We have moved the AD-10 Task Force Website. The new location is bayneweb.com/ad10.

SACRAMENTO – Statement from Assemblymember Alyson Huber on the Joint Water Conference Committee’s proposals:

“The conference committee’s proposals on water are extremely troubling. I have read the bills and nothing in them reflects a genuine effort to take into account the concerns of the Delta farmers, fishermen, environmentalists and other residents of the region. I am disturbed by the lack of progress towards a real solution to the water crisis that treats the Delta residents as partners.

“When the committee members were named, the direction of the legislation was essentially predetermined and there has been little hope the Delta region would be treated with respect. Unfortunately, at this time the fears of the Delta residents are being realized.

“Our residents cannot be ignored while decisions are made that would drastically affect the region. I will continue to fight for the needs of my local communities and ensure the interests of those that depend on the Delta are heard.”

Note: Assemblymember Huber authored AB 642 regarding Delta Governance this year but the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources failed to let the bill move forward. For more information, click here for the press release on the bill.

The next 10th AD Task Force meeting will be at Dee Dee’s Restaurant in Lodi.

Saturday, August 8, 2009
1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Agenda

Exactly 11 months from the June 8, 2010 Primary Election.

Dee Dee’s Restaurant
1170 S. Cherokee Lane
Lodi

RSVP: (209) 304-0504 or Email Marcie

Preview, download and print the agenda. You can email request to add agenda items to Marcie. Addition of items are subject to approval at the meeting.

Please bring your ideas for fundraising and voter registration and invite your friends in the 10th Assembly District as we continue on the road to Blue 10 in 10.

Will Represent Delta Concerns and Interests in Discussions

Assemblymember Alyson Huber has been appointed to the Select Committee on Regional Approaches to Addressing the State’s Water Crisis.

“There is no question our state is in a water crisis which must be addressed, but we must find fair and balanced solutions for each region of the state,” stated Assemblymember Huber. “I am particularly concerned about Delta residents having a voice in the water negotiations process and will be that voice on this committee. I will continue to fight for my local communities and ensure the interests of those that depend on the Delta will be heard.”

The Delta is critical asset to California, as it is the source of drinking water for 25 million Californians, helps fuel a $37 billion agricultural industry and serves as an important habitat to more than 750 known animal and plant species.

Assemblymember Huber grew up on the Delta. When she moved to Lodi as a child her home was in Tower Park Marina on Potato Slough. Having the Delta in her backyard as a child makes her especially protective of its future for generations to come.

“There is no question that the Governor and Legislature understand the gravity of the situation our state is facing. These are going to be tough choices and we must work together in order to find real solutions.

“I look forward to working with the Governor to quickly fix the problem, but don’t agree with his proposal to borrow money from local governments. I will continue to work towards solutions that minimize the pain in my district, to our schools and to working families.

“Budget negotiations are continuing to be done in a very public way and I am paying close attention to the comments and suggestions being offered by my constituents as we move forward.

“In addition, while it is easy to get distracted with short term fixes to the state’s problems, we cannot let this opportunity to produce long term reforms go wasted or we will only find ourselves back in this same dilemma years down the road.”

Audits will Provide Necessary Information to Ensure Efficient Use of Taxpayers Funds

A bill to examine the workload and salaries of state board and commission members passed a major hurdle today. AB 579, by Assemblymember Alyson Huber, passed the Assembly floor with overwhelming bipartisan support.

“With the state’s budget crisis we should examine every dollar spent to ensure it is being spent wisely. Examining the appointment of termed out legislators to state boards and commissions that pay bloated full-time salaries for less than part-time work is a good place to start,” said Assemblymember Huber. “I have introduced AB 579 to help ensure that commissioners are paid for the work they perform and not a dollar more.”

Recent news articles and media attention has put a spotlight on ex-legislators being appointed to cushy positions that pay excessively high salaries. For example, appointees to the Integrated Waste Management Board make $132,178 a year and members of the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board make $114,191 a year.

AB 579 requires the State Auditor to audit the workload of the members of the Integrated Waste Management Board and the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board by June 1, 2010 then at least two boards or commissions to be determined by the State Auditor every year, thereafter.

The bill will now move to the Senate.

Two bills, AB 580 and AB 1181, by Assemblymember Alyson Huber passed the State Assembly yesterday and are headed to the Senate.

AB 1181 would lower the monetary thresholds which trigger mandatory electronic reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures by candidates, officeholders, committees, major donors, and slate mailer organizations. It passed on a vote of 76 to 1.

AB 580 requires the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) regulations for onsite water treatment systems (OWTS) to include regulatory tiers based on the demonstrated risk posed to public health and the environment by the system. The vote was a unanimous 74 – 0.

When we first began working to elect Alyson Huber to the Assembly voter registration was not in our favor. Way back then, a little over a year ago, Republicans outnumbered Democrats in the 10th Assembly District by 3 percentage points (41.2% to 38.19%). As of May 4, 2009, thanks to the hard work of volunteers committed to registering voters, and to the self-destructive policies of the Republican party, Democrats have a slim but growing advantage of over the other party. The registration numbers are 39.33% Democratic and 39.32% Republican. Like I said, slim.

You can see all the reports at the Secretary of State’s Web site.

Give yourself a pat on the back and go register some more Democrats.

Legislation to increase government transparency by Assemblymember Alyson Huber passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support today. The bills have now passed all necessary Assembly committees and will move to the Assembly floor next.

“AB 1181 and AB 1274 are good reforms that will help make campaign contributions and lobbying activity details more accessible to the public, not just insiders,” said Assemblymember Huber. “Both Democratic and Republican legislators recognize the need for these reforms and more transparency, and I look forward to moving these bills closer to the Governor’s desk.”

AB 1181 would require most state candidate committees, ballot measure committees and slate mail organizations to file contributors online with the Secretary of State’s office.

AB 1274 would address the need to easily identify who is lobbying on a specific issue by requiring the Secretary of State to display online a breakdown of all lobbying interests seeking to influence each proposed law. This list would be updated quarterly.

AFL-CIO Now Blog is reporting on several vigils kicking off the California campaign for the Employee Free Choice Act.

In Sacramento, state Assembly member Alyson Huber joined with the Sacramento Central Labor Council, SEIU and more than 100 workers to kick off an 18-hour vigil and fast for the Employee Free Choice Act. In her opening remarks, Huber, who was elected with strong support from working people, said working families have been struggling in this economy for too long and now’s the time to level the playing field:

“The Employee Free Choice Act is the single most important middle-class supporting legislation to be considered in decades. We simply can’t create an economy that works for everyone unless we restore the freedom to form and join unions.”