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AUGUST 2007
IN THIS ISSUE Assemblymember Mike Eng Has First Bill Signed By Governor Assemblymember Mike Eng Introduces Measure To Designate June As Hate Crimes Awareness Month Assemblymember Mike Eng Takes Alternate Fuel Vehicle For A Spin Assemblymember Mike Eng Visits Communities On National Night Out Assemblymember Mike Eng Takes Part In 4th Of July Festivites |
WELCOME MESSAGE Hello, and welcome to my monthly E-Newsletter. As you may already know, I was elected to the California State Assembly last November to represent the 49th District, which includes the eastern Los Angeles County cities of Alhambra, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, and South El Monte. Immediately after being sworn into office, I made it one of my top priorities to reach out and connect with as many constituents as possible. It is my hope that this newsletter will help me in meeting that objective. If you would like to receive updates such as this on a regular basis, please visit my website at http://www.assembly.ca.gov/eng and click on the link, "Sign-Up for E-Updates." I hope you enjoy reading my e-newsletter. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Assemblymember.Eng@assembly.ca.gov if I can be of assistance to you. Sincerely, MIKE ENG ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIKE ENG HAS FIRST BILL SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) had his first bill signed into law on July 12, 2007, by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. AB 1698, which is sponsored by the State Controller's Office (SCO), fixes a discrepancy in existing law related to student truancy and absenteeism. The definition of student truancy and student absenteeism was changed from four days to three full days of absences in 1995. However, the Commission on State Mandates (CSM) did not amend their parameters and guidelines within their statute of limitations. The inconsistency was problematic and forced the SCO to recover reimbursements from school districts when the districts were meeting the requirements set forth under the state's truancy law. "AB 1698 simply streamlines the laws that govern our schools," stated Assemblymember Eng. "This ensures that all schools in California get properly reimbursed when reporting truancy." ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIKE ENG INTRODUCES MEASURE TO DESIGNATE JUNE AS HATE CRIMES AWARENESS MONTH
On June 22, 2007, Assemblymember Mike Eng, Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Hate Crimes, along with numerous civil rights organizations, held a press conference to announce the introduction of a resolution that would designate June as Hate Crimes Awareness Month. Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 51, joint-authored by Assemblymember Mike Eng and Assemblymember Todd Spitzer (R-Orange), is sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Community Service Program (CSP) / Victim Witness Program of Orange County. Assemblymembers Eng and Spitzer selected June as the month to memorialize all victims of hate crimes, including Vincent Chin, a Chinese American who was beaten to death with a baseball bat in Detroit by two Caucasian unemployed autoworkers who blamed Asians for the layoff of American autoworkers. "By designating the month of June as Hate Crimes Awareness Month, we will be sending a strong message to the growing number of hate groups that acts of violence and prejudice on the basis of race, ethnic background, national origin, religious belief, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation will not be tolerated in California," stated Chairman Eng. Also present at the conference were speakers from the ADL, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the CSP Victim Witness Program, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Equality California, the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the California Sikh Council. Charlene Lovett, mother of Cheryl Green and founder of the Cheryl Green Foundation was also present to share her story. ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIKE ENG TAKES ALTERNATE FUEL VEHICLE FOR A SPIN
On July 27, 2007, Assemblymember Mike Eng attended the BMW Hydrogen 7 Test Drive Event at the New Century BMW in the City of Alhambra, where he had the opportunity to test drive the new line of vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel. State Board of Equalization Vice-Chair Judy Chu was also present to test drive the clean energy car in an effort to promote a healthy environment and cleaner, alternate forms of energy. ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIKE ENG VISITS COMMUNITIES ON NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
Assemblymember Mike Eng joined local leaders, law enforcement agencies, and residents throughout the 49th Assembly District in promoting the 24th Annual National Night Out (NNO), which is a crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. NNO is specifically designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partners; heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; and generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs. One of Assemblymember Eng's first stops included a visit to the City of San Gabriel, where residents organized over 35 block parties to promote the event and raise public awareness. "It is truly impressive to see this level of excitement and involvement," stated Eng. "Active participation in events such as this goes a long way in keeping our communities safe." Assemblymember Eng then attended the NNO community Open House at the Rosemead Public Safety Center, which was organized by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department - Temple Station. Members of the public were invited to meet their law enforcement officers and to tour the facility. The day ended with Assemblymember Eng attending NNO events in the cities of Alhambra and South El Monte. At both events, Assemblymember Eng spoke with residents about the importance of neighbors looking out for each other's safety and encouraged them to report suspicious activities to local law enforcement agencies. ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIKE ENG TAKES PART IN 4th of JULY FESTIVITES
On the 231st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Assemblymember Mike Eng celebrated the 4th of July by taking part in a number of events and activities throughout the 49th Assembly District, ranging from picnics to parades. Assemblymember Eng first participated in the City of Rosemead July 4th Independence Parade and City Anniversary Festival. After a three-year hiatus, the City of Rosemead, along with the help of residents, decided to bring back this memorable event. Also present at the parade were State Board of Equalization Vice-Chair Judy Chu, the Rosemead City Council, Garvey School Board of Education, and a long line of community organizations. The Independence Day/City Anniversary Festival followed immediately and ended with an impressive fireworks show at dusk. In the City of San Gabriel, the 4th of July was celebrated with its first parade down the historic San Gabriel Mission District and picnic. In addition to Assemblymember Eng, the parade was also joined by Congressman Adam Schiff, State Senator Jack Scott, the San Gabriel City Council, and the San Gabriel Police and Fire Departments. The parade concluded at the San Gabriel Archangel where the city hosted a picnic with free food, drinks, and entertainment. Assemblymember Eng then joined the City of Monterey Park's 4th of July festivities at Barnes Park, along with members of the City Council. This year's theme was "Celebrate America" where the city took time to honor military families for their unwavering support of our troops. Assemblymember Eng also attended the annual parade organized by the City of San Marino. In attendance were San Marino City Council members, San Marino Unified School District Superintendent Gary Woods and various club and youth organizations. The parade route ended at Lacy Park where numerous families gathered for a firework show. ASSEMBLYMEMBER ENG 2007 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Assemblymember Eng continues to work on legislation that will improve the lives of Californians. Listed below are summaries of some of the bills that Assemblymember Eng has authored in this year's legislative session. For more information on all of Assemblymember Eng's bills, please visit http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/, the official website for California legislative information. AB 231 - Protecting the State 911 Emergency System: This bill will ensure that every Californian will continue to have access to our 911 emergency response systems. Since its inception in 1975, the state has been collecting a small surcharge from each telephone consumer in order to pay for the 911 emergency telecommunications system we depend on for emergency response and public safety services, such as fire, police and paramedics. However, in June 2006, the Internal Revenue Service and federal courts overturned a federal excise tax on communications services that is similar to the California surcharge that funds the 911 system. AB 231 will ensure that this federal action will not jeopardize the state's existing 911 system funding mechanism. AB 969 - California Use Tax Compliance: This bill would raise public awareness of the California use tax and increase compliance among the growing number of consumers that are turning to electronic commerce. According to the Board of Equalization, California loses over $1 billion every year as a result of unreported use tax from the purchase of electronic and mail-order goods. By increasing compliance and capturing a portion of that unreported tax revenue, we could help prevent the unnecessary elimination and reduction of core state services, such as CalWORKS, public transportation, and assistance for the blind, disabled and elderly. Assembly Bill 1610 - Transparency in Oil Refinery Operations: This bill provides more transparency into the process by which oil refineries schedule and conduct routine maintenance. With a limited number of oil refineries in California, the refineries hold position of market power and may possess the ability to affect the prices of gasoline by intentionally limiting supply. If the oil companies choose to intentionally shut down a refinery, they could create a supply shortage in California and artificially drive up gasoline prices. Specifically, AB 1610 increases requirements for state oil refineries to report on planned maintenance schedules, how often oil refinery facilities go offline, and why these facilities are offline. This measure is co-authored with Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez. To express support for Assemblymember Mike Eng's legislation, please call (626) 450-6116.
CONTACT ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIKE ENG We invite everyone to visit our website, http://www.assembly.ca.gov/eng to keep up to date on district and Capitol news and events. You can also email me at Assemblymember.Eng@assembly.ca.gov. District Office: Capitol Office: |
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