What's Inside...

Welcome Message

Bills on the Move

More Money For Freeways

Good Deeds and Accomplishments Should Not Go Unnoticed

Education Tip

District Office VIP Open House

Photo Album

About Assemblyman Solorio

District Office:
2400 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 640
Anaheim, CA 92806
Tel: (714) 939-8469
Fax: (714) 939-8986

Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0069
Tel: (916) 319-2069
Fax: (916) 319-2169

Contact Assemblyman Jose Solorio

Sign up for Assemblyman Jose Solorio's
E-Newsletter.

Being a State Assemblyman is definitely a full-time job. In the first three months of the New Year, I participated in more than 500 meetings and events, including breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, office meetings, community events, and dinners.

Public Safety Chairman Solorio presides over the first meeting of the Public Safety Committee.

I am pleased with how my bill package and work is progressing, but I always welcome any input you may have on how I can better serve the community. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Assemblymember.solorio@assembly.ca.gov if I can ever assist you with any state matters.

Sincerely,

Jose Solorio
State Assemblyman

Bills on the Move

School Safety Bill Advances To Appropriations Committee: The Assembly Public Safety Committee approved AB 352 (Solorio). This bill would create criminal penalties for bringing a gun to school that expels nonmetallic BBs or pellets (i.e., plastic or ceramic projectiles). The bill, which is sponsored by the Peace Officers Research Association of California, is necessary to update the penal code because many of these new guns are extremely dangerous even though they do not fire metallic projectiles. The guns are marketed like toys, but they do not belong in schools. All schools need to be safe learning environments.

Assembly Higher Education Committee Approves Transparency in College Textbook Publishing Practices Act: Despite opposition from textbook publishers, the Assembly Higher Education Committee voted to approve AB 1548 (Solorio). The bill seeks to reduce textbook prices for college and graduate students by adding more transparency to the textbook publishing and pricing process.

According to a 2005 report by the General Accounting Office (GAO), college textbook prices increased by 186% between 1986 and 2004—nearly triple the rate of inflation over the same period.

This bill would prohibit the sale of any textbook on a public university campus until certain transparency requirements are met by the publishers:

• The price difference between bundled textbooks and the same unbundled textbooks (bundles commonly include items that increase the price but are not used by students).
  
  
• The substantive differences between new and prior editions of textbooks.
  
  
• Estimates of how long new editions of textbooks will remain in print.
  
  
• Disclosure of any compensation provided to faculty or administrators as inducement to adopt particular books.

Assembly Votes To Approve Resolution Opposing Federal Government’s Proposed Increase In Citizenship Fees: The California State Assembly recently approved Assembly Joint Resolution 18 (Solorio), which calls on President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress to oppose the proposed 69% fee increase in the cost that legal immigrants would pay to undergo the naturalization process to become U.S. citizens. The resolution is now being considered in the Senate.

“As an immigrant myself, who is the son and grandson of farm workers, I know first-hand how hard it is for working families to come up with the money to complete the naturalization process. Naturalization fees have been soaring since 1991, when newcomers paid $90 to apply for U.S. citizenship. The proposed fee increase will put citizenship out of reach for many families,” Assemblyman Solorio said.

On January 31, 2007, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a proposal that would raise the fees for beginning the naturalization process from $400 to $675—an increase of 69%. The USCIS anticipates that the fee hike would go into effect in June 2007. There are at least 2.3 million legal permanent residents in California who are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship, and nearly two-thirds (64%) of these households have annual incomes that are less than $25,000 a year, according to 2000 Census data.

More Money For Freeways

Assemblyman Solorio makes the case for more freeway money for Orange County freeways before the California Transportation Commission.

This is the most money Orange County has ever received from a state transportation bond, and the first time it received its fair share.

Assemblyman Solorio, who serves on the Assembly Transportation Committee, personally gathered the signatures of all other Orange County Assemblymembers for letters sent to the Governor and CTC. He also testified before the CTC at two hearings in February, in support of funding for these vital local projects.

Orange County transportation projects the CTC approved for funding:

Good Deeds And Accomplishments Should Not Go Unnoticed

Congratulations to Armando Esparza, the business manager at Laborers Local 652, for being appointed as president of the Southern California District Council of Laborers. It is rare when an Orange County labor leader gets to represent all of Southern California. Esparza will surely do a great job.

Special thanks to the Reverend Michael Khai-Hoan Mai, Director of the Vietnamese Catholic Community Center in Santa Ana and Ken Nguyen, organizer of the First Annual Tet Festival of Flowers, for making this year’s Santa Ana festival a great success. The nine-day festival to celebrate the Lunar New Year was estimated to have drawn 10,000 people.

Education Tip

Given the rising costs of college, paying for a child’s higher education expenses can appear to be a daunting task. However, new investment programs like ScholarShare can help parents at any level of income begin saving for their child’s college education, even if their student is already in high school.

ScholarShare is the state’s 529 Plan college savings program. It allows your investment to grow federal income and state income tax-free, as long as its funds are used to pay for college expenses. For more information, visit http://www.scholarshare.com.

Who is eligible?

Any United States resident over 18 years old with a Social Security number or a Tax ID number can open a 529 Plan account to save for a student’s qualified college expenses. There are no restrictions on income or age of beneficiary, so adults can use the savings to pay for their own higher education expenses as well.

What are the fees and requirements?

There are no account maintenance fees. You can start saving with as little as a $15 initial investment, if you sign up for automatic investments of $15 a month. Otherwise, the minimum initial investment is only $50.

What expenses qualify?

Savings from a ScholarShare account can be used for tuition, books, and other educational expenses at most accredited two and four year colleges and universities, vocational and technical schools nationwide, and eligible foreign institutions.

Photo Album

Mike Tardif, owner of Santa Ana-based Tardif Sheet Metal, and Abigale Tardif meet with Assemblyman Solorio in the Capitol Office.	Orange County Firefighters pay Assemblyman Solorio a visit in his Capitol Office to discuss public safety issues.
Assemblyman Solorio goes over some of his legislation with former Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly, who is now the Orange County Clerk-Recorder, and Daly’s colleague Jean Pasco.	Assemblyman Solorio greets Santa Ana kindergarten students at the March 23rd KinderCaminata at Santa Ana College. KinderCaminata encourages students to strive for higher education by exposing them at an early age to the types of careers possible with a college degree.
Assemblyman Solorio marches at the 7th Annual Santa Ana Cesar E. Chavez State Holiday Celebration held on March 24th at Cesar Chavez Campesino Park. The event featured a community fair, food, fun, entertainment and speakers on the Legacy of Cesar E. Chavez.

Prior to joining the Assembly, Solorio served on the Santa Ana City Council and worked for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). Solorio has an inspirational personal story to tell. He is the son and grandson of farm workers and grew up working in the fields and orchards of the Central Valley. His parents are humble people who taught him simple lessons: “Study hard. Work hard. Treat everyone equally. Take care of your family.” As your Assemblyman, Solorio plans to stay true to those values as he writes laws and engages in the political debate in Sacramento.

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