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Assemblymember
Mike Feuer
42nd District | |
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| Welcome to my first e-newsletter! |
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As your new Assemblymember, it very important to me to keep
you up to date on both my legislative portfolio in Sacramento
and what I am doing locally to enhance the quality of life in
our neighborhoods. These goals are intertwined: I'm
focused in Sacramento on measures that improve our communities
in practical ways, including reducing traffic congestion,
cleaning our air, upgrading our children's education,
expanding access to health care, preserving our beaches and
protecting our most vulnerable seniors.
Locally, the State of California has hundreds of
different departments and agencies, and I am here to
help. From motor vehicles to fish and game, from
insurance matters to state parks and recreation, my office is
here to assist you to navigate the bureaucracy.
I hope you will find this newsletter interesting and
informative. Please feel free to forward this newsletter
to your friends, and e-mail your comments or questions to me
at Assemblymember.Feuer@asm.ca.gov.
My office can be reached at (310) 285-5490 or (818)
902-0521.
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| My Committee Responsibilities |
| Assembly members typically serve on three committees,
and sometimes are appointed to lead another. Responding
to one of our district's top priorities, Assembly Speaker
Nunez has named me to chair the Budget Subcommittee on
Transportation and Technology. This committee will
oversee much of the newly-enacted $20 billion transportation
bond program, along with other significant
responsibilities. I also serve on the Judiciary,
Environment/Toxics, and Revenue and Taxation Committees-some
of the most interesting and challenging committees in the
legislature. | |
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| 405 Freeway Funding |
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At the 405 Press Conference
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northbound carpool lane on the northbound 405 freeway (between
the Santa Monica Freeway and the 101) would help relieve
congestion on one of the world's busiest freeways. But
the California Transportation Commission staff decided not to
allocate state bond money to this badly-needed project.
Fortunately, teamwork among key federal, state and local
officials, along with your emails, letters and phone calls,
reversed this decision. We'll receive the $730 million
necessary to get the job done, with construction
slated to begin in 2009. For my part, I worked
behind the scenes to garner support from more than two dozen
state representatives for this and other top-priority L.A.
projects, worked closely with Commission members and staff to
persuade them to change course, testified before the
Commission, and advocated for the project in the press.
For all the benefits of this important project, some of the
alternatives for constructing an HOV lane on the 405 could
result in takings of residential property. I have spoken
with the head of the California Transportation Department
(CalTrans) and written a letter to the CalTrans District
Director, urging in the strongest terms that Caltrans take
every possible step to avoid taking homes. In addition, my
office staff and I continue to work with the affected
communities, elected leaders, and agencies to protect
homeowners as we strive to meet the region's crucial
transportation needs.
Caltrans' environmental document is expected to be issued
this month, with a formal public hearing tentatively scheduled
for May 29th - details from Caltrans to follow. Your comments
at this hearing will be included as part of the official
record.
Information about the project alternatives is available
online at the Caltrans District 7 website, http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/. Please
contact Ellen Isaacs in my office to learn more.
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| Transportation Summit with the Brentwood Community
Council |
Brentwood Transportation
Forum
 | It's crucial
we devise additional ways to improve transportation in our
region. I was pleased to attend the Brentwood
Transportation Forum held in early March, where we discussed
the future of transportation in L.A., including a possible
subway from downtown to Santa Monica, light rail on a parallel
course, expanding the dedicated busway in the San Fernando
Valley, synchronizing our stoplights, and adding the 405
carpool lane, along with smaller improvements we can make to
alleviate congestion. |
| Town Hall Meetings |
Valley Town Hall
 | One of my most
important goals is to create a close relationship with
you. And one way to accomplish this is to hold community
meetings in convenient locations so I can learn
what matters most to you, and respond directly to
your concerns. In February, I held two
well-attended Town Hall Meetings. The first Town Hall
was held at the CBS Studios in Studio City. I was proud
to honor Jules Feir, Vice President of the Sherman Oaks
Homeowners Association; Sondra Frohlich, past Executive
Director of the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce; and Gloria
Gold, a community activist and a member of the Mid-Town North
Hollywood Neighborhood Council. We discussed a variety
of topics, including the proposed developments at the Studio
City Golf & Tennis Club and Universal City, as well as
steps we can take to improve the environment and expand health
care.
My second Town Hall Meeting was held at
the National Council of Jewish Women/LA in the Fairfax
District. We honored Hillary Selvin, the Executive
Director of the NCJW/LA and Tess Lerner-Byars, a student at
North Hollywood High School whose work on the Los Angeles
Youth Council has been outstanding. Our topics included
seniors' issues, transportation and education.
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| A New Park on CalTrans Surplus Land at Ivar and
Franklin in Hollywood? |
| Hollywood has very little park space, though it is one
of the most densely-populated areas of our city. Last
month, at the urging of the community, I contacted CalTrans to
urge the removal of a vacant lot at the intersection of
Ivar/Franklin from an upcoming auction of excess real
property. This land, which had previously been
held for a possible transportation-related project, has long
been viewed by the community as a possible site for a park.
CalTrans agreed, and recently completed an appraisal of the
land for a possible direct sale to Los Angeles. I have been
working closely with Councilmembers Eric Garcetti and Tom
LaBonge on this project. Please contact Alexander Ponder
in my district office for further information.
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| How safe is the Spinach you eat?
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My office looked into this issue recently when a
constituent inquired about state regulation of spinach. Food
safety is especially topical in light of last year's two
E.coli outbreaks that killed three people and made at least
280 sick.
Currently the California Department of Health Services
(DHS) inspects and regulates spinach processors and
packagers. Regarding spinach growers, however, there is
currently no inspection process in place and no state
standards for best practices.
There are two proposals for improving oversight of state
spinach crops. The first, currently being implemented by
California's Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), asks
spinach and lettuce handlers to sign onto a "Leafy Greens
Marketing Agreement." Under the agreement, spinach
handlers would agree only to purchase produce from growers who
meet certain standards and practices. Although so far
handlers representing 90 percent of the California spinach
market have signed onto the Marketing Agreement, this remains
a voluntary system.
Legislation proposed by State Senator Dean Florez would
mandate a tougher enforcement regiment. His three bills,
SB 200, 201, and 202, would establish mandatory best practices
for spinach growers and handlers, to be enforced by DHS.
This legislation would also require bags of spinach to be
stamped with a code that could trace the product back to its
farm and time of harvest.
As you can see, this is an ongoing process and there is
some disagreement over whether the Leafy Greens Marketing
Agreement established by CDFA goes far enough to protect our
spinach crop. As your Assemblymember, I will support any
steps necessary to protect consumers from contaminated
produce. |
| Preserving Open Space in Studio City
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In this time of rapid growth all over our city, we must
make every effort to preserve those oases of open space that
remain in our neighborhoods. That's why in January I
submitted a letter to the Department of City Planning
regarding a proposed development on the Studio City Golf and
Tennis site.
I am very familiar with this property, having represented
it on the Los Angeles City Council from 1995-2001. At
just over 16 acres, this beautiful tree-lined golf park
represents one of the only remaining green spaces in Studio
City. What's more, this property is the largest green
area remaining alongside the Los Angeles River. This
makes it an ideal location to continue the City's ongoing
efforts to preserve and beautify the river via the Master
Plan.
In my letter, I suggested a number of items that should be
considered in the Environmental Impact Report planned for this
proposal. Specifically, I asked that the EIR
address:
· Whether this proposal is consistent with the Los
Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan and its guiding
principles of creating "mixed-use areas integrating parks,
housing, retail, jobs, schools and other public institutions,
and more,"
· Whether an area along the river could be
devoted to public use, and
· Possible impacts on river
and ocean water quality as a result of increased runoff into
the river resulting from a loss of permeable land.
Though as an Assemblymember I no longer have jurisdiction
over city land use decisions, my office will continue to be
engaged on this issue to ensure the community's concerns are
heard. |
| Smoke-Free Housing in West Hollywood
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In March, I was pleased to provide a letter to the WeHo
City Council on behalf of The Coalition for Smoke-Free Living
in West Hollywood, supporting a proposal to mandate smoke-free
sections in multi-unit housing. You might recall that
when I was a Los Angeles City Councilmember, I authored
legislation banning tobacco advertising on billboards, and
fought to have tobacco settlement funds spent on enforcement
and prevention programs. While I respect that some
individuals want to smoke, I believe we must take all
appropriate steps to protect non-smokers from unwanted health
risks.
West Hollywood already has legislation protecting people
from secondhand smoke in their workplaces and in outdoor areas
such as parks. This proposal would go a step further,
insuring that West Hollywood residents have housing available
where they won't be exposed to secondhand smoke from
downstairs or neighboring units.
I applaud the West Hollywood City Council for their history
of progressive legislation on this issue, and urge them to
adopt this proposal. |
| Holocaust Survivors and High School Students
Participate In Assembly Holocaust Memorial Project
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Holocaust Survivor Gabriella Karin on
the Assembly Floor
 | | I
joined with other members of the Assembly in the State Capitol in
Sacramento on April 16 at the annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony to
honor Holocaust survivors and remember those who perished. We
also arranged for survivors and their families to participate in
this special event, and sponsored a unique intergenerational project
to connect students in our district with seniors who courageously
lived through the Holocaust.
Five Holocaust survivors who reside in the 42nd Assembly District
recently had their stories recorded by high school students from the
district, as part of the California Assembly's annual Holocaust
Memorial Project. The Project is a special program designed to
connect young students with Holocaust survivors so that the students
may come to a better understanding of the historical and personal
impacts of the Holocaust through the first-hand experiences of
actual survivors. The five high school students, Katherine Lee
and Sumita Misra from North Hollywood High School Highly Gifted
Magnet and Jessica Lee, Paulina Shahery and Esther Zuckerman from
Harvard Westlake School, each interviewed a survivor and then wrote
an essay about the survivor's life and experiences during the
Holocaust. These essays, documenting the stories of the
survivors who participated, which include Ingrid and Morton
Blumenstein, Eva Brettler, Gabriella Karin and Silvia Grohs-Martin,
have been published by the California Assembly, together with essays
about survivors from other Assembly districts.
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| Legislative Agenda |
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Below is a brief summary of some of the legislation I am
authoring:
AB 558 (Toxics Use Reduction Act) - AB 558 would reduce the use
of toxic chemicals by California manufacturers. Modeled on
Massachusetts legislation that over 15 years has reduced the use of
toxics by 41% and toxic byproducts by 65%, this bill would impose a
fee on users of toxics chemicals that shall fund assistance and
research to help industry transition to nontoxic alternatives.
AB 558 would set a goal of reducing toxics use by 25% by 2012 and by
50% by 2020.
AB 99 (Clean Fuel Vehicles) - AB 99 would combat global warming,
improve air quality and reduce our dependence on foreign oil by
requiring that half the cars sold in California run on alternative
fuels by 2015, with all cars sold here capable of doing so by
2020.
AB 904 (Marine Protection and Diminished Reliance on Landfills) -
AB 904 is aimed at reducing and recycling food packaging waste by
requiring that take out food packaging be made from materials that
are readily recyclable or compostable in the jurisdiction where the
food is sold. According to the California Integrated Waste
Management Board, virtually none of the plastic used in food service
is currently recycled. Because plastics do not biodegrade,
their proliferation has taken a toll on the environment and marine
life. Plastic waste that is discarded or blown into the
environment often enters our waterways and travels to our
oceans. Take out food packaging represents a significant
component of this marine debris.
AB 1656 (Drop Out Rates) - The Harvard Civil Rights Project
estimates that half of L.A.'s high school students do not
graduate. The school district disputes these figures. It
is time to get the facts on our dropout crisis by creating a system
that tracks each student, including the classes they take, the
teachers they have, their performance, and whether they
graduate. Using this information, educators could then adopt
the best strategies to keep kids in school, and deliver the high
quality education each child deserves. AB 1656-a top priority
of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell--would
establish just such a system, and provide funding to local districts
ensure that student-level data is being collected, maintained, and
submitted.
AB 96 (Principal Training) - There is a huge statewide
achievement gap between low-income students and color and other
children. Closing that gap requires attracting the best
teachers to so-called low-performing schools, and engaging parents
there. The best way to accomplish these goals is to train top
leadership for these schools. AB 96 would achieve this by
establishing a specialized training program for principals of
low-performing schools.
AB 1038 (Student Fee Policy) - Tuition (called "fees" in
California's public colleges and universities) at the University of
California increased 72% in just four years-67% at Cal State.
These increases squeeze middle class families, who have less access
to need-based financial aid, and make it almost impossible to plan
for college costs. AB 1038 would make a major change in fee policy
by tying student fee increases to increases in state support for
higher education: a family's share of fees would increase only
if the state contributes more, with an annual fee increase cap of
7%. This would restore a genuine partnership between families
and the state in public higher education, and allow for more stable
and predictable fees.
AB 398 (Nursing Home Comparisons) - There is little information
enabling consumers to compare nursing home quality when making the
decision where to place a loved one. AB 398 would require the
Department of Public Health to establish a website for consumers to
meaningfully compare the quality of nursing homes. The site
would include information on nursing staff, complaints and
deficiencies and other validated indicators of quality.
AB 399 (Nursing Home Complaints) - A recent state audit noted
that the state takes too long to investigate nursing home
complaints. The consequences of waiting too long to
investigate, of course, can be devastating. AB 399 would
improve the quality and timeliness of investigations into claims of
nursing home abuse and neglect. The Department of Public
Health would be required to complete investigations within 40
working days and provide a written summary of the findings to the
complainant. The bill also would close a loophole that allows
reports of abuse and neglect, self-reported by nursing homes, to go
without investigation indefinitely.
AB 1471 (The Crime Gun Identification Act of 2007) - Though
currently police and sheriffs recover spent shell casings at murder
scenes, they frequently have no leads to investigate. This is
because the shell casings do not contain sufficient markings to
identify the gun from which they were fired. The technology
exists, however, to mark each shell casing with a distinctive code
that names the make, model and serial number of the gun from which
it was fired. AB 1471would require all new models of
semiautomatic handguns sold in California after January 1, 2010 be
equipped with a microscopic array of characters that identify the
make, model, and serial number of the gun. The characters
would be imprinted on each cartridge case when the firearm is fired.
Thus, AB 1471 would allow law enforcement to positively link used
cartridge casings recovered at a crime scene to the crime gun,
helping law enforcement solve handgun crimes, reducing gang
violence, and decreasing gun trafficking of new semi-automatic
handguns.
AB 1267 (Civic Service) -Government can inspire a new generation
of civic service by eliminating financial barriers confronting
students who wish to begin careers helping in homeless shelters,
working as police officers, or otherwise serving their
communities. AB 1267 would enable college students to enter
into contracts under which they agree to perform civic service upon
graduation in exchange for having a substantial portion of their
student loans forgiven.
AB 1442 (Rapid HIV Testing) - AB 1442's purpose is to remove
regulatory roadblocks to rapid HIV testing. Existing state
regulations related to HIV testing were written prior to the advent
of rapid HIV testing. The current requirements make it costly
and overly burdensome for clinics to legally provide rapid HIV
testing, which can produce results in 20 minutes. More
traditional testing can take 2-3 days to yield results - a time
period which is problematic when individuals (often homeless or
addicted to drugs) do not return to find out the results.
AB 1269 (Burn Center: Workers Compensation Reimbursement)
AB 1269 is jointly authored with Assemblymember Ed Hernandez.
One unintended consequence of the workers' compensation reforms of
2003-04 was to place burn centers into the same group as other
hospital services when it comes to reimbursement rates. Since
the costs of providing treatment to burn patients are significantly
higher than for other forms of care, the current rates threaten the
viability of several burn centers in California, including the
Grossman Burn Center in Sherman Oaks. AB 1269 would revise the
reimbursement formula for burn centers to protect their ongoing
viability.
AB 1410 (Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver) -
AB 1410 would use existing state dollars to draw down federal
dollars to provide waivers for services for Medi-Cal eligible
patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.
AB 645 (Traffic Violations) - AB 645 would prohibit serious
2-point violations from being dismissed and masked through
attendance at a traffic violator school. These serious
violations include driving under the influence, causing bodily
injury while driving under the influence, hit-and-run accidents and
reckless driving. In addition, AB 645 would give greater
judicial discretion in court dismissals and expungments of DMV
records involving these violations after the defendant has fulfilled
their conditions of probation.
AB 467 (Court Fee Waiver) - The current statute containing
procedures for granting filing fee waivers for a litigant who cannot
afford to pay the fee is cumbersome and confusing, and courts have
implemented the statute in ways that are inconsistent with its
underlying intent--to allow access to the courts for those who
cannot afford the cost of basic court fees. AB 645 would
replace the current statute with a clearer and more comprehensive
procedure that will allow indigent litigants an opportunity to
access the courts in a timely and appropriate manner.
AB 1557 (Peremptory Challenges: Misdemeanors) - AB 1557 would
reduce the number of peremptory challenges (whereby attorneys can
remove jurors without cause) from 10 to 6 in misdemeanor cases
(cases in which the punishment is no greater than one-year in
jail). AB 1557 was drafted with two goals in mind: minimizing
inconvenience to potential jurors and providing some relief to our
overwhelmed courts.
AB 1473 (Recycling Facilities) -
AB 1473 is designed to help divert waste from our landfills, such as
Sunshine Canyon in Los Angeles. The bill would give local
solid waste enforcement agencies the discretion to allow a limited
extension for existing recycling facilities to qualify for
permits. Many of these facilities contract with local
jurisdictions to help sort and market recyclable materials obtained
in recycling programs. Many facilities that previously did not
need solid waste permits now need to qualify for them. This is
because the increase in participation in recycling programs has also
increased the residual trash that comes through these facilities,
which triggers the permitting requirements. AB 1473 will allow
them more time to comply with and obtain necessary permits, while
still assisting local jurisdictions to continue with successful
recycling programs.
AJR 20 (Mayor Tom Bradley Commemorative Stamp) - Assembly Joint
Resolution (AJR) 20 urges the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee of
the United States Postal Service to issue a commemorative postal
stamp in honor of the late Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles.
I have co-authored a number of important pieces of legislation
this year, including:
AB 43 - Marriage Equality - (Assemblymember Mark Leno) would
provide equal rights for lesbian and gay couples who want to enter
into the civil institution of marriage.
AB 221- Divesting from Iran - (Assemblymember Joel Anderson,
R-San Diego) would require the California Public Employees
Retirement System and the State Teacher's Retirement System, with
combined holdings of nearly $400 billion, to remove their money from
any foreign company doing business in Iran. American companies are
already barred from such dealings.
AB 374 - Compassionate Choices - (Speaker Fabian Nunez D-Los
Angeles & Assemblymembers Patty Berg D- Eureka & Lloyd
Levine D-Van Nuys) would allow terminally ill adults to obtain
prescription medicine to end their lives. The bill would be limited
to mentally competent patients who have six months or less to live.
They would be required to make both oral and written requests, be
informed of other options, and wait through a cooling-off period
before being given the medication they request.
SB 840 - California Universal Healthcare Act (Senator Sheila
Kuehl) would insure every Californian with comprehensive healthcare
coverage; guarantee our right to choose our own doctors; control the
cost of healthcare; lower the cost of prescription drugs and
preserve the private competitive character of medical care
provision. SB 840 would provide comprehensive medical, dental,
vision, hospitalization and prescription drug coverage to every
California resident. | |
