Politics & Government

Legislative Wrap-Up: Afghanistan Visit, Transportation Ballot Measures, Veterans Benefits Backlog

Some of the activity this past week in Sacramento and Washington involving East Bay elected officials

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) returned from a four-day trip to Afghanistan, where he talked with East Bay soldiers and was briefed by intelligence officials on the situation in Afghanistan and Syria.

Swalwell was part of a congressional delegation led by House Armed Services Committee senior Democrat Adam Smith.

Swalwell also announced a $150,000 federal grant for Sandstone Diagnostics of Livermore to develop equipment to rapidly detect neonatal sepsis, a blood infection, in newborns.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) announced a $2.7 million federal grant for Techbridge of Oakland to expand education opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math to girls in grades 5 to 12.

The state Senate Appropriations Committee approved five bills by state Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont).

The bills now move to the Senate floor. Among the legislation is funding for the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. 

Gov. Jerry Brown signed another bill by Wieckowski that allows Alameda and Contra Costa counties to put measures on the ballot that fund transportation infrastructure improvements.

The bill, AB 210, authorizes the counties to go above the 2 percent limit on additional sales tax increases if voters approve future transportation measures.

Four bills by state Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) were approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will move to the Senate for consideration.

The bills deal with healthy building practices, inmate rehabilitation, workplace safety and firearms ammunition.

Two bills by state Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) were approved by the Senate and Assembly.

AB 908 would give the Department of Motor Vehicles the tools to prevent identity theft, counterfeiting and consumer fraud.

AB 884 would grant county sheriffs more flexibility in determining parole for inmates.

Both bills now head to the governor's desk.

Gov. Jerry Brown did sign Bonilla's bill to protect children involved in youth sports activities. AB 465 clarifies that all California youth sports programs are authorized to conduct criminal background checks on volunteer coaches.

The governor also signed a bill by Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) that strengthens workplace and labor protections for California employees.

SB 776 clarifies the requirements for fringe benefits by closing loopholes in current wage laws.

Another bill by Corbett was also signed by the governor. SB 107 ensures that local law enforcement agencies will continue to receive Violence Against Women Act funding for costs for sexual assault medical examinations.

A bill involving public works projects authored by state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) has been sent to the governor's desk. SB 425 was approved by the state Assembly last week. It would set standards for peer reviews on California public works projects.

Conditions in California prisons will be topic of public hearings announced by state Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) and state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco).

The hearings will take place this fall and will examine the conditions that have led to an ongoing prison hunger strike.

Steelworkers and East Bay community groups held a rally in front of Sen. Hancock's office on Friday.

They want the senator to make changes in Senate Bill 54, which she authored. They say the bill will cause 5,000 steelworkers to lose their jobs while putting at risk the safety of communities near refineries.

A town hall meeting on health care will be held in Fremont on Tuesday evening by Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose).

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Fremont Senior Center, 40086 Paseo Padre Parkway. Topics will include the implementation in California of the federal Affordable Care Act.

Sen. Corbett announced her intention to work with federal officials to help reduce the backlog on claims filed by California veterans.

“California’s veterans have sacrificed to defend our country and deserve to receive every benefit that they have rightfully earned in their courageous service,” said. Corbett. “In the letter that I sent to federal representatives, I offer to work collaboratively with them to ensure that the claims backlog is dealt with quickly and efficiently."

State Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis) also voiced her support for efforts to reduce the backlog.

“We need to ensure that we are using all local, state, federal and private resources as efficiently as possible to meet the needs of the men and women who have served our country," said Wolk.

Congresswoman Lee announced her support for fast-food and retail workers who held a one-day strike to highlight their demands for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

“To rebuild our economy and expand the middle class we need to put more money into the pockets of workers in fast-growing, low-wage jobs by creating a living wage," said the Oakland Democrat. "Our goal cannot simply be to increase the minimum wage, but rather, establish a living wage, with the dignity of benefits to achieve a good standard of living to afford the basics while working one full-time job."

Assemblywoman Skinner also announced her support for the minimum wage workers.

"Fast food CEOs have super-sized salaries, while their workers earn unlivable wages, wages that can’t support their own families," said Skinner. "A single mom in Oakland with two school-age children needs to earn more than $50,000 to make ends meet, while the average fast food worker only earns between $10,000 and $18,000 a year. Families deserve a living wage. It’s just wrong for McDonald’s and others to ignore this inequity.”

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa)
announced his support for the new director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as the White House's new executive actions to reduce gun violence.

“Today, the White House has once again taken important steps that will help reduce and prevent gun violence," said Thompson. "Now, Congress needs to act. Congress cannot continue standing by and doing nothing when more than 30 people are killed every day by someone using a gun."

Thompson has co-authored H.R. 1565, which would require anyone purchasing a weapon at a gun show or over the Internet get a background check.


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