Lennie Roberts Named Woman of the Year

Assemblymember Ira Ruskin and the California State Assembly will honor Lennie Roberts of Portola Valley as the 21st Assembly District's "Woman of the Year." The California Legislative Women's Caucus will conduct special ceremonies on the Assembly and Senate Floors on Monday, March 10, 2008, to recognize "Women of the Year" from every Assembly and Senate district in the state.

As a volunteer for the Committee for Green Foothills, Lennie Roberts has served as an advocate for San Mateo County since 1978. Ms. Roberts received the Greenbelt Champion Award from Greenbelt Alliance in 1995 for preserving the San Mateo County coast side. In January, 2008, the John Muir Association honored Ms. Roberts as Conservationist of the Year and one of the Bay Area's most respected environmental leaders for her work with the Committee for Green Foothills.

In 2001, Ms. Roberts was honored by several statewide environmental groups as a "coastal hero." She is a founder of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which has preserved over 50,000 acres in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties for public use and enjoyment.

"I'm thrilled to honor Lennie for all the important work she has done. She has devoted many years to protecting our environment and improving our quality of life. She deserves our thanks and deepest appreciation for her untiring activism," Ruskin said. Assemblymember Ruskin has worked with Ms. Roberts since his time on the Redwood City Council.

Ruskin Introduces 2008 Bill Package

Below is a partial list of bills Assemblymember Ira Ruskin has introduced in the State Assembly.

Mercury Recycling - AB 2347
Sponsored by Sierra Club and the California Product Stewardship Council

AB 2347 directs attention to the global problem of mercury pollution. The sale of mercury-added thermostats was outlawed after January 1, 2006, but their long lifetime ensures that they are still widely used. Improper disposal of mercury poses a severe health risk to humans and wildlife and is hazardous to ocean life and fish in streams and rivers. This bill focuses on holding companies who have profited from the sale of mercury-added thermostats responsible for their proper collection and disposal.

Free Online College Course Materials - AB 2261
Sponsored by Foothill-DeAnza Community College District          

AB 2261 enables the use of free online course materials at community colleges statewide. Online resources include copyright expired textbooks and various open educational resources.           

By helping lower the high cost of course materials, this bill makes college more affordable. It provides funding to train instructors in offering this capability to students.

Privacy Protection Package - AB 2383, 2384 & 2385 These three bills serve to protect the privacy of consumers in light of the growing threat of identity theft and the wide use of mobile phones. The first, AB 2383, requires retailers to provide a point of sale device that encrypts social security numbers when they are requested. Similarly, AB 2384 requires internet websites to encrypt social security numbers and provide a secure internet connection. AB 2385 prevents anyone from collecting cell phone numbers and selling them to third parties without the cell phone holder's explicit permission. This is a growing concern as more people rely on mobile phones.