks to home economics instructor, Ms. Toth.	At the 2008 Tet Festival Opening Ceremony, Assemblyman Solorio presents an Assembly Resolution to Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California's President and Tet Festival Chair, James Vu.

About Assemblyman Solorio

Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) was elected in November 2006 to the California State Assembly to represent Orange County’s Sixty-Ninth Assembly District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana.

Prior to joining the Assembly, Solorio served on the Santa Ana City Council and worked for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).

Solorio has an inspirational personal story to tell. He is the son and grandson of farm workers and grew up working in the fields and orchards of the Central Valley. His parents are humble people who taught him simple lessons: "Study hard. Work hard. Treat everyone equally. Take care of your family." Assemblyman Solorio plans to stay true to those values as he writes laws and engages in the political debate in Sacramento.

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