El Segundo - Assemblymember Betsy Butler (D-Marina del Rey) has received a 100% score on the 2011 California Legislative Report Card from the Congress of California Seniors for her unwavering support of seniors during her first year in the Assembly.
"I am proud to stand with the Congress of California Seniors and vote in favor of legislation to improve the well-being and quality of life for our seniors," said Assemblymember Betsy Butler. "As the baby boomers join our senior population, we must plan accordingly and anticipate the health and human service needs of our aging population. The state has an obligation to protect our seniors and I will continue to be an advocate for the millions of seniors living in California."
Protecting seniors is a top priority for Assemblymember Butler. During her first year in office, she authored legislation to addresses the unfortunate reality that many of our elder adults are vulnerable to financial crimes and scams. Over the last ten years, there have been 4,735 convictions for theft, embezzlement, forgery or fraud with respect to the property or personal identifying information of elder and dependent adults, making it clear that the present penalties for financial crimes against the elderly are insufficient to deter repeat offenders.
AB 332 increases fines for embezzlement, forgery, fraud or identity theft against an elder or dependent adult for a misdemeanor offense and enables an individual to be charged with a felony for some theft crimes. These penalties are in addition to any jail or prison time levied. AB 332 received overwhelming bipartisan support.
For more information about the Congress of California Seniors Legislative Report Card and a list of the bills included in the report card, visit http://www.seniors.org/.
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Assemblymember Betsy Butler represents California's 53rd Assembly District, comprised of the communities of El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey and portions of the City of Los Angeles.
CONTACT: Jennifer Wonnacott, (310) 615-3515
