Welcome

Welcome to my legislative website.  I am thrilled to be serving you as your new state assemblymember.  At this site you will be able to find useful information about my legislative agenda and how my office can be of assistance to you.  Please feel free to call my office or email me.

Tom Torlakson
Representing the 11th District

Latest News!

Calitics: Raising the Tobacco Tax:
A Budget No-Brainer

As a state, we face many tough choices in the coming months. However, increasing the state's tobacco tax is not a tough choice-it's a no-brainer. California's tobacco tax has not increased in more than a decade. Now is the time to increase the cost of cigarettes to protect our kids, their education, and their health. Read More...

Taxing tobacco

A higher levy on cigarettes would help ease the state's budget crisis while also discouraging smoking.

In case there was any lingering doubt, the Obama administration made clear Tuesday that it won't be writing a big check to extricate California from its budget mess. It's also unlikely, given the current political atmosphere, that the necessary supermajority of lawmakers will adopt a broad new tax. But small, targeted taxes can be part of a rational budget solution to help the state keep its safety net intact. Assembly Bill 89, by Democrat Tom Torlakson of Contra Costa County, offers one such rational revenue source by imposing a tax on tobacco products. The Legislature should pass it. Read More...

Assemblymember Torlakson: Repeal "Hero's Penalty"

(Sacramento) – Assemblyman Tom Torlakson has introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 10, which calls on Congress to keep their commitment to our teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and other state workers, by repealing two rules in current Social Security law that unfairly deny them retirement benefits they have paid for throughout their careers. “California needs to hire more than 100,000 new teachers in the next decade to fill demand,” said Torlakson, a long-time teacher.  “However, the hero’s penalty hamstrings our ability to recruit experienced professionals to enter the teaching profession.”  Learn more in this Assembly Report.

Students at Dublin High School Speak Up and Speak Out on Education Cuts

Click here to view video on YouTube

State's students fall behind in technological education

By The Desert Sun
Published March 15, 2009

California is known as a world leader in technology.

From Silicon Valley to Hollywood, science, engineering and digital technology reign supreme. But as it stands now, California children are not being prepared to compete for the fastest growing jobs in the state.

Read more...

Tobacco Tax Issue Brief

Protecting The Education And Health Of Our Children

December 17, 2008

Dear Friend:

I am hopeful that the Legislature will act later today on legislation to respond to the grave budget and economic situation facing our state.

In addition to the variety of painful program cuts and revenue increases to be debated this evening, I wanted you to be aware of my effort to provide an additional revenue stream that could avoid some potentially disastrous cuts--ones I fear are inevitable if we do not take further action.

Read More...