Legislature voting on several key bills today and tomorrow
/The state Senate and Assembly will vote today (February 9) on several bills of interest to the League. Contact your State Senator and Assembly Representative right away on these proposals:
In the Senate:
SB 295 - Although this legislation offers some benefits, such as electronic voter registration (but available only for people in the DMV database), the benefits are more than offset by new restrictions.
CALL TO ACTION: Contact your State Senator and let them know you oppose SB 295.
On the Assembly floor:
AB 210 would permit local municipalities to put to referendum a 0.5% sales tax to help pay for local roads and highways, but not for public transit. This would make it very difficult for local communities to pass a Regional Transit Authority, which would also require a referendum to allow a sales tax.
CALL TO ACTION: Tell your Assembly representative to oppose AB 210.
AB 563 would allow drainage districts to be exempt from regulations protecting our lakes, streams and wetlands.
CALL TO ACTION: Tell your Assembly representative to oppose AB 563.
AB 582 and AB 600 - These bills would severely undercut shoreland zoning laws and protections for fragile wetlands which the League has supported over the years.
CALL TO ACTION: Tell your Assembly representative to oppose AB 582 and AB 600.
Click here to find contact information for your legislators
Wednesday, February 10 the Assembly Education Committee will consider three bills that would weaken public schools:
AB 481 would restrict the ability of school districts to take referenda to the public, extremely important in times of tight state funding. This should be a matter of local control.
AB 459 would require public school boards to designate school restrooms and changing rooms for the exclusive use of either "males" or "females." Aside from the obvious difficulties in enforcement and the likely litigation that would follow, this should be a matter for local school boards.
AB 751 would change the funding mechanism for voucher students in a way that would decrease state revenue for public school districts in which those students reside. This would seriously exacerbate the budget cuts already forced upon school districts by state budget decisions.
CALL TO ACTION: Tell your Assembly representative you oppose AB 481, AB 459 and AB 751.
