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This Week Inside The Capitol (3/8/2010)

March 8, 2010
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This Week Inside the Capitol is a weekly e-mail update of bills monitored by California Family Council (CFC). This Week is intended as a brief synopsis to alert you about which bills are being heard and when. For additional information on legislative bills CFC is monitoring please visit our website at www.californiafamily.org.
At the end of last week, the Legislature passed a controversial “gas tax swap” proposal that was vehemently opposed by Republicans. The bill repeals the state’s gas sales tax and increases the per-gallon gas excise tax and diesel tax. The “gas tax swap” allows the state to spend gas tax revenues on non-transportation related services and programs.
After the “gas tax swap” passed, Republicans accused Democrats of using “smoke and mirrors budgeting” to solve California’s $20 billion deficit. According to Senator Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga), “When Proposition 13 was passed in 1978 voters made it clear that they want a two-thirds vote of the Legislature before raising taxes. [On Thursday] Democrats took a dangerous and illegal step by raising taxes without that two-thirds majority.” Republicans voted against the measure; however, the Democrat-majority claims the tax is “revenue neutral” since it raises one tax Californians pay on gasoline, while lowering another.
This week, Senate and Assembly budget committees will continue meeting to review the governor’s proposed budget and its impact on state agencies and programs. The budget committees’ staff will also begin reviewing dozens of deficit-related bills introduced in the budget special session. Whether the Democrat-controlled committees will allow Republican-sponsored bills to be heard remains to be seen. 
Legislators showed they were not committed to finding bipartisan solutions to California’s budget crisis when they pushed through the divisive “gas tax swap" measure, which may ultimately become the foundation for another prolonged and contentious budget battle.
You can stay up-to-date on the latest Capitol activities by following CFC on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. All can be found on our CFC Web site. 
Results From Last Week
Week of March 1, 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
AJR 25 – Filipino World War II Veterans: Family Reunification (Furutani, D-Lakewood)
Vote Not Taken
On the Senate Floor
AB 7 – Political Reform Act of 1974: Use of Children’s Images in Political Advertisement (Krekorian, D- Burbank)
Vote Not Taken
SCA 5 – State Budget: Two-Thirds Vote Exemption for General Fund Appropriations (Hancock, D-Berkeley)
Vote Not Taken
SCA 10 – Statewide Initiative Measure: Legislative Amendment (Ducheny, D-San Diego)
Vote Not Taken
SCA 14 – Initiative Measures: Funding Source (Ducheny, D-San Diego)
Vote Not Taken
SCA 16 – Initiatives: Indirect Initiative: Legislative Review (DeSaulnier, D-Concord)
Vote Not Taken
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Assembly Public Safety Committee – 9:00 a.m.
AB 1641 – Rape: Duty to Report (Hall, D-Compton)
Hearing Canceled
AB 1688 – Sex Offenders: Disorderly Conduct (Jeffries, R-Lake Elsinore)
Failed, 2-3
Committee Hearings
Week of March 8, 2010
On the Assembly Floor
ACA 5 – Initiatives: State General Obligation Bonds (Calderon, C., D-Montebello)
ACA 10 – Taxation: Education Finance District: Majority Vote Taxation (Torlakson, D-Antioch)
ACA 13 – Indirect Initiative Process (Hernandez, D-West Covina)
AJR 25 – Filipino World War II Veterans: Family Reunification (Furutani, D-Lakewood)
On the Senate Floor
AB 7 – Political Reform Act of 1974: Use of Children’s Images in Political Advertisement (Krekorian, D- Burbank)
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)
Committee Hearings
Week of March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Assembly Judiciary Committee – 9:00 a.m.
AB 1596 – Protective Orders: Enforcement Priority: Sexual Assault (Hayashi, D-Castro Valley)
AB 1680 – Civil Rights Act: Waiver of Rights (Saldana, D-San Diego)
Assembly Public Safety Committee – 9:00 a.m.
AB 1706 – Criminal Procedures: Narcotics and Drug Abuse Cases (Ammiano, D-San Francisco)
*Note: Not all bills reflect a CFC position. Others are included for informational purposes.
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To see how your legislator voted on a particular bill, click here and type in the bill number.
Don’t know who your legislator is? Click here and type in your zip code.
 
Listen to or watch legislative activities.
·         To listen to the state Senate hearings, click here.
·         To listen to state Assembly hearings, click here.
·         For those who have cable television service, you can watch some hearings on the California Channel. The California Channel also covers hearings via webcasts.
 
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Visit California Family Council’s Web site for more information about these and other bills.
www.CaliforniaFamily.org
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