I began 2009 as your Assemblymember representing the 51st Assembly District. However, in January of this year, I announced that I would run for the open Senate seat in the 26th Senate District vacated by Mark Ridley-Thomas who was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. On May 19, 2009, thanks to your support, I was elected to represent the 26th Senate District, receiving over 70 percent of the votes cast. Thank you.
As you know, while in the Assembly, I focused on holding relevant and vitally important events in my district and also concentrated on introducing a legislative package to aid small businesses, enable 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, protect California’s Horse Racing Industry and provide billing protections for healthcare recipients in the state’s Medi-Cal program. Upon my election to the Senate, I continued to navigate my Assembly bills through the legislative process determined to have these bills signed into law. I am proud to say that my 2009 legislative agenda secured Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signature and will now become law on January 1, 2010.
My landmark legislation to pre-register teens to vote when they turn 17-years of age has also become law. AB 30 enables young people to gain an early start in the process of becoming first-time voters; a civic duty these teens would be encouraged to continue throughout their lives.
AB 31, will now enable small businesses to compete for state contracts as high as $250,000. Small businesses and disabled veterans business enterprises (DVBE) had been previously limited to $100,000 state contracts.
My staff and I worked hard on AB 246, a bill to ensure that the funds remaining from the takeout of a horse racing contest – after racetrack commissions – are held in trust and are not deemed the property of the racetracks, will now protect quarter horse and harness racing operations in California and provide needed support for satellite wagering facilities during these difficult economic times.
We carried a bill to allow licensed car and truck registration services to process duplicate vehicle certificates of ownership, substitute certificates of title and issue license plates on behalf of their clients, was restored to state statute by the Governor’s signature. AB 873 was a common sense measure that allows licensed registration services to provide a convenient and efficient service to consumers.
AB 1142 addressed the problem of men and women on Medi-Cal being wrongly billed for healthcare services covered by Medi-Cal. When recipients were wrongly billed and could not pay, their unpaid medical bills were referred to collection agencies and the result was often a ruined credit rating. AB 1142 will now require hospitals to share information with their contracted providers regarding Medi-Cal eligibility in cases where they get the information subsequent to the date of service. AB 1142 ensures that unpaid Medi-Cal bills that have been sent to collection agencies are recalled and the Medi-Cal patient’s credit report is corrected. The bill also establishes penalties for healthcare providers who knowingly bill Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
I am also proud to report to you that I played an instrumental role in securing the final votes needed to pass the most significant job-producing bill for Los Angeles County in 2009. I was able to serve as the floor manager for the passage of Assembly Bill X3 81, a measure that will pave the way for construction of a NFL Football stadium and office, retail and restaurant complex in the City of Industry. The 2.9 million square-foot stadium and commercial real estate project is projected to create 12,000 new construction-related jobs for L.A. County. The project will also create an estimated 6,700 permanent new jobs.
Additionally, I strongly supported AB 1422, authored by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg which prevented the disenrollment of nearly 600,000 children in California’s Healthy Families program. Ensuring quality healthcare for our state’s most vulnerable citizens has been a major legislative priority of mine since I began my tenure in the legislature in 2006.
Due to my legislative integrity and passion for introducing legislation that directly benefits California’s youth, students and most vulnerable citizens, the University of California Student Association named me their “2009 Legislator of the Year.” This is an honor that I also received in 2007.
In addition to my legislation responsibilities, I have also assumed a number of committee responsibilities since being sworn into the Senate. I was chose by Senate Leadership to chair and be a member of a range of important legislative committees that reflect his priorities and subject matters of interest. I was selected by President pro Tempore Steinberg to Chair the Legislative Joint Committee on the Arts as well as the Senate Select Committee on Procurement. Furthermore, I was selected to be a member of the Appropriations Committee, the Banking Finance and Insurance Committee, the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee and the Governmental Organization Committee, as well as the Select Committees on Procurement, California’s Horse Racing Industry, California’s Wine Industry, Constitutional Reform, the Census, Improving State Government and Obesity and Diabetes.
When I was not navigating my legislation through the process or sitting in on committee hearings in Sacramento, I was actively engaged in his district, holding informational hearings, industry meetings and community events. I started the 2009 year with a Foreclosure Workshop held on January 31, 2009 in Inglewood, California. Given the housing crisis that both California and the nation were facing, and continue to face today, the workshop aimed to provide those facing potential foreclosure with onsite financial counselling in order to evaluate the homeowner’s situation and create an action plan. Furthermore, these counsellors helped prepare and submit documents to lenders in order to restructure/modify loans to halt the foreclosure process. The event was a success and Los Angeles area residents benefited from the free foreclosure counselling.
Following the success of his Foreclosure Workshop, I decided to continue to provide assistance to members of his community by providing access to informational resources regarding funding for college. You may recall my “Cash For College” workshop was held on February 7, 2009 and was comprised of free workshops to help families fill out CalGrant and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications. Hourly workshops were held every hour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in order to help families properly fill out the applications. CalGrant and FAFSA applications are necessary for college financial aid eligibility and are often filled out incorrectly. My “Cash For College” workshop was an immense success with numerous students and families taking advantage of this free resource.
Along with foreclosure and education assistance, I have remained dedicated to public safety throughout my tenure as a public servant. In the spirit of public safety, I held a Child Safety Event & Mobile District Office on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at the Ladera Shopping Center. Community residents brought their young children to be fingerprinted and were also able to have their car seats inspected for adequate installation. Car Seat Safety Technicians from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) performed the car seat inspections and installations, while Marilyn Weinger from KIDS ARE 1st, along with the LA County Sheriffs Explorers helped families fill out Child Identification (ID) Kits. For the ID Kits the children were fingerprinted and photographed and the photo was then printed and given to the parents on site. Providing for the safety of children has remained a priority for me and I will continue that tradition in 2010.
In March of this year, we focused on the state’s economy and the crisis California faced with unemployment rising to unprecedented levels. On March 20, 2009, I held a major policy round table discussion with business and labor leaders at the California ‘ScienCenter’ to develop a framework for protecting workers vulnerable industries and forging a regional strategy to promote job growth and mitigate the effects of the state’s sustained economic downturn. I was joined at the summit by federal, state and local public policymakers. Economists, academicians, labor leaders, business executives and civic leaders also participated in the Southern California Economic Recovery Summit. Participants discussed ways in which the state can assist in stimulating economic recovery and create new jobs in the Greater Los Angeles area.
The summit was a success and from the outcome, I developed a Workforce Development Taskforce in the 26th Senate District. On August 13, 2009 the Taskforce met for the first-in-a-series of meetings on local job creation at the California Science Center in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park. I along with my dedicated staff began working closely with taskforce members shortly after being sworn-in to produce strategies, plans and economic development programs I believe will promote the creation of as many as 10,000 jobs in the 26th Senate District by the end of 2011. While this is an ambitious goal, I believe it can be achieved in the 26th district. Many are of the opinion that several industries in the 26th District are poised to grow and could begin creating living wage jobs with employee benefits. Industries such as motion pictures, healthcare and high tech are to help lead to our economic turnaround in the months ahead. The taskforce is comprised of eight respected professionals who are hard at work on workforce development efforts in the 26th Senate District. As the new year approaches, I plan to continue my series of meeting with the taskforce to produce stable and realistic workforce development strategies.
Furthermore, in an attempt to promote industries within my district and formulate workforce development strategies, I held meetings with the Executives of the Motion Picture Industry as well as the labor leaders in the industry to discuss their issues and concerns during the current economic crisis taking place both in California and in the nation. First in July and then in November of this year, I sat down with these industry players to discuss how to revitalize an industry that provides nearly 50,000 jobs in the 26th Senate District alone. From these meetings, I, along with the industry leaders formulated next-steps for revitalizing the industry and continuing a positive working relationship that will ensure that these vital jobs stay in the region.
As many of you may know, water issues in California have been a hot-button topic in the legislature. I hosted a special 26th District Water Conservation and Information Resource Fair in August, in partnership with the City of Culver City, Culver City Chamber of Commerce and state and local water agencies at the Culver City Senior Center. The evening event was free and open to the public. The Water Conservation Fair was held to give 26th District residents the latest information on Southern California’s drought conditions and tips for preserving our community’s scare water supplies. More than 100 residents attended the fair with top water resource officials to discuss local water issues and the local impact of drought conditions on neighborhood homes and small businesses. Residents were provided with water conservation tips. Residents living in older homes were strongly encouraged to switch to low-flow, water-using home fixtures like toilets and showerheads to reduce their overall home water consumption.
As a legislator, I recognize my responsibility to making tough legislative decisions in Sacramento. However, I also recognize the importance of staying connected with members of my community and promoting those that do good within them. On August 23, 2009 I honored 51 women who have made significant contributions to the betterment of his community through their work on behalf of others at his 3rd Annual ‘Tribute to SHeroes’ Awards Ceremony. Ms. Loretta Jones of Healthy African American Families received the event’s Rose Award. I received nominations for ‘SHeroes’ selections from local elected officials, chambers of commerce, neighborhood councils, homeowners associations and community residents. Each ‘SHero’ honoree was presented with a special certificate from the California State Senate and one red rose. The event honored women for their special contributions to civic and community life. More than 300 people attended the ceremony, including local elected officials and representatives from the business community.
Shifting my focus to the healthcare debate, I concluded that one voice that appears to have been drowned-out in the continuing debate on national health reform is the viewpoint of small business owners. To address their concerns, I held a Town Hall Meeting on Health Reform and its impact on small business at the USC Galen Center on August 28th, 2009. Health care insurance costs for small firms with 10-or-more employees have skyrocketed in the past 10-years and rates for medical care have more than doubled since 1999, rising by 113%. However, spiraling costs have not meant better health insurance benefits for small business owners or their employees. Our nation’s smaller business employers are forced to pay an average of 18% of profits for health insurance premiums compared to the same benefits our country’s largest firms can purchase at lower cost. Rising healthcare costs during economic recession has only compounded the health insurance problem for small business owners. Small business have been forced to offer fewer health benefits to management and employees or drop costly health coverage altogether. I feel the need for health reform is evident and the time for health reform is now. Therefore I held the Town Hall meeting to listen to the concerns of those that are directly impacted by the rising health care costs. A number of small business owners attended the town hall to address their concerns. As a result, I plan to host a supplemental town hall forum after Federal healthcare legislation has come out of Washington, D.C. to discuss the implication for the small business community.
As the housing crisis continues in California, I felt it was imperative to hold a second mortgage counseling workshop in the 26th Senate District. I joined forces with Bank of America and Chase on November 21, 2009 to come to the aid of thousands of 26th District homeowners who could lose their homes to foreclosure. Certified housing counselors and mortgage loan servicers provided advice, counseling and assistance at the event. Economic recovery and stability remains a top priority for me as I enter into the 2010 legislative session.
In the spirit of the holiday season, I hosted my 1st Annual 26th Senate District Holiday Gathering & Toy Drive at the California African American Museum in Exposition Park on December 17, 2009. All attendees were asked to bring an unwrapped toy for the toy drive and all toys were donated to community organizations in the 26th Senate District. In partnership with community organizations and churches, more than 1,000 toys were distributed to economically disadvantaged communities throughout the district. This year with the help of the Toy Industry Association, Mega Toys, Teresa Peters & Associates, Woodworth Elementary School, Mid City/Exposition Light Rail Transit Employees and everyone who brought a toy to his holiday gathering, we brought holiday cheer to many children and families who might have otherwise gone without during this holiday season.
This year has been full of both challenges and triumphs for the residents of California. It is during this time of reflection that I thank the members of the 26th Senate District for having faith in my ability to bring positive change to my community. I am humbled by my election to the State Senate and pledge to continue working on issues that are of vital importance to both the residents of the 26th Senate District, and to all Californians.
On behalf of myself, family, and staff, I thank you for your support and I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of the 26th Senate District and the people of the State of California in 2010.
Happy New Year’s!
