FLASHREPORT

Yesterday, showed exactly why it is hard to get things done in Sacramento . Senate Bill 399 would overturn a voter approved initiative and allow the state to re-sentence violent juveniles that have been sentenced to life without parole. Needless to say this has been controversial. As it came to the floor of the Assembly, it was clear the bill didn’t have the votes to pass.

This particular piece of bad legislation has had so many lives I have nearly lost count.  I first encountered this public safety nightmare in 2009 when it came before the Assembly Public Safety Committee of which I am vice chair.  At that time the committee believed SB 399 was a bad idea and it did not garner the votes to pass.

Fast forward to January 2010 during a month when the legislature is focused on getting two year bills out of their house of origin and anomaly appeared on the Assembly Public Safety agenda, SB 399, a Senate bill.  Apparently the make up of the committee suited the author better and he didn’t what to risk another shake up in such favorable membership. 

We took our first floor vote on SB 399 on August 16, 2010 the final tally 34 Ayes to 30 Noes with two Democrats and one Independent voting no.  Reconsideration is granted.

The second time the full Assembly votes on SB 399, August 24, 2010, the bill managed to pull in and additional eight no votes, failing 34-38.  Reconsideration is granted.

Yesterday was the third and, thankfully, final time SB 399 came up for a vote before our house.  The roll is held open for a full forty-five minutes while the author and his allies attempt to beg, plead, cajole and strong arm support for a bill that will give convicted first degree murderers a chance at to walk out of prison early.  Finally, after all this high drama the bill failed at 9:45 pm on the second to the last day of session with 33 votes in support and 38 votes in opposition.  

In Sacramento , somehow, this is considered a good use of legislative time and resources. 

SB 399 had a fair hearing, in fact it had several, and the members of this house said, “No,” to this terrible and dangerous idea.  Now it needs to stay dead.    

Today every member of the State Assembly will have a choice between freedom and big government.

Today is the last day to vote on amendments for the regular session of the State Assembly.

SB 810 is Senator Leno’s gigantic single payer health system that dismantles private insurance and gives control over you health to the State. It is worse than what was passed by Congress and will drive jobs and businesses out of state with new taxes.

Today I will propose an amendment that would replace this socialized health care scheme with language that would protect our freedom from Washington D.C. ’s health care plan the language is similar to Virginia ’s that is working its way through the courts.

There will most likely be a motion to lay these amendments on the table. Any lawmaker that votes to table this amendment will be on record opposing freedom in health care for Californians. 

Check out the debate during session on Cal Channel

Over the Fourth of July one could not help think of the brave few men who took on the greatest empire on the Earth in order to be free. It is no coincidence that after gaining independence the Founders went about guaranteeing God given rights from a potentially tyrannical new government. 

The Second Amendment and the right to bear arms guaranteed the First amendment and all others.

Recently over the last couple years and just last month the United State Supreme Court has struck down laws that infringed on that right.
Unfortunately, the California State Legislature hasn't gotten the message about protecting our freedoms.

Below are three bills that passed the State Assembly (over my objections in committee and on the floor). These bills are now awaiting action in the State Senate. While the Senate is on a break, find your State Senator and tell them to vote for freedom and against these three bills.

AB1934 seeks to punish citizens for engaging in the legal act of openly carrying an unloaded handgun.  If California had a reasonable concealed carry law that was consistent and fair there would be no need for citizens to carry a gun in open. 

AB2223 seeks to outlaw the use of lead shot when shooting or hunting in state-run wildlife management areas.  Anti-hunting groups want to make it harder to hunt and this bill would do it.

AB1810 seeks to establish a Canadian style registration system, similar to the one currently in place for handguns, for all newly-acquired long guns.  Under AB1810 require the Attorney General to keep the make, model and serial number of the firearm as well as the identifying information of the purchaser on file. If only the British had such a list!

This bill would increase state cost and do nothing to keep guns out of the hands of real criminals.

Now is the time to stand for freedom. Remember what our Founders fought for.

Former Local Elected Wants Every Penny He Is and Isn't Entitled To

Becoming an elected official is something I am very proud of, serving my community is a decision I made with the encouragement of my family because I believed I had something to give back first to Chino Hills and now the state. 

This is why I find it particularly disgusting when a representative repays his community by attempting to squeeze every possible dollar he can get out of it.

I have requested the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee, of which I am a member, to begin an investigation into the California Employment Development Department's payment of $11,250 to a former city councilman from Rosemead, CA, John Núñez, who filed the claim after he lost a re-election bid in March of this year. 

Perhaps the California Employment Development Department (EDD) should be familiar with the Unemployment Insurance Code.  The law is very clear on this issue; Section 634.5 renders elected officials ineligible for unemployment benefits.  Despite this fairly strait forward bit of code the EDD approved the claim over the city's objections. 

My fear is this is the tip of a large and costly iceberg.  Fraudulent or improper unemployment claims place additional strain on the businesses attempting to remain in California.  In this particular case it is costing local government precious resources in a difficult economic time.  This money needs to be returned to the city of Rosemead and EDD needs to be held to a higher level of accountability for its decisions.

This mistake should never have happened and it is my job as an elected official to ensure it doesn't happen again. 

My assignment to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee has given me the unique opportunity to delve into the inner workings of California state government.  Recently an investigation completed by the California State Auditors Office crossed my desk or inbox as the case may be.  This report concluded that poor internal controls in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facilities are responsible for several instances of overpayment to employees for inmate supervision. 

From March 2008 through February 2009 the State Auditor found five of the six facilities examined overpaid employees who did not meet the requirement for extra pay totaling a lost to the state of $34,512.  Using this data it was concluded by the State Auditor as much as $588,512 was overpaid statewide during the same twelve-month period. 

This is exactly the kind of waste the state cannot afford right now.  Occurrences like these in previous years were a nuisance but could be considered budget dust, money not amounting enough to be concerned about, but now when we are cutting deeply into the Healthcare and Social Services of the most vulnerable of our state's citizenry every penny counts.  Overpaying employees because a facility and supervisors could not be bothered to ensure its own protocols are being followed is lazy in the best of times and theft from those who truly need it now when the state is in crisis. 

It is my hope that these errors, having been brought to light, will be corrected by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations.  It is very difficult for me to understand why every state department has not taking responsibility for its budget in this time of economic crisis to ensure they are not wasting the little revenue the state still has available.

It is time for all those charged with governance of California to take responsibility for improving the current circumstances.  This duty rests squarely on the shoulders of the civil servants and state workers as much as it does the heads of departments and elected officials.  If we in the legislature are working so hard to save their jobs the least we can ask is that they do them. 

There is no magic wand to be waved to solve California's problems.  It is and always has been the greatness of the people of California that make our state such a desirable place to live; their drive and determination for excellence made us great and will again all we need to do is ask.  I am asking now join me to make California the Golden State once more.

The Governor has asked the Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate ACORN. Based on the video sting in San Bernardino and San Diego that is a good first start.

Congress just cut off funds to ACORN. But, the question I have gotten over the last few days is what does ACORN get from the state. ACORN is made up of an array of organizations. Some of this organizations may be getting funds from various agencies may be granting them funds for "outreach", housing, voter registration etc... 

I asked the Governor to find out if money is going from these agencies to ACORN and if it is shut it off. Of course we shouldn't fund these types of groups with state dollars to begin with. But, we should be able to stop this one.

The big question looming out there for vendors and people who receive money from the state, and for the record way too many people do, is who will accept IOU's?

Banks haven't made up there minds. They may be waiting to see what the interest rate will be. Golden State Credit Union will take the warrants; they after all cater to government employees.

I have co-authored AB 1506 that would allow the recipients of IOUs from the state to use the warrants as payment for state services. 

Today, I attended a press conference organized by Assembly Bill 1506 Author Assemblyman Joel Anderson.

If IOU's are going to be issued by the state, the state should take them as payments. The DMV should take them, California State universities should take them, the Board of Equalization should take them etc...

If California wants banks to take them, shouldn't California government do the same?

Think of the all the interest California will save and besides they are safe bet, right?