All posts by Assemblymember_Levine

Budget, education

Dog Days of Summer and Proposed School Cuts

Edited by Brian for space.  This article from Assemblyman Levine appeared in today’s LA Daily News.  Money quote here, full op-ed over the flip. By the way, Asm. Levine will be at the Long Beach Convention Center for a workshop on “Hot Topics in the Legislature” at 2 PM.

California students didn’t create this budget crisis, and their education and futures should not be sacrificed to solve it. Schwarzenegger and other state lawmakers must make California’s students a top priority. This is why the final budget agreement must include increased revenues as part of any approach to balancing the budget – or the dog days of summer will become the winter of our discontent.

Cutbacks would lead to bleak school year

By Lloyd Levine, Printed in the Los Angeles Daily News

**Assemblymember Levine (D-Woodland Hills;Los Angeles Co.)will join Dr. David Long, the Governor’s Secretary of Education and other panelists today in Long Beach at the California State PTA convention. They will discuss the proposed school cuts during a workshop on “Hot Topics in the Legislature” at 2 p.m. in the Long Beach Convention Center.

CALIFORNIANS are gearing up for the dog days of summer at the beach, lounging in the bleacher seats at Dodger Stadium and in summer-school classrooms.

That’s right, summer school – where many kids today are willing to give up their Boogie boards for books to improve a grade, jump on the math fast track or get physical education out of the way to take Advanced Placement chemistry in the fall.

For a good many California teens, summer school is usually the prep work needed to get into the college of their choice.

But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget – which cuts $4.8billion in education funding – is throwing a wrench into summer school, and it’s not even June. Such slashing could cause big problems for college-bound students.

Some California school districts are already alerting their staffs that summer school will have fewer classes this year because of a bad state funding recipe. There are already on the books rules and restrictions that cover how school districts can spend their summer school money. When districts factor in the looming education budget cuts that Schwarzenegger is proposing, the summer-school resources get watered down. Unless school districts can extract the money from other places, many classes will be out this summer.

These cutbacks would come at the worst possible time, as the bar has never been set higher for students trying to get into college. Some students need to take summer-school classes in order to compete with UC-bound counterparts packing a 4.5 grade-point average.

There’s a chain reaction to all of this. The governor’s anticipated education cuts would also hit community colleges, so they might also not be able to offer summer-school enrichment courses for high school students. There is no certain fallback plan.

And the chain reaction continues into the regular school year. The governor’s anticipated school cuts could cause class sizes to get larger. That means Advanced Placement classes in history, chemistry and others could be cut at some high schools because AP classes are traditionally smaller.

California school districts can’t wait to finalize their budgets for summer school and beyond. They are preparing for 20,000 teachers, counselors and librarians to be laid off.

California students didn’t create this budget crisis, and their education and futures should not be sacrificed to solve it. Schwarzenegger and other state lawmakers must make California’s students a top priority. This is why the final budget agreement must include increased revenues as part of any approach to balancing the budget – or the dog days of summer will become the winter of our discontent.

Lloyd Levine, D-Woodland Hills, is a member of the California Assembly and a candidate for the state Senate.

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Marriage Equality

It’s Becoming Predictable Every Election Season

(Decline to sign. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

It’s becoming predictable every election season. California’s anti-gay groups are attempting to put a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the November ballot. They presume Californians will agree with them and flock to the polls, erasing years of progress.

My hope is this November California voters will be galvanized and electrified by a sense of hope for the future, not limiting it. That’s why I am STRONGLY supporting the “Decline to Sign” campaign fighting to keep the same-sex marriage initiative off the ballot. Whether or not they succeed, California voters will be put on notice that this potential ban would write discrimination into the state’s Constitution.

It’s certainly not lost on most voters that the anti-gay marriage initiative is also a shameless tactic used by Republicans before to get voters to the polls. Recently, Arizona voters saw they were being played for fools by the Republicans and defeated a similar same-sex marriage ban.

It’s becoming predictable every election season. California’s anti-gay groups are attempting to put a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the November ballot. They presume Californians will agree with them and flock to the polls, erasing years of progress.

My hope is this November California voters will be galvanized and electrified by a sense of hope for the future, not limiting it. That’s why I am STRONGLY supporting the “Decline to Sign” campaign fighting to keep the same-sex marriage initiative off the ballot. Whether or not they succeed, California voters will be put on notice that this potential ban would write discrimination into the state’s Constitution.

It’s certainly not lost on most voters that the anti-gay marriage initiative is also a shameless tactic used by Republicans before to get voters to the polls. Recently, Arizona voters saw they were being played for fools by the Republicans and defeated a similar same-sex marriage ban.

The proposed constitutional amendment specifies that only marriage between a man and a woman be valid or recognized in California. The arguments by anti-gay groups are glaringly weak.

I have always supported same-sex marriage because I believe in a person’s civil rights, the United States Constitution and separation of Church and State. This country is not based on one faith or one moral code. Race, sex, religion and sexual orientation must never affect our civil rights. We all have equal rights under the law.

In March 2005 a Superior Court judge in San Francisco ruled that the law denying same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The state appealed and the California Court of Appeals in a split decision overturned the ruling. It was then appealed to the California Supreme Court. In March the justices heard arguments in the case and a decision is expected in the next three months. I believe the California Supreme Court will rule that the equal-protection clauses of the state’s Constitution trumps the state law defining marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Throughout this legal wrangling, the California Legislature also passed several bills allowing same-sex marriage but they were vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. I have been a co-author on each of them and am proud to be part of that history-making moment.

Same-sex couples are as likely as straight couples to live healthy, happy, productive lives and provide a good environment to raise children. The arguments offered by opponents to equal rights are retreads of the rhetoric used about Catholics marrying Protestants or Protestants marrying someone of the Jewish faith. We should remember that it wasn’t too long ago that California state law prohibited interracial marriage.

The proposed measure has yet to qualify for the ballot and we as Californians have the ability to stop it. If anyone asks you to sign a petition to “protect marriage” tell them no.

And frankly it should go without saying, but if anyone asks you or your friends to sign a petition to qualify something, anything for the ballot, make sure you read it first. I know that sounds obvious, but you would be amazed at the number of people I talk to or see signing petitions without first reading what they are signing.

California is the most progressive, innovative state in the nation and I refuse to go anywhere but forward on this civil rights issue.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

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Asm. Levine and Environmental Groups Send Governor a Letter Saying No to Nuclear

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Woodland Hills), the Sierra Club California, Environment California, Coalition for Clean Air and Clean Power Campaign today delivered the following letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stating why they oppose giving nuclear power a second chance. The Governor earlier said nuclear power has a great future because it has no greenhouse gas emissions and it’s clean.

Edit by Brian: See the flip for the letter.

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

We are very concerned you are pushing the idea of giving nuclear power a second look as an answer to global warming when California has made a commitment to supporting other alternative energy solutions like wind, solar and geothermal technologies for the past four years.

Nuclear power comes with a vicious pollution cycle. The production process of mining uranium to fuel nuclear plants requires massive diesel powered machinery that grossly pollutes the air. The mined uranium would then have to be shipped to the United States in large, diesel powered ships and reprocessed into nuclear fuel in pollution producing coke ovens.

Nuclear power is expensive. It costs $10 billion dollars or more to construct a single nuclear power plant. Construction is so expensive that no utility is willing to undertake the endeavor without massive subsidies.  Additionally, nuclear power plants are so risky that for the last 50 years the federal government has had to provide liability protection for plant operators to cover potential disasters. That does not inspire confidence in a state like California. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, California is filled with thousands of identified and unidentified earthquake faults capable of causing a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

The California Legislature enacted nuclear power plant safety laws in 1976. These laws have served us well. Before new nuclear plants could be built in California, we would need to repeal those laws and give up the protection they provide. One of those laws prohibits construction of new nuclear plants until there is a proven means for safe dispose of the highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel the plants produce. In the 28 years since those safety laws were enacted, we have come no nearer to a solution to the nuclear waste disposal problem today than we were then. And remember, that spent fuel has a lethal half life of 500,000 years.

Today there is highly radioactive waste stored at four nuclear plants in California including two that were shut down more than two decades ago. That’s because the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission still hasn’t provided a disposal facility for the toxic waste at Sacramento’s Rancho Seco plant and PG & E’s Humboldt Bay plant. On California’s pristine coast nuclear material is being stored on-site at San Onofre and Diablo Canyon nuclear plants.

If Californians give nuclear power a second chance we will be moving in the wrong direction and relying on false promises. Today, even during a housing and economic slump, homeowners and businesses are turning to affordable, safe, clean and dependable energy in huge numbers.

In fact, the renewable energy legislation you have signed into law has given California the greenest, most environmentally friendly portfolio in the country. With inflation factored in, retail electricity prices have decreased by 10.7 percent while California made an aggressive commitment toward renewable energy and other clean sources of electricity.

California’s new renewable energy market has broad economic value and it is cost effective. It allows renewable companies to compete keeping the economy robust and creating thousands of jobs just like the technology industry in the Silicon Valley. With economic indicators pointing toward a dismal year, the jobs created by clean energy can help counter the downturn in the housing and financial sectors.

As the solar industry is proving, renewable energy costs less with time and improvements as opposed to nuclear power that has only become more expensive over the years.

Nuclear power has no future in California’s new energy era. It is dirty, dangerous, too expensive and cannot exist without massive taxpayer subsidies.

We agree with the recent Los Angeles Times editorial asking you to fully employ the safer, quicker, cheaper and cleaner alternatives such as solar and wind power.

Sincerely,

Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Woodland Hills)

Chair, Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee    

Jim P. Metropulos

Senior Advocate

Sierra Club California

Bernadette Del Chiaro                                                  

Clean Energy Advocate                                                

Environment California                                      

Tim Carmichael

Senior Director of Policy

Coalition for Clean Air

V. John White

Executive Director

Clean Power Campaign

 

Uncategorized

Nuclear Power Has No Future in California

(With the implementation of AB 32, the global warming emissions law, nuclear is sure to be the subject of much discussion. Here’s Asm. Levine’s take. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

 Here we go again. The issue of renewing the development of nuclear power is rearing its ugly head under the guise of making California the happiest, greenest place on Earth. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing this Disney-like scenario and it needs a reality check. Nuclear power simply has no future in California’s new energy era.

If Californians give nuclear power a new lease on life, we will be moving in the wrong direction and relying on false promises. Today, even during a housing and economic slump, homeowners and businesses are turning to affordable, safe, clean and dependable energy in record numbers.

The governor believes nuclear power is the answer to global warming, but nothing could be further from the truth. Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous, too expensive and cannot exist without massive taxpayer subsidies.

A vicious pollution cycle also comes with the nuclear-power package. The production process of mining uranium to fuel nuclear plants requires massive, diesel-powered machinery that grossly pollutes the air. The mined uranium would then have to be shipped to the United States in large, diesel-powered ships and reprocessed into nuclear fuel in pollution-producing coke ovens.

In the meantime, uranium resources within the United States are growing scarce and driving up prices.

We already import most of the uranium needed to run existing plants. New plants would require even more imported uranium and, for much of that, we would need to become vulnerable to unstable African dictatorships.

If that weren’t enough reason to turn away from the nuclear option, there’s also the massive cost – $10 billion or more – to construct a single nuclear power plant. Construction is so expensive that no utility is willing to undertake the costs and the Bush administration recently pushed through a $50 billion subsidy to assist utilities in covering the costs.

Today it would take more than a decade to get a new nuclear plant in California, factoring in the approval process, construction and getting it online. That’s certainly no prescription for meeting our energy needs.

The California Legislature enacted nuclear power plant safety laws in 1976 – before the disastrous accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island nuclear plants. Those laws have served us well. Before new nuclear plants could be built in California, we would need to repeal those laws and give up the protection they provide. One of those laws prohibits construction of new nuclear plants until there is a proven means for safe disposal of the highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel the plants produce.

In the 28 years since those safety laws were enacted, we have come no nearer to a solution to the nuclear-waste disposal problem today than we were then. And remember, that spent fuel has a lethal half-life of 500,000 years.

Nuclear power plants are so risky that, for the last 50 years, the federal government has had to provide liability protection for plant operators to cover potential disasters. That’s not very comforting in a state like California that is laced with earthquake faults.

Nuclear power has many of the same negatives as the liquefied natural gas plant that was recently proposed off the coast of Ventura County. Both are expensive, dangerous and would divert funds from the development of safer, cleaner alternatives like geothermal, solar and wind power. I strongly opposed the LNG plant and I will strongly oppose the governor’s nuclear endorsement.

– Lloyd Levine, D-Woodland Hills, Los Angeles County, is chairman of the state Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.

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We Need Your Help for New Plastic Bag Recycling Law to be a Success

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(We flat out banned them in SF’s largest supermarkets, but plastic bags are very recyclable, so this is a good start. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

Paper or plastic? It seems like an innocent enough question, doesn’t it? But, when you stop and think about where all the grocery bags we use end up, the question no longer seems quite so simple – particularly in the case of plastic bags.

The numbers are astounding: Californians use more than 19 billion plastic grocery bags each year, creating 147,038 tons of waste in our landfills. With Californians throwing away over 600 bags per second, they are creating enough waste every year to circle the planet over 250 times.

In Los Angeles County, an estimated 6 billion plastic grocery bags are distributed annually, of which only 1 percent are recycled. County supervisors voted just last month to study the issue of paper vs. plastic and whether to enact a ban on standard plastic bags, similar to one imposed in San Francisco.

As an avid runner I witness the problem first-hand. Running along the Los Angeles River, I come across thousands of plastic bags on the river banks, in trees, and floating in the river itself.  My anecdotal experience was confirmed by the facts: During a recent Los Angeles River cleanup, plastic bags and film constituted 45 percent of the volume of litter collected – this is because they are so easily carried by wind from uncovered trash cans and dumpsters, vehicles, and solid waste facilities including landfills. This all amounts to more litter to collect on our beaches and state highways, which costs the state $303.2 million each year.

It quickly became clear to me that we needed to do something. That’s why I authored Assembly Bill 2449, which became law yesterday. This measure requires grocery and retail stores to take back and recycle plastic grocery bags, making California and Rhode Island the only states in the U.S. with such a program.

Under the terms of the new law, more than 7,000 retail stores in California will be required to prominently display plastic bag recycling bins and fund an educational campaign to raise awareness of plastic bag recycling and the use of reusable bags. The legislation also requires each store to make reusable bags available for customers to purchase.

And all these conditions are vital, because while volunteer coastal cleanups and public education efforts have been helpful in keeping California’s coastlines clean, more needs to be done. To reduce marine debris the amount of waste generated on land must be reduced and disposed of properly.

Each year millions of seabirds, sea turtles, fish, and marine mammals become entangled in marine debris or ingest plastics they have mistaken for food. According to recent U.S. EPA estimates, marine debris has had a negative impact on at least 267 species around the world. The plastic can constrict an animal’s movements and kill marine animals through exhaustion – these unfortunate circumstances will only continue if we don’t have a multi-pronged program such as AB 2449.

We can accomplish much by making some modest changes in our behavior, and I need your help with the following things that will help make AB 2449 a success:

  * Recycle your plastic bags at your grocery store;
  * Ask your local store about its plastic bag recycling program;
  * Buy reusable canvas shopping bags;
  * Refuse a plastic bag;
  * Get stores to offer cash credits when bringing in your own bags; and
  * Lobby for plastax – a plastic bag tax.

If these simple things are done, all Californians can make an impact and play an instrumental role in helping to implement this important measure.

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CA Healthy Pets Act

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The California State Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 1634 – the California Healthy Pets Act – by a 41-38 vote. If enacted, this legislation would require most pets in California to be spayed or neutered.

I authored this measure because every year, nearly 1 million cats and dogs pass through the doors of animal control agencies throughout California. And every year, more than 50 percent of them – many perfectly healthy and adoptable – are euthanized by overcrowded shelters which are unable to find them good homes.

Perhaps those numbers don’t bother you, but this one might: Collectively, our state and local governments are spending 259 million taxpayer dollars to house and care for dogs and cats in animal shelters each year. That figure doesn’t include the cost of killing and disposing of about half a million dogs and cats each year. When you include those costs plus the intake and processing costs, the total price tag climbs to well over $300 million each year. In addition, stray dogs roam through many neighborhoods, increasing the danger of dog bites and the transmission of rabies.

Under AB 1634, dog and cat owners who don’t comply would be cited if their pet comes in contact with a local animal control officer, but will be given time to spay or neuter their pets before a fine would be assessed. A portion of those fines would be used to expand the availability of free or low-cost spay and neuter programs.

The vast majority of people I’ve spoken with about this measure are very supportive. We’ve received over 7,000 letters of support in my office, hundreds of phone calls, and many willing volunteers asking how they can help get AB 1634 signed into law. These people come to us from animal shelters, rescue groups, law enforcement agencies and veterinarian groups – a wide array of backgrounds united by the common goal of reducing the number of pets needlessly killed each year.

But with any high-profile legislation there is always a vocal opposition as well, and in this case, breeders from across the nation have gone on the offensive. They will stop at nothing to defeat this common-sense measure – even if it means calling local Assembly members and threatening them with relocating their AKC National Championship out of Long Beach. These threats were made despite the fact that this bill very specifically and expressly exempts show dogs and animals from out of state.

I commend Long Beach-area Assemblymembers Laura Richardson and Betty Karnette, who would not be bullied or intimidated by these unfortunate and undeserved threats. They read the legislation and noted the exemptions and had the courage to join me in trying to address the severe dog and cat overpopulation problem in a responsible way.

This legislation already contains a number of common-sense exceptions, including for show and sporting dogs, law enforcement dogs, dogs used in search and rescue, cats or dogs who are too old or in poor health, and guide, service and signal animals. But we will continue to try and address everyone’s concerns while crafting the strongest possible piece of legislation.

If signed into law, Assembly Bill 1634 will not only establish California as a national leader in the humane care for animals, but it will save our state’s taxpayers millions of their hard-earned dollars.

And if you’re not convinced, consider this: The bill is modeled after a highly successful mandatory spay and neuter ordinance that has been in place in Santa Cruz County since 1995. Within two years of the county’s adoption of the measure, it began to see a noticeable reduction in the number of animals entering its shelters. Within eight years, despite a 15 percent growth in the county’s human population, the number of animals entering the county’s shelters had been cut 60 percent. This example shows just how effective AB 1634 can be if given the chance.

Recognizing that this bill raises issues that are not normally discussed on political websites, I’d very much like to hear what Calitics readers think about my proposal.

Uncategorized

My Reaction to Governor’s Rejection of Billiton’s Proposed Ventura County LNG Terminal

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(I was stunned to see Arnold’s decision today. -juls. Here’s the story from the SJ Merc. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

I celebrate today’s decision with all the citizens whose lives would have been adversely impacted by the BHP Billiton project.  An environmental impact report associated with the project identified more than a dozen harmful effects on marine life, air quality and the coastal environment, and we already knew this project was not in compliance with our Clean Air Act. These factors, combined with the great efforts of many concerned Californians, helped to sink this proposal. It was the wrong project at the wrong time for California.

Four years ago, our energy situation in California was in a much different place. However, after several productive years of passing legislation focusing not only on energy efficiency standards, but also on green, clean, and renewable energy sources, there is no need to lessen our state’s commitment to a clean environment by approving the BHP Billiton terminal.

Health Care

Some Thoughts on Healthcare and Wellness

3 Comments

(Obesity is a big problem, in California and the nation. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

I was thrilled with the response to my first post.  I am really grateful for the welcome comments, but even more, I appreciate the questions that I received.  If I could categorize the questions, they roughly broke down into three issue areas: one was health care and wellness, another was energy efficiency/ energy independence, and lastly, transportation (mainly high speed rail.)  In my first substantive Calitics post, I want to talk about health care and wellness since we are in the middle of Fitness Month in California.

The first thing that I want to say about health care policy is that single-payer is the answer to California’s health care crisis.  I was proud that in my first months in office I was an original co-author of the bill that would ensure health care for all.  SB 840 will ensure more accessibility, at lower cost, with better overall care for all Californians.  I am fighting to make sure that SB 840 is on the Governor’s desk again, and I am hopeful that we can convince him to sign it this year. 

Even if the Governor refuses to sign SB 840, my efforts to help promote health and wellness will continue.  Each year, I sponsor the Fit & Fun Challenge in Woodland Hills, inviting families to come out to the free event and walk, run, jog, skate and bike a 5K course around Warner Center. This year’s event included 1,600 participants representing over 100 schools competing for cash prizes for their physical education programs. Teaching children that getting fit is both fun and rewarding is so important considering that recent reports by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy indicate that 27% of California’s children are overweight and almost 40% are unhealthy.

While childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels, adult obesity levels are even higher.  In response, I authored a bill which would provide a tax credit to businesses in California that provide their employees access to fitness-related activities.  The goal of this legislation is very simple – we’re trying to help people get into healthy, active lifestyles.  Under AB 1439, businesses in California would receive a tax credit equal to 10 percent of what they spend each year to improve the fitness of their employees. It is my hope that this tax credit funded by the state will in turn lower health care costs to all Californians by combating obesity, heart disease, Type II diabetes, and other sedentary ailments.

Lastly, as one of the co-chairs of the California Task Force on Youth and Wellness, I am taking advantage of Fitness Month to challenge myself, my staff, and all Californians to get more active.  My staff and I will be wearing pedometers all week, with the goal of averaging 10,000 steps per person per day.  Also, in an annual Capitol tradition, Sen. Torlakson and I are planning to mark Bike to Work Day this Thursday by riding our bikes about 70 miles from the Bay Area to the Capitol. And, as we did last year when we made the same trip, we’re inviting others to join us along the way.

During my service in the Legislature, I have tried to carve out a niche in promoting programs and policies to encourage health and fitness in the state.  I look forward to reading your suggestions about how we can make Californians healthier.

Los Angeles Area

My First Post

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(Welcome Assemblyman! – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

I am really excited to start blogging on Calitics.  Recently, while I was at the Democratic Convention in San Diego, I was blown away by how well Calitics bloggers connected the grassroots activists across the state with the events in the convention hall.  It was eye-opening to see first hand how professionally the netroots report the activities of the party infrastructure through this site. That weekend, I decided that it was important for me to begin engaging the conversation that is taking place among active, progressive Democrats everyday on the Calitics online community.

I am leaving myself room to blog about just about anything that I feel Calitics members would be interested in reading.  I imagine that most of my entries will focus on the policies that I work on, day to day.  I want to ensure that, to the extent that there is interest, the netroots are aware of the legislation that I am promoting in California.  However, I also want to use Calitics to inform readers in my community about events in my district, thoughts that I have on politics at all levels, and even an occasional post about my marathon preparations.

Equally as important to me is hearing the feedback of Calitics readers.  Members of the progressive blogosphere have never been shy about sharing their thoughts on certain issues, and I have benefited greatly from the input.  However, I am really interested in generating more thoughts on specific proposals that I am working on.  In the coming weeks and months, I hope to write a series of diary entries about some of the bills that I have authored this year, in hopes of generating feedback from Calitics readers.

For those of you who may not be familiar with me, or the work I have been doing, I posted my bio as an extended entry.

As an Assemblymember, I have spent my time fighting to improve the quality of life for residents of the San Fernando Valley and California at large.

In 2002, I was elected to the California State Assembly to represent the over 400,000 residents of District 40. In Sacramento, I currently serve as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce and am part of Speaker Fabian Nuñez’s leadership team. Besides chairing the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, I am also a member of the Aging; Judiciary; Government Organizations; and Elections and Redistricting Committees.

My dedication to activism started at an early age. In high school, I joined with classmates to create a Students Against Drunk Driving chapter, after a classmate was tragically killed by a drunk driver. Today, I continue my fight to save other families from the devastating effects of drunk driving by working with the National Traffic Safety Board, the Century Council and Mother’s Against Drunk Driving to create new laws to crack down on hard core drunk drivers. In 2005, the Century Council named me “Legislator of the Year.”

Shortly after graduation from college, I worked tirelessly on a ballot measure to increase community college funding. In the Legislature, I remain committed to improving education for all Californians. In my first term, I successfully carried legislation to secure $1 billion in funding for special education programs. Locally, with the Canoga Park community, I have been influential in honoring teachers through the implementation of the Walk of Hearts Foundation, which I hope to help expand to be a statewide program. In 2005 I was given the “Outstanding Alumnus Award” for UCR.

Growing up in the Valley, I dealt with the rampant transportation problems that continue to plague Los Angeles. Recognizing the danger, economic depletion, and sheer frustration traffic in Los Angeles has caused, I used my influence to make improvements to the 405/101 interchange. In addition, I have been a champion for the Metro Orange Line that is finally linking the San Fernando Valley to the Metro mass transit system of Los Angeles.

While I am committed to tackling transportation, education and public safety policy, I also have a deep passion for health and physical fitness. As a child, I suffered from severe asthma, and the symptoms were only managed through the help of an inhaler and distance running. My need to remain active for health reasons has become a favorite pastime. I have participated in races as short as 1-mile to ultra marathon 50-mile races. I have turned my passion for health into a crusade to stop the obesity epidemic that is overcoming children and adults in California. I have carried legislation to help clinics treat obesity-related diabetes and asthma, and to help make sure student food is nutritious. I am also one of two Legislators on the California Taskforce for Youth and Workplace Wellness.

In 2004, I created the Assemblymember Lloyd Levine Fit & Fun Challenge in which schools compete to bring out the most students, families and teachers to walk, run, bike or skate a five kilometer course. While I realize that one day of exercise will not stop the epidemic, I believe that exposing students to “fun” exercise will help them see that physical activity is not a chore.

This year, I am working on legislation to promote energy efficiency and reduce global warming, to fight for better end-of-life choices for terminally-ill Californians, to encourage the humane treatment of elephants in zoos and circuses, and to protect our environment.

Prior to being elected to the Assembly, I served as Legislative Director to former Assemblymember John Longville.

I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art from the University of California, Riverside, and have completed course work toward a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy and Administration. I live in the San Fernando Valley.

For more information, please visit my Web site at http://democrats.ass…