CALIFORNIA MOVES CLOSER TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY FOR ALL

History was made on June 2^nd when the California State Assembly took a vote on AB 19, Assemblyman Mark Leno’s Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. The bill ensures equal treatment under the law by allowing same-sex couples to marry in California and would grant loving, committed same-sex couples who want to devote their lives to one another, raise families, and protect themselves and their children with the same rights and responsibilities as different-sex couples. It also reaffirms that religious institutions will not be forced to perform ceremonies not in keeping with their beliefs.

 

37 Assemblymembers cast a vote in favor of AB 19, with 36 voting against and 7 not voting. Two of the non-voting members were either ill or out of the building at the time of the vote, bringing the actual vote count to 39 supporters. Being just two votes shy of the 41 needed for passage is a tremendous foundation from which to build the fight for full LGBT equality in the future. This vote elevated the issue of marriage equality to the highest level of any state legislature in the country, and California is now the only state that has come so close to passing a proactive affirmation of marriage equality through its elected representatives.

 

But the fight does not end here. One week after the vote, the six members of the Legislative LGBT Caucus determined that AB 19 would still have a strong chance of passing out of the State Senate if it were amended into another bill. It is still our hope that we can move this issue to the Governor’s desk by September.

 

Your continued support for this issue, including contacting your local, state, and national representatives and enlisting the support of frien ds , family, and neighbors in your community, remains critical to its eventual success. Stay tuned for further developments on this important civil rights issue. For more information, visit my website or that of the bill sponsor, Equality California, at www.eqca.org.

 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

 

AB 631: Mobile Methadone Treatment MediCal Reimbursement

Passed Assembly 72-7

San Francisco ’s mobile methadone maintenance treatment program is the first of its kind in California . Although San Francisco has an estimated 16,000 heroin addicts, only 2,700 of them have access to effective treatment programs. The mobile methadone program was developed to help bridge this gap. AB 631 will allow San Francisco ’s program to receive Medi-Cal reimbursement, as well as allow counties around the state the option of implementing similar treatment programs in their own communities.

 

AB 655: Arts Funding and Restructuring in California

Two year bill, will be brought up again next year

California ranks last in the country in public funding for the arts. Barely three cents per capita are spent on arts organizations in California , which has the highest concentration of arts and cultural groups in the U.S. , compared to three dollars in New York .  AB 655 would provide an independent source of revenue for grants to youth arts programs and the California arts community, funded by a 1% fee on admission tickets. This would help protect our most valuable cultural and artistic institutions.

 

Left:  Assemblyman Leno was joined by over twenty

community groups at an April 15^th press conference

at Alvarado Elementary School to support AB 655

 

AB 799: Vehicle License Fee Option for San Francisco

Passed the Assembly 42-39

When Governor Schwarzenegger rescinded the VLF in 2004, San Francisco lost nearly $56 million in revenue for vital health and social services.  AB 799 would bring local control back to San Franciscans by allowing the Board of Supervisors to put a measure on the ballot that would allow voters to decide whether to reinstate a local VLF for San Francisco . The revenues could provide up to $70 million for local health, safety, and transportation services.

 

AB 519: Reinstating Parental Rights for Legal Orphans

Passed Assembly 71-0

This bill would authorize the court to reinstate parental rights, currently an irreversible court action, in narrow circumstances in which it is found to be in the child’s best interest. Only the child or the child’s attorney could petition the court for reinstatement of the parental rights.  This motion could be made only after three years have elapsed since termination of parental rights and a finding that the child is not likely to be adopted.   

 

AB 1261: Improving Foster Youth Educational Outcomes

Passed Assembly 74-0

 

STATE BUDGET UPDATE: It’s still the Revenue, Governor

 

This past week, in time to meet the Constitutional deadline of passing our state budget, Democrats proposed a modified version of Governor Schwarzenegger’s May revision of his January budget. In a significant offer of compromise, Assembly Democrats accepted 98% of the governor’s proposal. The changes made refused some cuts to health and human services such as reducing the wages for In Home Support Service workers to the minimum wage of $6.25 per hour. Additionally, our budget did not accept nearly one billion dollars in uncertain revenue projections and did not pass to local school districts the $500 million contribution to our teachers’ pension plan. After lengthy debate, the budget bill was defeated on a party line vote. Because California is one of only three states requiring a two-thir ds vote to pass our budget, the minority party controls the final outcome. One third of the legislature can veto the desire of two thir ds of its members.

 

Assembly Democrats then proposed a vote on the restoration of the Reagan-Wilson upper tax brackets for the state personal income tax. Created by Governor Reagan in the 1970s and restored by Governor Wilson in 1991, these added tax revenues would benefit the state approximately $2.5 billion annually. The additional cost to a single tax payer earning $150,000 would be $94. Again, the measure was defeated by a party line vote.

 

Republicans’ refusal to put increased revenue options on the table undermine our ability to serve the nee ds of Californians who are depending on us to fix our roa ds , educate our ki ds and care for the elderly and sick.  If the Governor were truly serious about paying down the state’s budget deficit, he could reinstate tax resources the state had in place in the 1990s, and the budget deficit would evaporate.  Instead, the Governor is trying to cover up his lack of revenue by more borrowing.

 

Fortunately, the cuts proposed in the May Revise aren’t as deep as those proposed in January.  However, it is important to know why.  The cuts aren’t as severe because they are offset by a flow of increased revenue from last year.  The Governor will tout that he has “saved” social services.  The truth is that the largest increase in revenues is a result of tax amnesty legislation brought to the table by the Democrats last year—and largely opposed by Republicans—which brought in roughly $5 billion in extra revenue.

 

Another possible solution for the Governor’s budget dilemma is to secure more federal dollars. Unfortunately, there is virtually no new federal money in the governor's budget. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, has identified tens of billions of federal dollars owed to California . In February, she and the California Democratic congressional delegation tried to get the governor to live up to his “Collectinator” rhetoric by working with him and Republicans in a bipartisan manner in Washington , DC .  However, as we have seen, the “Collectinator” does not know how to deliver on his promise to collect for our state.  If Governor Schwarzenegger were to collect just 10 percent of federal fun ds due Californians, we would have $5 billion of new revenue.  Where is the federal money, Governor?

 

SPECIAL ELECTION UPDATE

 

Throughout 2005, Assemblyman Mark Leno has been challenging the Governor to work with the legislature in good faith to address complex issues facing the state, rather than call for an $80 million dollar Special Election the state can ill afford given its fiscal crisis.

 

Despite the Governor’s claims, California is being hijacked by special interests who are ready and willing to spend $50 million on TV a ds and other propaganda to buy their agenda.  A Special Election offers the Governor something he will not have next year - the opportunity to keep his name and message in papers and on TV across the state.  The motivation behind the Special Election is not the need for ‘reform.’ The Legislature is ready to work with the Governor, if he can submit substantive, fleshed out, serious proposals.

LATEEFAH SIMON NAMED AS WOMAN OF THE YEAR

 

On March 14^th Assemblyman Leno recognized Lateefah Simon as the 13^th Assembly District’s Woman of the Year. She serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Young Women’s Development and joined Assemblyman Leno in Sacramento during a ceremony in her honor on the floor of the State Assembly.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Women's Foundation of California, serves on the San Francisco Juvenile Detention Alternates Executive Committee, and the Washington-based Advocacy Institute. Lateefah Simon lives in San Francisco with her 8-year-old daughter, Aminah.

Right: Assemblyman Leno with Lateefah Simon and her daughter Aminah

 

“YOUTH IN ACTION” RECOGNITION EVENT HONORS CIVIC-MINDED YOUTH

 

Assemblyman Leno hosted a reception to honor high school student leaders who continually demonstrate their dedication to civic service.  Fourteen students selected through a city-wide search were nominated and chosen through collaboration with the Youth Leadership Institute, San Francisco Unified School District , AACE Upward Bound, Community Youth Center , Beacon Initiative and the San Francisco Youth Commission.

 

1ST ANNUAL “TELL ME, SHOW ME, INVOLVE ME” YOUNG MEN’S CONFERENCE

 

Each day, high school students face difficult choices that impact their lives.  To arm our students with the self-confidence and education to make the right choices, Assemblyman Leno hosted seventy-five high school students at the 1^st Annual “Tell Me, Show Me, Involve Me” Young Men’s conference on May 6^th. The conference included a day-long series of interactive workshops on community violence, self esteem, peer pressure, higher education and career building.

 

 

TELEGRAPH HILL NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER CELEBRATES 115TH ANNIVERSARY

 

On May 7th, Assemblyman Mark Leno participated in the festivities celebrating the 115th Anniversary of the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center (Tel-Hi).  Last year, Assemblyman Leno was pleased to partner with Tel-Hi for a Halloween party to welcome residents of North Beach Place to the neighborhood. Preparations are underway for a summer picnic to welcome in the newest resident of North Beach Place.  Stay tuned for more details!

 

Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center , founded in 1890, provides opportunities for individuals and families in the neighborhood to enrich their quality of life. Focusing on low- to moderate income children, youth, families and seniors, they create and strengthen community bon ds , provide health and wellness programs, and broaden education and cultural experiences.  Tel-Hi’s programs serve more than 500 children, youth, seniors, and community members daily. Visit Tel-Hi’s website http://tel-hi.org for more information about this excellent neighborhood center.

 

Left:  Assemblyman Leno marches in honor of Cesar Chavez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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