by Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz)

August 31 is the deadline for passage for the approximately 1,500 bills still alive in the state legislature. Those bills that are passed by both houses will go on to the Governor for his consideration. For those bills that do not pass, it will be the end of the road. For the authors, supporters and opponents of those bills still in the legislature, these final days of August are a sprint to the finish line, and anything is possible.

From addressing global warming and prison reform to raising the minimum wage and banning hand-held cell phone use in cars, there are many issues to be decided before the end of the month.

Of the two-dozen bills I’ve authored that will hopefully make it to the Governor’s desk this year, there are a number with specific interest to Santa Cruz County, some of which include:

AB1881, Urban Landscape Water Conservation—Implements recommendations on improving the efficiency in new and existing irrigated urban landscapes.

AB2348, Pajaro River Flood Control—Effectively reduces by 50 percent the local share for the cost of the proposed Pajaro River levee project.

AB2485, Sea Otter Protection (jointly authored with Assemblymember Jones)—Strengthens sea otter protections by increasing penalties for killing sea otters, encourages placing otter-endangering cat litter in landfills, and establishes a voluntary tax check-off box for sea otter research and protection

AB2496, High-efficiency Toilet Standards—Sets new flush standards by making use of existing high-efficiency toilet technology, saving more than eight billion gallons of water annually by the tenth year.

AB2800, Civil Rights Housing Act—Standardizes housing-related non-discrimination laws to make them consistent with the Fair Employment and Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, sex (including gender identity), marital status, sexual orientation, familial status and source of income.

AB2928, Residential Green Building Standards—Calls for the development of voluntary state guidelines for environmentally sound construction projects.

AB3029, Food Stamp Access—Increases access to food stamps for 2 million Californians by updating the application process, simplifying reporting rules and reducing in-person visits to state offices.

Active and inspired members of our community have provided critical support for these bills over the last two years. With the finish line in sight, now is the time to be heard and make a difference—for our families, our community, our state and our environment.