Dear Neighbors,

Summer is already here, and the Legislature has completed most of its work for the 2007-08 session.  The biggest task ahead of us now is approving a budget for the next fiscal year.  Although the deadline has already passed, legislators will be working through the summer to craft a bipartisan budget they can send to the Governor’s desk. 

Legislative work on other bills will resume in August, with a one month dash to clear all remaining bills from the Assembly and Senate before the August 31 deadline.

As always, I and my staff are here to serve you.  If you have an issue with the state government, or would like to give feedback on bills or issues in front of the Legislature, please feel free to contact my district office or visit my website.
 

1. State Budget Update
   The Assembly and Senate have wrapped up their separate budget deliberations, and are
    now working on assembling a final budget.  Highlights include protecting education and
    other important services from devastating cuts.
   
   
2.  Important legislation
    Bills to protect sexually exploited minors, provide affordable bus passes to students, give aid  to our military families, and increase investments in green jobs all advance in the Senate.
   
   
3. Recent activities in the district
   Great news for the entire Bay Area: Spraying for the Light Brown Apple Moth has been halted!
   
   
4. Coming Up
   Hands-free Cell Phone Law Goes into Effect July 1st!
   4th of July Events in the District
   Get to know your neighbors during National Night Out
   

Talking Priorities Before Dollars and Cents

Assembly and Senate budget committees wrapped up their deliberations last month, each crafting proposals to close the $15 billion plus deficit.   A conference committee to resolve differences in the two budgets has begun, and while the new budget was due to the Governor on June 15th, negotiations are expected to continue well into the summer.

A lot of debate has gone on about the size of this budget, and about whether we need more cuts or more revenue.  I believe that the conversation has started at the wrong end of the problem.  Before we talk about what the budget will cost, we need to have an honest discussion about our priorities for the future of California.  What do we want California to look like in the next five, ten, and twenty years? With the passage of Prop 98, California voters have made education the state's number one priority. Now we need to take the next steps to make our education system the best in the nation.

We have these same concerns about health care, social services, infrastructure, and more.  If we have honest conversations about where we want to go as a state, we can begin to seriously discuss the costs of reaching those goals.  At the end of the day,  our state now has 37 million people, and will be reaching 50 million in the not too distant future.  We need to plan for tomorrow now, and be realistic about the costs of making California a truly prosperous state.

Highlights From the Budget Committee:
Protecting Education & Health Services

As a Member of the Assembly Budget Committee and the Sub-Committee on Education Finance, my top priority is to protect our children’s future by safeguarding funding for education.  While the Governor recommended deep cuts to our already struggling education system, the budget we approved strikes down those cuts and provides a modest cost-of-living adjustment as well. Here are some of the highlights of the budgetary actions in the Budget Subcommittee on Education:

• Restored Proposition 98 funding to current year levels.

• Restored funding to early child development and child-care programs to current funding levels.  The Governor had proposed an across-the-board cut of 6.4% 

• Provided a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 1.6%, or $894 million, to Proposition 98 funding. 

• Restored funding for higher education, including the Community College, California State University, and University of California systems to current year levels. 

• Provided shortfall relief to the Community College System, which experienced unexpected drops in property tax revenue, due in part to the current housing crisis.

• Rejected the Governor’s proposed elimination of financial aid and college outreach programs. These include the Cal Competitive Grants program for high needs students, and the Cal-SOAP program, which provides college and financial aid outreach and education to students in impoverished communities.

• Allocated $60,000 for an audit of the Oakland Unified School District.  The District is still under partial state control, and cannot return to full local authority without regular audits.  The audit will take place some time in the fall. 

Health Care Budget Actions

I also believe that access to health care and social services should be a right and not a privilege.  During the Governor’s emergency budget session earlier this year, I was one of only two Assembly members to vote against cuts to In-home Supportive Services (IHSS), as well as SIS and MediCal in the current year budget.   Fortunately, our proposed budget for ’08-’09 reverses cuts to these and other health-care services the Governor proposed, returning funding to current year levels.

Want to Add Your Voice to the Budget Process?

Learn about next year’s budget at the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

What are your priorities?  Write your legislator and let them know!  Talk with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to do the same. Letters from you also help me highlight the human impacts of service cuts in our state. 

Assemblymember Swanson
Senator Perata
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Legislators are now visiting the opposite chamber as bills starting in the Assembly are now in the Senate and vice versa.  When the Legislature resumes activity in August, Assembly bills in the Senate Appropriations committee and on the Senate floor will be heard.  Here is a brief update on two of my key bills this year.  You can read about all of the bills in my legislative package on my website.

AB499—Protecting Sexually Exploited Minors (SEM)—Now in the News!

Incidents of child prostitution, and sexual exploitation of minors, have been on the rise in our community and throughout the country.  Sadly, this is an issue that has often been out of the public spotlight.

Thankfully, news outlets throughout the state have featured investigative articles on this problem.  Most recently, the Sacramento Bee spent time with officers in the Oakland Police Department who work to address the rising tide of child exploitation. 

AB 499 passed the Assembly with wide bipartisan support, and has since cleared the Senate!  It now awaits the Governor’s signature. (read the article) (read the bill)  

AB2134—Family Leave for Military Families

Our soldiers make incredible sacrifices for our country.  It is the least we can do to ensure that their families are able to take care of them without risking their jobs.

This bill conforms California state law to the recently passed Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to support military families.

FMLA provides up to 26 weeks of leave for family members caring for military veterans who are injured while on active duty in the Armed Forces.  It permits a spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin to take the leave.  The federal bill also allows family members to take up to 12 weeks of leave for “any qualifying exigency" that arises when a family member is on active duty or is notified of an impending call to duty in support of a military operation.

The bill enjoyed wide bipartisan support, passing the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee 4-1.  It now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee (read the bill)

AB 1980—Peralta College Transportation Accessibility Act

Our bill to help bring affordable bus passes to students at the Peralta Community College District has made it to the senate floor! 

With the rising cost of gas, public transit is quickly becoming the preferable option for students to get to class and work.  That said, bus passes can cost up to $116 per month on AC Transit.  The bill will allow students to approve a low fee to fund passes that could save students up to $1,300 per year.   For many students, particularly those who are working and supporting families, this will have a huge impact on their budget. (read the bill)

AB 3018—The California Green Jobs Act of 2008

I have been proud to carry this bill throughout the Assembly and Senate on behalf of Speaker Emeritus Fabian Núñez. 

Green capital investment is rapidly increasing throughout the state, making more and more “green collar” jobs available.  We need to have a streamlined system in place that coordinates public and private workforce training opportunities to maximize our investment and to meet California’s green economy needs.   

AB 3018 establishes a Green Collar Council under the Labor Workforce agency.  The council will be tasked with developing a comprehensive set of strategies, including training programs, partnership opportunities, and funding sources to build the needed green collar workforce.

The bill has passed the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality, and is headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. (read the bill) 

Spraying for the Light Brown Apple Moth Halted!

In a surprise move, the California Department of Food and Agriculture recently reversed course and halted plans to aerially spray for the Light Brown Apple Moth in the Bay Area, including Oakland.  Assemblymember Swanson had authored a bill requiring the State to get consent from people in the spray zone before carrying out any aerial spray program.  While CDFA stated that their decision had nothing to do with the overwhelming public outcry, it is clear this had everything to do with public opposition.  Over 30,000 people and 32 cities throughout Northern California went on record in opposition to the spray. Clearly, citizen protest made this happen.   (read more) 

Press Conference on Health Care Cuts in Oakland

Assembly Democrats joined health care workers and their patients in Oakland recently to speak out against the Governor’s proposed to cuts to the health care budget. 

I believe Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget plans will inflict irreparable harm on human service programs vital to many in California. This amounts to turning our backs on the elderly, the disabled, and the most vulnerable in our society. Such cuts are not only a bad moral decision, but a bad economic decision as well.  (read more) 

Hands-Free Phone Law Goes Into Effect July 1st!

Don’t forget!  Starting July 1, 2008, motorists over 18 must use hands-free devices while driving, or else face fines starting at $20.  Drivers under 18 are now prohibited from using any mobile device while driving. 

4th of July Parades in Alameda & Piedmont

Alameda

Friday, July 4, 2008 10:00 AM
Parade route begins at Lincoln Avenue, between Grand and Park.

This parade is the second longest 4th of July parade in the nation, with over 170 floats!  Come watch the parade, and then stay for the food or the shopping on Park street. Look for your Assemblymember somewhere among the floats! (more information)

Piedmont

Friday, July 4th 11:00 AM
Highland Ave & Park Way

Join the city of Piedmont in a traditional Independence Day celebration. The Parade begins at 11:00 am on July 4th at Highland Avenue and Park Way, ending at Piedmont Park, where festivities will continue through the afternoon.  Assemblymember Swanson will also be riding in the parade.  (more information)

College Day 2008
Saturday, July 19, 8:30-11:30 am, Oakland Convention Center

Part of Black Expo 2008, College Day 2008 is designed to give parents and youth (grades 7-12) more information about college, and to explain the steps necessary to get into and pay for their education. The event is free for those who come before 10 am. Black Expo 2008 takes place July 19 and 20.  Admission is $7 in advance, $10 at the door. For details or to register, call 839-0690 or visit online at http://www.blackexpoltd.com.  

Get to Know Your Neighbors and Help Prevent Crime! Sign up now for National Night Out, August 2

The best way to prevent crime in your community is to get to know and communicate with your neighbors.  The National Night Out (NNO) program helps to organize thousands of neighborhood block parties throughout the country as a way for people to get out of their homes and meet others in their neighborhood.  Last year, there were dozens of parties throughout the district, and a whopping 34 million people nationwide participated. 

Get everything you need to get started at the National Night Out 2008 website .  If you live in Oakland, you can sign up directly with the City, NNO has proven to be an effective, inexpensive and enjoyable program to promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships in our fight for a safer nation. Plus, the benefits your community will derive from NNO will extend well beyond your first block party!