California Family Minute
December 8, 2010
Reruns and Placeholders
by Rebecca Burgoyne,
CFC Research Analyst
Smiles, family, camaraderie, optimism and congratulations filled the Capitol Monday, as 100-plus new and returning California legislators congregated to take the oath of office and begin the work of the 2011-2012 California Legislature.
Getting down to business, legislators introduced 131 proposals, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called a special session to deal with California’s budget deficit, expected to top $25.4 billion in the next 18 months. Any promises to listen to the governor’s proposals evaporated when the Democrat majority heard the rehash of cuts they’d previously rejected. Underscoring their unwillingness to consider the proposal, Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles) convened the special session and promptly sent Assembly members home until January 3, 2011.
One proposal in the governor’s budget plan may get some traction in January. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) expressed interest in a complicated transfer of vehicle-weight fees that would free up $1.57 billion over the next 18 months, indicating legislators still weren’t ready to put gimmicks and fuzzy accounting to rest.
The budget was a theme in many of the measures introduced Monday. As promised, Democrats introduced legislation to re-institute social-service programs vetoed by the governor last October. Other measures dealt with ballot-box budgeting by putting restrictions on costs associated with voter-passed initiatives. Still other budget reform measures were failed proposals from past years, which may again be unsuccessful getting through committees.
Other “rerun” measures failed last year and have returned for another shot. Legislators often introduce identical or re-written language, hoping for a different result. Assemblyman Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) has introduced AB 13, which would prevent persons convicted of sex or substance offenses from volunteering at school activities, similar to last year’s failed AB 2034. Another repeat is SB 13, which would authorize a school district to provide teen dating violence-prevention education as part of the sexual health and health education program it provides to grades 7 to 12.
One new bill, seemingly “torn from the headlines” is SB 5, authored by Sen. Tom Harman (R-Costa Mesa). This bill would compel the state attorney general to defend a voter-passed initiative if it is challenged in court, although it comes too late for supporters of Proposition 8, who watched with disbelief when both the governor and attorney general refused to defend the marriage-protection initiative in the federal courts and questioned how the will of 7 million voters could be ignored.
Many new proposals are simply what are known as “intent” or spot bills, in which placeholder language is introduced, to be fleshed out later during the legislative process. One “intent” bill introduced Monday by openly homosexual Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) says simply, “It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to protect pupils from acts of bullying by requiring school personnel to report known or suspected instances of bullying to law enforcement entities.” Bullying is a serious problem and inflicts untold pain on children and families, and it should be punished. While no child should be harassed or bullied, the issues surrounding bullying in the schools have been politicized and serve as a vehicle for homosexual activists to get the leverage they desire for teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity. In its present form, AB 9 is not necessarily a threat, but it merits watching as it is fleshed out. (For more information on the issue of politicized bullying in the schools, see Focus on the Family’s truetolerance.org Web site.)
Democrats now outnumber Republicans 52-28 in the Assembly and 24-14 in the Senate, and will dominate policy issues – tempered only by fiscal constraints and public opinion. (The Senate currently has two vacancies, with a third expected when one senator leaves office for another elected post.) California Family Council will monitor legislation and keep you informed on the issues important to you and your family. It is our hope that citizens will become more active this year than ever before, pressuring legislators on each and every bill that threatens family life. Hang on for the ride! These re-runs are not boring affairs.
Reruns and Placeholders
by Rebecca Burgoyne,
CFC Research Analyst
Smiles, family, camaraderie, optimism and congratulations filled the Capitol Monday, as 100-plus new and returning California legislators congregated to take the oath of office and begin the work of the 2011-2012 California Legislature.
Getting down to business, legislators introduced 131 proposals, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called a special session to deal with California’s budget deficit, expected to top $25.4 billion in the next 18 months. Any promises to listen to the governor’s proposals evaporated when the Democrat majority heard the rehash of cuts they’d previously rejected. Underscoring their unwillingness to consider the proposal, Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles) convened the special session and promptly sent Assembly members home until January 3, 2011.
One proposal in the governor’s budget plan may get some traction in January. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) expressed interest in a complicated transfer of vehicle-weight fees that would free up $1.57 billion over the next 18 months, indicating legislators still weren’t ready to put gimmicks and fuzzy accounting to rest.
The budget was a theme in many of the measures introduced Monday. As promised, Democrats introduced legislation to re-institute social-service programs vetoed by the governor last October. Other measures dealt with ballot-box budgeting by putting restrictions on costs associated with voter-passed initiatives. Still other budget reform measures were failed proposals from past years, which may again be unsuccessful getting through committees.
Other “rerun” measures failed last year and have returned for another shot. Legislators often introduce identical or re-written language, hoping for a different result. Assemblyman Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) has introduced AB 13, which would prevent persons convicted of sex or substance offenses from volunteering at school activities, similar to last year’s failed AB 2034. Another repeat is SB 13, which would authorize a school district to provide teen dating violence-prevention education as part of the sexual health and health education program it provides to grades 7 to 12.
One new bill, seemingly “torn from the headlines” is SB 5, authored by Sen. Tom Harman (R-Costa Mesa). This bill would compel the state attorney general to defend a voter-passed initiative if it is challenged in court, although it comes too late for supporters of Proposition 8, who watched with disbelief when both the governor and attorney general refused to defend the marriage-protection initiative in the federal courts and questioned how the will of 7 million voters could be ignored.
Many new proposals are simply what are known as “intent” or spot bills, in which placeholder language is introduced, to be fleshed out later during the legislative process. One “intent” bill introduced Monday by openly homosexual Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) says simply, “It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to protect pupils from acts of bullying by requiring school personnel to report known or suspected instances of bullying to law enforcement entities.” Bullying is a serious problem and inflicts untold pain on children and families, and it should be punished. While no child should be harassed or bullied, the issues surrounding bullying in the schools have been politicized and serve as a vehicle for homosexual activists to get the leverage they desire for teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity. In its present form, AB 9 is not necessarily a threat, but it merits watching as it is fleshed out. (For more information on the issue of politicized bullying in the schools, see Focus on the Family’s truetolerance.org Web site.)
Democrats now outnumber Republicans 52-28 in the Assembly and 24-14 in the Senate, and will dominate policy issues – tempered only by fiscal constraints and public opinion. (The Senate currently has two vacancies, with a third expected when one senator leaves office for another elected post.) California Family Council will monitor legislation and keep you informed on the issues important to you and your family. It is our hope that citizens will become more active this year than ever before, pressuring legislators on each and every bill that threatens family life. Hang on for the ride! These re-runs are not boring affairs.
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