Arambula Focus - November 2007

May the warmth and good wishes of the Holiday Season be with you, today and always.

Assemblymember Juan Arambula & Amy Arambula
Invite you to a
Holiday Open House

December 6, 2007
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Hugh M. Burns State Building
Assembly Room
2550 Mariposa Mall
Fresno, CA93721

(Between O Street & P Street Across from Fresno City Hall)

Please bring a safe and unwrapped toy
to brighten a child's holidays.

RSVP (559) 445-5532
Prior to December 1, 2007

WHILE ON RECESS

As I move toward the end of the legislative recess I feel good about the time I have spent in the district. I had the opportunity to meet with many great community leaders and constituents during this time. My days have been full of meetings where I have learned what is most important to the people of the Thirty First Assembly District. I also shared information regarding new legislation and resources that are available as a result of the work done during the last legislative session.

A few highlights include: hosting roundtable discussions with law enforcement (see photo below), fire chiefs, non-profit organizations, representatives of higher education and members of the business community. I have also been out to several special events and city council meeting in the district. Visiting businesses such as Sun Maid Raisins in Kingsburg and the Spreckles Sugar plant in Mendota (see photo) were particularly interesting. During this time, I also had the privilege of hosting Senator Hillary Rodem Clinton on her visit to my district (see photo).

As a member of the water committee established by the Governor, I have spent a lot of time gathering valuable information that will assist me and my colleagues in the legislature develop a plan that will serve the entire state. I look forward to the opportunity to bring people together on this important issue. I expect that we will carry this work into the next legislative session because we want to come as close as possible to meeting the needs of all concerned with the understanding that everyone will need to make some concessions for the greater good.

Below is a list of bills I authored this year that were signed by the Governor.

AB 263 - Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District ERAF: This bill corrects an accounting error made by the district in 1989-90, which currently costs more than $600,000 annually in over-payment to the state Education Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF). This additional funding will allow the Flood District to pursue more projects to improve flood protection in Fresno.
Sponsor: Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District
Status: Signed into Law, Chapter 490 of the Statutes of 2007

AB 452 - Voter Registration Fraud: This bill requires a notice be given to voters when their party registration has been changed, and requests that the Secretary of State develop procedures to promptly fix a voter's registration when an error or fraud has occurred. By improving this notification process, the bill improves voters' confidence in their registration status and encourages essential participation in local and state elections.
Sponsor: Assembly Member Arambula
Status: Signed into Law, Chapter 316 of the Statutes of 2007

AB 783 - Safe Drinking Water Projects: This bill gives direction to the Department of Public Health (DPH) on spending funds to improve and protect drinking water systems in small communities. The bill encourages DPH to give priority to disadvantaged communities and, when beneficial, to water system consolidation in such communities. The bill also updates and raises the limit on oral contracts made in cases of emergency.
Sponsor: Assembly Member Arambula
Status: Signed into Law, Chapter 614 of the Statutes of 2007

AB 905 - CalWORKs Child Care Services:This bill improves the continuity of child care services for seasonal agricultural workers in the San Joaquin Valley by authorizing the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to extend the eligibility period for child care by an additional 60 days if he or she determines that granting the extension is in the public's best interest.
Sponsor: California Latino Child Development Association
Status: Signed into Law, Chapter 110 of the Statutes of 2007

AB 1721 - JEDE Code Maintenance: This bill makes technical and non-substantive changes to codes relating to the state's economic development activities, including the establishment of the California Economic Development Fund, which can serve as a focus for economic development efforts. Assembly Member Arambula introduced this measure in his role as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy (JEDE).
Sponsor: Assembly Member Arambula
Status: Signed into Law, Chapter 631 of the Statutes of 2007

AB 1606 - State Economic Development Strategy: This bill would have improved the state's economic development programs by implementing a set of measures and guidelines that address issues related to the attraction of private investment, microenterprise development, and support for significant and emerging regional industry clusters.
Sponsor: Assembly Member Arambula
Status: Vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger, October 14, 2007

While AB 1606 was vetoed, the Governor, in his veto message, stated his support for future economic development reform efforts and instructed his administration to prepare new recommendations for improving the state's business and job environment. As the Chair of the Assembly Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy Committee, I will continue my efforts and work with the Administration on a new overall strategy for California economic development.

Veterans Day is a special holiday that celebrates those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our Country. The many men and women who have served and are still serving in our armed forces deserve to be honored for their bravery and commitment to make our country a better place.

I am proud to honor our veterans that live in the Thirty-First Assembly District. To honor our veterans I have mailed out an American flag that can be easily displayed to commemorate the upcoming holiday.

I hope you will display your flag proudly this Veterans Day and take a moment to remember those who gave up so much to make our lives better!

If you did not receive this mailer contact my office; we have extras that we can provide for you.

I would like to invite you to a reception honoring the Fresno Unified School District, Tuesday, November 13th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, at the Downtown Club, 2120 Kern Street, Fresno, to celebrate the hard work and dedication of Superintendent Mike Hanson and our entire Fresno Unified family. We hope you will come enjoy some good company and delicious tamales.

Many folks throughout the District, from Superintendent Hanson to those on the front lines, are working hard everyday to make Fresno Unified successful. What a great opportunity to show our support for their reform efforts and the positive direction the school district is headed.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the many blessings in ones life. But for many families in Fresno, Thanksgiving is a time of worry - worrying about how they are going to feed their family a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Everyday, the Fresno Rescue Mission works hard to provide needy families with a hot meal and the holidays are no different. That is why I have decided to volunteer my time to serve those in need this Thanksgiving.

My staff and I will be serving lunch at the Fresno Rescue Mission on Tuesday, November 20, 2007. It is my hope you will join me this holiday season in helping serve those who are less fortunate than us. Volunteer your time to feed those who are hungry or start a food drive. Anything you can do to help those who are struggling this Thanksgiving will make all the difference. Happy Thanksgiving!

For more information on any of these events, please contact my district office in Fresno.

PHOTO GALLERY


On October 5, 2007 Assemblyman Arambula was flanked by law enforcement officials during press conference following the Law Enforcement Roundtable	Assemblymember Arambula and Spreckels Sugar District Manager Robert Stafford examining a 2nd Carbonation Filter on a recent tour of the Mendota facility

Assemblymember Juan Arambula hosts Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 31st Assembly District while visiting the Central Valley at Fresno High School.