Assemblymember Mark Leno updated the crowd at Pride 2007 in San Francisco on AB 43, his bill to provide marriage equality in California.

Starting at 10:30, today’s SF Pride Parade will be webcast live at KRON4.COM and ShakeRadio.com.

From the (subscription only) Morning Report:

Asm. Mark Leno’s office reports that to mark today’s National Hunger Awareness Day and support his AB 1382 which would “remove California’s requirement that every adult household member must get fingerprinted and photographed in order to qualify for food stamps,” Leno has taken up the “Food Stamp Challenge” issued by the CA Assn. of Food Banks. He’s going to live on the national average food stamp budget of $21 a week and he’s going to write a blog about it at www.assembly.ca.gov/Leno. According to Leno’s press secretary Shannan Velayas, Leno went to the grocery over the weekend and bought his food for the week: six cans of soup at $2 each, 2 boxes of cereal on sale at $2 each and 1 gallon of milk at $3.99. $19.99 total, leaving him a dollar to spare. It’s not going to be an easy week, says Velayas. “Mark will have to withstand the temptation of food at events and food brought into the members’ lounge all week as the Assembly works overtime to meet Friday’s deadline. I’m going to do my best to hide my lunch when I eat at my desk.” But he has “great will power” says Velayas. “Today, a staff member happened to bring in four dozen delicious hand-dipped chocolate strawberries… Mark walked right on by.”

We need to pass Assembly Bill 1382.

(You Bay Area folks might be interested in this. : ) – promoted by atdleft)

Today at 6:00 PM, Assemblymember Mark Leno will be hosting his first Communities of Interest Policy Talks on Global Warming solutions — using streaming video and chat technologies for an Online Town Hall. The goal is to brainstorm about ways we can reverse global warming… starting right here in Marin, Sonoma and San Francisco. Together, we can harness our combined creativity to drive new solutions.

Once you calculate your carbon footprint, take action to reduce it. Here is a great list of things you can do to be part of the solution. Go check out the whole list, they not only offer great suggests by tell you the average CO2 reduction from each action and the average yearly cost savings achieved. Finally, here’s a great printable (PDF) flier on how to get kids involved in global warming solutions.

Thanks, in advance, for taking a moment to join in this movement. We hope you can join us for tonight’s online discussion at 6 PM — www.MarkLeno.com.

Posted from the new Mark Leno Campaign blog

This Sunday at 6:00 PM, Assemblymember Mark Leno will be hosting his first Communities of Interest Policy Talks on Global Warming solutions. The goal is to brainstorm about ways we can reverse global warming… starting right here in Marin, Sonoma and San Francisco. Together, we can harness our combined creativity to drive new solutions.

While Assemblymember Leno has a long history of critical environmental policy,  there are important steps individuals can and should take to be part of the solution.

One way you can begin this process is to take a few minutes to calculate your carbon emissions so that you know your carbon footprint and can measure your progress towards reducing global warming.

There are numerous websites that serve this role, but we recommend you visit former Vice President Al Gore’s Carbon Calculator. It is very easy, just input some basic information on your household’s travel and energy consumption and the website will tell you how many tons of carbon you are responsible for putting into the atmosphere. This benchmark number will provide you the ability to quantify your individual progress.

Thanks, in advance, for taking a moment to join in this movement. We hope you can join us for Sunday’s online discussion at 6 PM — www.MarkLeno.com.

Conservative Republican Assemblymember Chuck DeVore stopped by the conservative OC Blog to talk about his legislation with progressive San Francisco Assemblymember Mark Leno. As you can imagine, some of the readers weren’t exactly thrilled to see DeVore working with Leno (just like some here might feel about Leno teaming up with DeVore). But it is good to see two lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle work together to pass common sense legislation that is popular.

And it is very popular:

As California prepares to celebrate the hard-working farmers and ranchers that contribute to the state’s largest industry tomorrow on California Agricultural Day, a poll conducted by Zogby International was released today confirming strong support for reforming state laws that prevent farmers from growing industrial hemp.  Legislation that Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) have re-introduced permitting California farmers to grow industrial hemp for the sale of seed, oil and fiber to manufacturers (AB 684) will be heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on March 27th. 

The telephone poll, commissioned by Vote Hemp, a non-profit, grass-roots organization co-sponsoring the Leno-DeVore measure, tracked the opinions of 801 likely California voters between February 22-26, 2007.  A total of 71% support changing State law to allow farmers to grow hemp.  Of those surveyed, 46% strongly support, and 25% somewhat support changing state law.  The poll has a 3.5% margin of error.

“The Zogby poll underscores that Californians of all political persuasions think we should change our senseless policy of importing industrial hemp while prohibiting our own farmers from growing it,” said Assemblyman Leno.  “Passage of AB 684 will mean that California farmers will have the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this $270 million industry that’s growing by $26 million each year.”

This is popular, common sense legislation that is good for the state. The legislation passed last year, but was unfortunately vetoed by the Governor. You can help pass it this year by taking a moment to contact your legislators — Democrat or Republican — and voice your support for AB 684.