January marks the return of legislators to Sacramento. While term limits and November’s election brought many new members to the legislature, one thing remains constant: we need to live up to last year’s successes.

This should be the New Year’s resolution for all of us working in your State Capitol.

Last year, we delivered the kind of results that Californians deserve from their government. Our formula for success was simple: get past political differences, find common ground, and find solutions.

Republicans and Democrats will always have disagreements and debates, as we should in our democracy. In 2006, we got past our differences to enact historic reforms that build a better future for California.

We crafted an historic infrastructure bond package that the voters approved last November. We passed the first ever framework to reduce global warming. We raised the minimum wage for working families.

I am proud of these achievements. But now we must focus on the challenges still awaiting solutions: expanding access to healthcare, protecting our environment, providing a quality education for our children, enacting flood reforms, and solving our budget problem.

Over the next few months, we will be debating different approaches to these and other challenges facing our state. As the legislature proceeds with its work, I will continue to provide you with information about the issues in my newsletter so that you can judge our performance and know where I stand. And I hope to hear your input so that I may serve more effectively as your Assembly Representative.

Happy New Year to you and yours.