• Noreen's Take: My Priorities as Your Legislator
• The Governor's 2007-2008 Budget Proposal
• An Eye on Legislation: Health Care Reform
• An Eye on the Governor
• Evans Encourages Students To Apply For State Fellowships

NOREEN'S TAKE: MY PRIORITIES AS YOUR LEGISLATOR

I always want you to know where I stand and what I am fighting for as your Assembly representative here in Sacramento.  So, as the new legislative session begins, I want to tell you about my priorities for this year and how I intend to pursue them.

On your behalf, I plan to work for four basic causes:  families and children, the environment, legal reform, and California wine.

As a mother of three, I know first-hand that parents have a lot to juggle while raising children.  Our state government can and should do more to help families.  I will continue to fight to increase the availability of affordable housing so that more families have a place to call home, to reform health care to help families stay healthy, to improve our schools so children can learn and make their dreams come true, and to help keep our neighborhoods safe for children, so they can play and grow.  Health care will be the subject of much debate in the coming year.  See below for a description of the four main proposals currently being considered by the Legislature.

As a nature lover, I believe it is our duty to take care of the natural resources that contribute to the richness of our quality of life in California.  Today is an exciting time because our state is increasingly focused on environmental protection, promoting alternative energy sources, and confronting climate change.  All of these can contribute to a more sustainable future which will preserve the qualities that make our state so special. I plan to work this year toward implementing portions of Assembly Bill 32, which I co-authored, that established the Global Warming Solutions Act.

As a lawyer of over twenty years, I firmly believe in the importance of maintaining a fair, open, and efficient judicial system.  We need more judges to enable our courts to work more effectively.  We need to repair our court facilities so that they can meet all of the important challenges of working for justice and the resolution of disputes.  Above all, we must keep the judicial process fair and open so that everyone will have confidence in our courts. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I will continue my work to make the legal system accessible and fair, especially for foster children and the disabled.

Furthermore, as a longstanding resident of the California wine country and wine aficionado, I am a proud advocate for wine.  It is a defining aspect of our culture and economy in the North Bay.  As Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Wine, I educate people in Sacramento about winegrape growing, winemaking and selling, and how to responsibly enjoy wine.  Further, I will continue my work to preserve agricultural lands and open space.

This year, I am well positioned to fight for these causes through my leadership role as Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.  As a member of the Democratic leadership team, I will be working directly with legislative leaders to help Assembly Democrats identify and implement their legislative agenda.  I will also work to establish a bi-partisan tone so that we can continue to put politics aside in favor of meeting the challenges of our state.  I welcome your input on my stated priorities and I will keep you informed of my work in the months ahead.

THE GOVERNOR'S 2007-2008 BUDGET PROPOSAL

There is something for everyone to like and dislike about the Governor’s budget proposal, released on January 10, 2007.

Some positive elements of the Governor’s budget proposal include:

• K-12 Education – A $1.4 billion increase in funding in order to meet funding increase requirements provided through Proposition 98.
• Career Technical Education – $52 million to expand such course offerings and programs throughout California.
• Transportation – $1.4 billion in gas sales taxes will fund transportation improvements.  $8.2 billion in bond funds provided through Proposition 1B would also help get stalled highway projects built.
• Judiciary – $102.1 million over two years so that the state can hire 100 new judges and reduce delays in our courts.
• Climate Change - $36 million is devoted to implementing California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act, also known as Assembly Bill 32, which I was proud to co-author last year.

But there are also some serious downsides in the Governor’s proposal.  Some of them include:

• Drug Treatment – $25 million in cuts for drug treatment therapy provided as a result of Proposition 36, the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, which requires individuals convicted of non-violent drug possession to go to therapy instead of incarceration.
• Student Fees – Increases in student fees by 7 percent at the University of California and by 10 percent at California State University schools.
• Welfare to Work Programs – $465 million in combined cuts to welfare payments to poor working families would punish the children of parents who have not met work requirements, are drug felons, or are in the country illegally.

Also of great concern to me is the Governor’s reliance on debt for his long term financial plan for California.  He is proposing $43 billion in additional bonds to make investments in schools, correctional facilities, courts, and new dams for drinking water storage.  But, if one adds this figure to our existing bond issuing authority substantially increased through last year’s infrastructure bond package, California will have over $100 billion of bond-based debt!  While I have serious reservations about passing that kind of burden along to our children, it must be balanced against the benefits of investing now in our infrastructure for the future.

Ultimately, we must not lose sight of the fact that this is only the Governor’s initial budget proposal and up for negotiation with the legislature over the coming months.  So, many changes to this initial plan are likely to occur.  I will keep you posted on the details through this newsletter.

AN EYE ON LEGISLATION: HEALTH CARE REFORM

Health care reform is the number one topic on everyone’s mind here in Sacramento.  With 6.5 million Californians uninsured – more than any other state in the nation – reform is long overdue.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, and the Senate Republicans have introduced varying proposals that would change the way health care works.  Each has significant differences.  So, as we begin what will likely be a long debate on health care reform, I want you to know the basics about the proposals currently on the table.

The Governor’s plan has seven elements.  They include:

• Mandating all Californians to have some form of health insurance coverage;
• Requiring insurers to guarantee coverage despite any pre-existing conditions;
• Encouraging healthy habits;
• Providing low-income individuals affordable coverage through a new state program;
• Increasing Medi-Cal rates for health care providers, hospitals, and health plans;
• Allowing Californians to make pre-tax contributions to Health Savings Accounts;
• Charging fees on employers who do not provide health coverage, as well as doctors, and hospitals to help cover increased Medi-Cal rates.

Speaker Núñez’ plan focuses on increasing the availability, affordability, and accessibility of health insurance.  It emphasizes prevention and wellness, minimizing bureaucratic obstacles, and providing incentives for small businesses to provide health insurance to their workers.  Notably, the plan ensures that every California child has health coverage by expanding the state’s Healthy Families Program, which covers the children of poor working families in some counties across California, including Solano, Sonoma, and Napa Counties.

Senator Perata’s proposal focuses on ensuring that all of California’s working families have access to affordable health insurance.  Key elements of this plan include:

• Building on the current system of providing workers with unemployment insurance and state disability insurance, with employers and employees sharing responsibility for the cost;
• Requiring all workers to show “proof of health coverage” in order to claim certain tax credits for themselves and their dependents;
• Requiring employers to provide health insurance to their employees or contribute to a state program; and
• Expanding the Healthy Families program and Medi-Cal to cover children and their parents for households earning up to $48,000 for a family of three.

Senate Republicans are proposing a plan that:

• Gives tax credits and other incentives to employers to provide health insurance for their employees, as well as to entice more physicians to accept Medi-Cal patients;
• Calls for an expansion of community clinics for uninsured patients seeking basic care, by giving incentives to encourage clinic construction; and
• Asks the Legislature and voters to change use of First Five Commission tax dollars, which currently pays for a variety of children’s programs, to only finance children’s health care initiatives.

AN EYE ON THE GOVERNOR

Activities:

On January 18th, the Governor signed Executive Order S-01-07 to establish a Low Carbon Fuel Standard for transportation fuels sold in California.  It provides that, by 2020, the carbon intensity of California's passenger vehicle fuels must decline by at least 10 percent.  This will help support the emissions reduction targets within California’s groundbreaking Global Warming Solutions Act, also known as Assembly Bill 32, which I proudly co-authored last year.  A copy of this order is available online at http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/executive-order/5172/.

On January 10th, the Governor released his budget proposal for 2007-2008.  Please see my breakdown of the budget in this newsletter.  Further information about the budget can be viewed online at http://www.ebudget.ca.gov.

On January 9th, the Governor delivered his State of the State speech wherein he called for further investments public safety, water supply, transportation, education and disaster preparedness.  A copy of the speech is available online at http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/speech/5143/.

On January 5th, Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in for his second term as Governor of California.

For further information about the Governor, please visit www.governor.ca.gov.

EVANS ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO APPLY FOR STATE FELLOWSHIPS

The Capitol Fellows Program combines mentoring and a year-long, full-time position in California’s State Assembly, Senate, Executive and Judicial Offices.  The application deadline for 2007-08 fellows is February 28, 2007.

I encourage college students and mid-career professionals who are interested in this opportunity to apply for this program.  It provides 18 Assembly Fellows, 18 Senate Fellows, 18 Executive Fellows, and 10 Judicial Fellows an outstanding opportunity to serve the public and prepare for future careers, while actively contributing to public policy in California.  The ranks of former fellows and associates include a Justice of the California Supreme Court, members of the United States Congress and the State Legislature, a deputy director of the Peace Corps, corporate executives, and local government and community leaders.

Fellows earn 12 graduate course credits through Sacramento State University for two graduate seminars and receive a stipend of $1,972 per month, plus comprehensive health benefits.  For more information, please visit www.csus.edu/calst/assembly.