Welcome to my July E-Newsletter!
May and June have been busy months around the Central Coast and in Sacramento. In this edition of my newsletter you will find news from the district, updates on legislation, and announcements about upcoming events. The state budget has been at the forefront of the news, so I will start with a budget update.
2011-12 BUDGET UPDATE
On June 28, 2011, the Legislature passed a balanced 2011-12 State Budget that represents six months of work and was achieved through a majority vote of Legislative Democrats. I was pleased we reached a budget agreement. But it is important to note that the Budget does not prompt a sense of celebration as it is based on very tough cuts to virtually every program in the state.
We protected funding for K-12 education, childcare, public safety and other critical programs, albeit with reductions to all. Unfortunately, additional cuts were made to higher education and the courts because the Governor was unable to secure the necessary Republican votes to place a ballot measure before Californians on the question of whether to extend existing revenues in order to balance the state budget. The budget projects greater than anticipated revenues over the next fiscal year and is predicated on this forecast. Should these revenues not materialize, additional budget reductions will be "triggered" and result in further cuts to K-12 education, health and human services, and public safety programs.
We worked hard to prevent massive job losses that would threaten California's economic recovery and are continuing to advance economic recovery through the elimination of the state's structural budget deficit. Clearly, the vision of a California with a robust education system, a safe and secure citizenry, and a protected environment will require our continued engagement and vigilance.
NEWS FROM THE DISTRICT
CARMEL HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY FIRE SAFE COMMITTEE PUBLIC SAFETY FAIR
On May 21, 2011, I joined members of the Carmel Highlands community to learn about fire safety and disaster planning. I had the opportunity to visit with emergency personnel, local business owners, Monterey Fire Safe Council, and homeowner associations to understand what else we can do to prevent and minimize fire damage. To learn more about how to prepare for fire season, please visit Monterey County Fire Safe Council at: http://firesafemonterey.org/.
From left to right: Dennis Carreiro, Assistant Chief, CAL FIRE; Jim Rossen, President Carmel Highlands Fire Protection District; Assemblymember Monning; Jen Valdez, Fire Captain Pebble Beach, CAL FIRE
HELLER ESTATE ORGANIC VINEYARDS OF CARMEL VALLEY IS 2011 "SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR"
I was proud to honor Heller Estate Organic Vineyards of Carmel Valley, California, as the 27th Assembly District Small Business of the Year at the California Small Business Day on June 6, 2011. Heller Estate has a long term commitment to making environmentally friendly, 100% organically grown wines and to creating a safe work environment.
When visiting Heller Estate, I was impressed by the innovative ways in which the Hellers have used natural predators to replace pesticides and how they have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the use of fossil fuels in farming practices.
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| Assemblymember Monning presents Heller Estate General Manager, Mary Roos, with the 2011 Small Business of the Year plaque | Heller Estate Tasting Room Photo Credit: Steve Zmak, Monterey District Office Featured Artist |
PROUD TO SUPPORT SANTA CRUZ PRIDE
Despite forecasts of rain, the sun shined on the annual Santa Cruz Pride Parade on Sunday, June 3, 2011. I was proud to join hundreds of marchers in showing support and solidarity for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) members of our community. After the march, I stopped by the Pride Festival that afternoon and talked to some attendees about Assembly Bill (AB) 887, authored by Assemblymember Atkins, that would enact the Gender Nondiscrimination Act.
I am delighted to be a co-author of AB 887 and invite you to watch this YouTube video from the 2011 Queer Youth Leadership Awards highlighting the bill.
COMMUNITY DESIGN DAY IN MORGAN HILL
The Committee for Green Foothills hosted "Community Design Day" to give community members an opportunity to share their visions for South Santa Clara County. Residents were asked for input on issues such as High Speed Rail, bike trails, revitalization and growth of the downtown, preservation of open spaces and parklands, and the future of local farmland. It was a pleasure to participate in this interactive forum and to hear from constituents about their priorities for the region.
Assemblymember Monning with Cynthia D'Agosta, Executive Director for the Committee for Green Foothills, selecting his vision for ideal development of South Santa Clara County
UPCOMING EVENTS
SANTA CRUZ SENIOR SCAM STOPPERS
In partnership with the Contractors State License Board and other local agencies, I will be co-hosting a free seminar about how to detect and avoid prevalent scams.
Date: July 9, 2011
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location: Santa Cruz Police Department Community Room
155 Center Street, Santa Cruz
For more information, please contact 831.425.1503 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
BIG SUR MULTI-AGENCY ADVISORY COUNCIL
The quarterly meeting will give me an opportunity to update the Big Sur community on the recent developments in Sacramento.
Date: July 15, 2011
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Pfeiffer Big Sur Lodge Conference Center, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, 47225 (Highway One in Big Sur.)
For more information, please contact Noelle White in the Monterey District Office at 831.649.2832 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
COFFEE WITH VETERANS
I would like to invite all veterans to join me for a discussion about pending legislation and other issues affecting veterans.
Date: July 20, 2011
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Location: Veterans Transition Center, 220 12th Street in Marina
For more information, please contact Nicole Charles in the Monterey District Office at 831.649.2832 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
SPEAKER AT JULY COALITION OF HOUSING, AG, BUSINESS, LABOR AND EDUCATION LUNCHEON
I am pleased to join HABLE as the featured speaker to provide a budget update followed by a Q&A session.
Date: July 20, 2011
Time: 11:30am-1:00pm
Location: Tarpy's Library 2999 Salinas Hwy # 1, Monterey
For more information and to make reservations, please contact Tom Rowley at 831.648.7271 x113.
NEWS FROM SACRAMENTO
Assembly Bill 313
In response to a problem that was highlighted last year when residents of the Chanticleer Home in Santa Cruz and their families were only given a 14-day notice that the facility might be closed, I introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 313. The measure would require a licensed residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE) to provide posting and written notification to all affected when revocation or suspension of a license is commenced or criminal action is brought against the licensed RCFE. Additionally, the local long-term care ombudsman would be required to receive a copy of this written notification and the bill adds "license revocation" to an established 60-day notice procedure to ensure resident safety and minimize transfer trauma. (Status: On the Senate Floor)
Assembly Bill 753
Assembly Bill (AB) 753 prohibits rental car companies from the rental or sale of vehicles that are subject to a federal safety recall, once they have received notice from the manufacturer that the vehicle has been recalled, until the vehicle is repaired. All the major rental car companies have a record of renting or selling vehicles that are under federal safety recalls. Customers are placed at risk of serious injury or death, and may pose a threat to other drivers. Existing law has a loophole that allows rental car companies to rent vehicles that are subject to recall, even though new car dealers are prohibited from selling new cars that are under recall. AB 753 seeks to address this problem. (Status: In Senate Committee on Appropriations)
Assembly Bill 1083
Approximately 3.4 million Californians enjoy the protections brought about by California's landmark small employer group health insurance rating and underwriting rules which have applied to employer groups with two to 50 workers since 1993. These rules require health insurance carriers to offer health insurance to small employer purchasers on a guaranteed issue basis. This means that the plan must accept a group applying for coverage regardless of the health status or claims experience of group members, the employees. California law also requires health insurance carriers to offer renewal contracts, limit the rating factors health insurance carriers can employ in pricing small group products, require carriers to guarantee issue all small employer products to all small group purchasers, and limit the ways in which carriers can exclude coverage for existing health care conditions. Federal health reform law includes several significant reforms to the health insurance market, including numerous provisions that interact with California's small group laws. The implementation of federal small group reforms in California has the potential to provide millions of people health insurance through the small group market. Assembly Bill 1083 revises California law to conform to the federal law in order to bring more uninsured people into health insurance coverage in California. (Status: In Senate Committee on Health)
Thank you for reading this edition of my e-newsletter. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with your concerns, ideas, and input.
Warm Regards,
Bill Monning
