ASSEMBLYMEMBER KAREN BASS
47TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
For Immediate Release: June 18, 2008
Contact: Richard Stapler
Phone: (916) 319-2047

SACRAMENTO -- On the heels of Legislative Republicans adding to their list of demands to trade for budget votes, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), a half-dozen Assembly Democrats and some of California most respected environmental, worker and disability activists today gathered to condemn the effort.

“When you look at the Republican list of demands that they are going to hold the budget hostage over, here’s what they are really asking for: dirtier air; less access for the disabled, unprotected workers and damaged crops and tourism,” said Speaker Bass. “Well, not on my watch.”

Legislative Republicans want to trade budget votes for:

• Halting the implementation of landmark global warming legislation;
• Rolling back worker protection laws designed to ensure people are paid a fair wage;
• Gutting an effort to ensure cleaner air, particularly in the Central Valley, by stopping the retrofitting of polluting diesel engines;
• Removing legal protections for the disabled to gain access to basic public facilities; and
• Curtailing environmental protections and mitigation for developers.

“Two of the biggest losers in California if temperatures increase due to global warming are our agricultural industry and tourism industry,” continued Speaker Bass. “AB 32 is a job-creating way to fight global warming and usher in a green economy to California.”

Here are links to audio of Speaker Bass and Assembly Budget Committee Chair John Laird: 

Speaker Bass’ entire opening statement to the media. (2:09)

Speaker Bass says the Republican lawmakers are not focused on what’s truly needed to fix the state’s budget.

Speaker Bass says if the Republicans get their way California and Californians would be hurt and the Speaker says she will not stand for it.

Speaker Bass says, unlike the Republicans, Assembly Democrats want to include REAL economic stimulus proposals in the upcoming budget.

Speaker Bass says the Assembly Democrats believe a lottery proposal can be part of a budget solution.

Assembly Budget Committee Chair John Laird’s entire statement to the media. (2:10)

Assembly Budget Committee Chair John Laird says the GOP’s proposals do not fix the state’s budget.

Below are statements from Assemblymembers Kevin de León (D-Los Angles); Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa); Dave Jones (D-Sacramento); Sandré Swanson (D-Oakland) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) who also spoke at the news conference:

Assemblymember de León says cutting back air quality regulations will only increase the health care costs to taxpayers.

Assemblymember Evans, who will be the Assembly Budget Committee Chair next year, says the GOP is clearly trying to hold the budget hostage with their policy related demands.

Assemblymember Jones says rolling back the rights of the disabled is wrong and bad for the economy.

Assemblymember Swanson says there’s no debate over whether the state needs additional revenue to balance the state budget.

Assemblymember Huffman says there are sufficient resources to assist transportation companies comply with the new clean air standards.