This Week Inside the Capitol-April 21, 2010
Maelstrom Erupts in Legislature Over "Controversial" Boy Scouts
by Rebecca Burgoyne, CFC Research Analyst
April 21, 2010
April 21, 2010
Last week, California legislators once again showed their political stripes in a debate over two resolutions – one commending the Boy Scouts on their 100-year anniversary and the other the Girl Scouts. The Girl Scouts were honored; the Boys Scouts were not, buried in a maelstrom of political rhetoric.
Two resolutions were considered in the Assembly Judiciary Committee last Tuesday afternoon. ACR 119 (Assembly Concurrent Resolution) honored the Boy Scouts on their one-hundredth anniversary – for their “achievements and the impact the scouting program has had on youth.” Yet, to read the committee’s analysis, you would think they were talking about a different resolution. “Should the Legislature congratulate the Boy Scouts of America on the anniversary of the granting of its federal congressional charter despite the fact that this organization steadfastly continues to discriminate against individuals because of their sexual orientation or religious views?”, read the analysis.
At least half a dozen times in the last decade, similar attempts to honor the Boy Scouts have been sacrificed on the altar of “tolerance” due to the committee’s unwavering commitment to bow to perceived discrimination. This despite the United States Supreme Court ruling that the Boy Scouts, a private organization, could set their own standards of membership and leadership. Last week, ACR 119 failed in committee by a 3-7 vote.
The same committee was also presented a resolution honoring the Girl Scouts on their 98th anniversary. ACR 46 honored the Girl Scouts for “inspiring millions of girls with the highest of ideals of confidence, courage, and character.” ACR 46 passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee 7-0 on to the Assembly floor.
The difference was the lack of “controversy” in the resolution honoring the Girl Scouts. The resolution itself touts the Girl Scouts' “acceptance” and “tolerance,” including its promotion of diversity regardless of “race, religion, sexual orientation, economic background, national origin, disability, or medical condition." The committee analysis for ACR 46 described this resolution as “a non-controversial resolution which this Committee has consistently passed on a bipartisan basis for many years.” ACR 46 was heard on the Assembly floor, where it passed 48-4, and now heads to the Senate.
Resolutions, which do not have the force of law, are a means by which legislators express their collective opinions on subjects. The liberal bent of our current Legislature is apparent in the subjects on which they focus – from eliminating the federal Defense of Marriage Act (AJR 19) to asking the Internal Revenue Service to treat same-sex partners as married couples. (AJR 29).
RESULTS FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS
Week of April 12, 2010
On the Assembly Floor
ACA 5 – Initiatives: State General Obligation Bonds (Calderon, C., D-Montebello)
Vote Not Taken
ACA 10 – Taxation: Education Finance District: Majority Vote Taxation (Torlakson, D-Antioch)
Vote Not Taken
ACA 13 – Indirect Initiative Process (Hernandez, D-West Covina)
Vote Not Taken
AB 1811 – Drug Paraphernalia (Ammiano, D-San Francisco)
Vote Not Taken
AB 1841 – Special Education: Parental Consent (Buchanan, D-Alamo) SUPPORT
Passed Assembly 71-0; to Senate
AB 2416 – Child Custody: Parent on Military Active Duty (Cook, R-Yucca Valley) SUPPORT
Passed Assembly 71-0; to Senate
AB 2020 – Family Law: Child Paternity (Fletcher, R-San Diego)
Passed Assembly 72-0; to Senate
ACR 82 – Public Education: Discrimination Free Zones (Hall, D-Los Angeles) OPPOSE
Passed Assembly 46-11; to enrollment
AJR 25 – Filipino World War II Veterans: Family Reunification (Furutani, D-Lakewood)
Vote Not Taken
On the Senate Floor
SB 906 – Creates a new Marriage class (Leno, D-San Francisco) OPPOSE
SCA 5 – State Budget: Two-Thirds Vote Exemption for General Fund Appropriations (Hancock, D-Berkeley)
SCA 10 – Statewide Initiative Measure: Legislative Amendment (Ducheny, D-San Diego)
SCA 14 – Initiative Measures: Funding Source (Ducheny, D-San Diego)
SCA 16 – Initiatives: Indirect Initiative: Legislative Review (DeSaulnier, D-Concord)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee – 1:30 p.m.
AB 1779 – Taxation: Cancellation of Indebtedness: Mortgage Debt (Niello, R-Fair Oaks) SUPPORT
to suspense file
AJR 29 – Federal Income Tax: Domestic Partners (Feuer, D-Los Angeles) OPPOSE
Passed 8-0; to Assembly Floor
Senate Business, Professions & Economic Development Committee – 1:30 p.m.
SB 1029 – Hypodermic Needles and Syringes (Yee, D-San Francisco) OPPOSE
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Assembly Judiciary Committee – 9:00 a.m.
AB 2047 – College Admission Policies (Hernandez, D-West Covina)
AB 2700 – Domestic Partnership Registration: Termination (Ma, D-San Francisco)
Assembly Public Safety Committee – 9:00 a.m.
AB 2208 – Sex Offenders: Social Networking Prohibition (Torres, D-Pomona)
Not heard
AB 2212 – Minors: Mental Competency (Fuentes, D-Slymar)
Passed 7-0
AB 2229 – Mandated Child Abuse Reporting (Brownley, D-Woodland Hills)
Passed 7-0
AB 2319 – Human Trafficking: Minors (Swanson, D-Oakland) SUPPORT
Passed 7-0
AB 2339 – Child Abuse Reporting (Smyth, R-Santa Clarita)
Passed 7-0
AB 2380 – Child Abuse Reporting: Hearsay Statements (Lowenthal, B, D-Long Beach) OPPOSE
Passed 7-0
AB 2410 – Child Abuse: Drugs Located at Crime Scenes (Fuller, R-Bakersfield)
Passed 7-0
Senate Public Safety Committee – 9:30 a.m.
SB 1011 – Underage Drinkers: Immunity from Prosecution (Calderon, R., D-Montebello)
Passed 7-0
SB 1037 – Sex Offenses: Penalty Enhancements (Correa, D-Santa Ana) SUPPORT
Failed 2-3
SB 1279 – Commercially Sexually Exploited Minors (Pavley, D-Agoura Hills) SUPPORT
Passed 7-0
Senate Judiciary Committee – 1:00 p.m.
SB 962 – Prisoners: Termination of Parental Rights: Participation (Liu, D-La Canada Flintridge)
Passed 4-0
SB 1361 – Social Networking Internet Sites: Minors Privacy (Corbett, D-San Leandro) SUPPORT
Passed 3-0
Assembly Human Services Committee – 1:30 p.m.
AB 1933 – Foster Children: Education (Brownley, D-Woodland Hills)
Passed 6-0
AB 1943 – Foster Children: Access to Information (Fletcher, R-San Diego)
Not heard
AB 2698 – Foster Youth: Identity Theft (Block, D-San Diego) SUPPORT
Passed 5-0
Senate Human Services Committee – 1:30 p.m.
SB 945 – Juvenile Court Jurisdiction: Services and Benefits (Liu, D-La Canada Flintridge)
Passed 4-0
SB 1353 – Education: Foster Youth (Wright, D-South Central Los Angeles)
Passed 4-0
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Senate Education Committee – 8:30 p.m.
SB 917 – Public College Education: Student Fee Protection Act (Denham, R-Merced)
SB 930 – Student Assessment (Ducheny, D-San Diego)
SB 1300 – Pupils: Teen Dating Violence Prevention (Correa, D-Santa Ana)
SCA 26 – University of California: Mandatory Systemwide Fee System (Denham, R-Merced)
Not heard
Assembly Appropriations Committee – 9:00 a.m.
AB 1758 – Foster Care Wraparound Services Program (Ammiano, D-San Francisco)
Passed 15-0
AB 1852 – Dependent Children: Locating Extended Family Members (Portantino, D-La Canada)
to suspense file
AB 1905 – Foster Care: Funding: Placement Approval (Cook, R-Yucca Valley) SUPPORT
Passed 15-0
AB 2006 – Governmental Linguistics: (Hill, D-San Mateo
to suspense file
AB 2054 – Sex Offenses: Rape: Worktime Credit (Miller, D-Corona)
to suspense file
AB 2363 – Charter Schools: Authorization (Mendoza, D-Artesia) OPPOSE
Passed 11-5
Senate Health Committee – 1:30 p.m.
SB 1064 – Stem Cell Research and Cures Act (Alquist, D-Santa Clara)
Passed 6-0
UPCOMING FLOOR VOTES
Week of April 19, 2010
On the Assembly Floor
AJR 29 – Federal Income Tax: Domestic Partners (Feuer, D-Los Angeles) OPPOSE
AJR 25 – Filipino Veterans: Family Reunification (Furutani, D-Long Beach)
AB 1811 – Drug Paraphernalia (Ammiano, D-San Francisco) OPPOSE
AB 2363 – Charter Schools: Authorization (Mendoza, D-Norwalk) OPPOSE
AB 2380 – Child Abuse Reporting (Lowenthal, D-Long Beach) OPPOSE
AB 1758 – County Wraparound Services Program (Ammiano, D-San Francisco) OPPOSE
AB 1905 – Foster Care: Funding: Placement Approval (Cook, R-Yucaipa) SUPPORT
SB 543 – Minors: Consent to Mental Health Treatment (Leno, D-San Francisco) OPPOSE
On the Senate Floor
SB 840 – Reporting Crimes (Yee, D-San Francisco)
SB 906 – Creates a new Marriage class (Leno, D-San Francisco) OPPOSE
COMMITTEE HEARINGS
Week of April 19, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Assembly Business and Professions Committee, 9:00 a.m.
AB 1878 – Statewide Forms Management Program (Lieu, D-El Segundo) OPPOSE
Assembly Public Safety Committee, 9:00 a.m.
AB 1850 – Sex Offenders: Registration of Internet Accounts (Galgiani, D-Merced) SUPPORT
AB 2208 – Offenders Social Networking Prohibition (Torres, D-Ontario)
AB 2650 – Medical Marijuana (Buchanan, D-San Ramon)
Senate Public Safety Committee, 9:00 a.m.
SB 834 – Court Orders: Minor Victims: Communications (Florez, D-Bakersfield) SUPPORT
SB 1204 – Sex Offenders: Social Networking Prohibition (Runner, G., R-Lancaster) SUPPORT
SB 1253 – Probation: Sex Offenders (Strickland, T., R-Thousand Oaks) SUPPORT
SB 1317 – Truancy (Leno, D-San Francisco) OPPOSE
SB 1449 – Marijuana Possession (Leno, D-San Francisco)
Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee, .1:30 p.m.
AB 1968 – Elections: Ballot Titles (Niello, R-Sacramento) SUPPORT
Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee, 1:30 p.m.
SB 1202 – Elections Statewide Ballot Pamphlet (DeSaulnier, D-Walnut Creek) OPPOSE
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Assembly Appropriations Committee , 9:00 a.m.
AB 1655 – Dependent Children: Psychotropic Medications (Evans, D-Santa Rosa)
AB 2034 – Public School Volunteers (Knight, R-Palmdale)
AB 2199 – Sexual Deviation: Research (Lowenthal, B., D-Long Beach)
AB 2478 – School Safety: Disruption: Pupil's Safety (Mendoza, D-Norwalk)
AB 2700 – Domestic Partner Registration: Termination (Ma, D-San Francisco)
Senate Education Committee, 9:00 a.m.
SCA 26 – University of California: Mandatory System-wide Fees (Denham, R-Merced)
Assembly Education Committee, 1:30 p.m.
AB 2320 – Charter Schools: Accountability (Swanson, D-Oakland) OPPOSE
AB 2543 – Charter Schools: Renewal (Lowenthal, B., D-Long Beach) SUPPORT
*Note: Not all bills reflect a CFC position. Others are included for informational purposes.
