Three measures by Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) were approved today by the full Assembly.
“I am pleased that these bills were approved and sent on to the Senate,” said Levine. “This legislation is important to our communities and I am proud to work on these critical issues in the Legislature.”
Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) released the following statement about today’s release of the May Revision to the Governor’s 2013-14 State Budget Proposal:
“The May Revision provides reason for cautious optimism. Revenues are up in the short term, but growth is not as fast as any of us would like,” said Levine. “It is important that this budget continue to reflect our priorities. These priorities include creating long-term fiscal sustainability, increasing funding for education from kindergarten through college, and implementing the Affordable Care Act. There is a lot of work ahead of us, but I believe this Budget will come to be seen as the light at the end of the economic tunnel.”
Assemblymember Levine represents the 10th Assembly District which includes Marin County and southern Sonoma County.
Assembly Bill 747 Transfers Part of Tiburon Blvd. from Caltrans to the Town of Tiburon
Thursday the Assembly approved AB 747 by Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) by a 76-0 vote. This bill will allow for the state to turn over a portion of Highway 131 (Tiburon Blvd.) to the Town of Tiburon if it is mutually beneficial.
“If the relinquishment moves forward, AB 747 would provide the town with greater control over the road,” said Assemblymember Levine. “This bill will also relieve the state of any further responsibility for improvements, maintenance, repairs, and liability on that segment. This is a win for both the State of California and the Town of Tiburon.”
Assembly Bill 1352 Bolsters Court Funding by Reducing Records Retention Costs
This week the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed AB 1352 by Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) with unanimous bipartisan support. AB 1352 authorizes local courts to eliminate unused records and reduce storage costs.
“I have met with judges and attorneys who all tell a story of substantial delays in justice because the courts are woefully underfunded. This bill provides the courts an opportunity to save significant dollars through efficiency,” said Levine. “While more needs to be done to fully fund the courts, this bill provides some much needed fiscal relief. Any dollar that the courts spend needlessly storing old and unneeded records is a dollar that is unavailable for other vital court functions.”
Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Agriculture and the Environment and Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Sustainable and Organic Agriculture, will hold a joint informational hearing focusing on how California agriculture can help the state meet AB 32 goals.
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2013 beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the State Capitol, Room 126.
The Assembly Higher Education Committee approved AB 386 and AB 387 to improve access and accountability for online education at the California State University
Today, the Assembly Higher Education Committee unanimously approved Assembly Bill 386 & Assembly Bill 387 by Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael). These companion measures are aimed at expanding access and improving accountability for online education at the California State University (CSU).
“While our state moves forward with online education it is important to ensure that we are utilizing existing resources to their fullest capacity,” said Levine.
Tomorrow, the Governor’s office will present a spending proposal to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. The spending proposal will link future university funding to strict performance outcomes. Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) provided this statement on the Governor’s proposal.
“Given the fiscal constraints California is facing, I appreciate the Governor’s desire to account for every dollar we spend, but it is important to focus on the details of the proposal,” said Levine.
Assembly Bill 746 (Levine) Will Be Heard Tomorrow and Would Prohibit Smoking in Multi-Family Dwellings
Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) commented on a CDC report released today and published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which concluded that making subsidized housing in the U.S. smokefree would yield cost-savings of approximately $521 million per year.
Levine is the author of AB 746 which will prohibit smoking in apartments and condominiums. This bill is set to be heard tomorrow in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee. Nearly 80% of the 79 million Americans who live in multi-family housing do not allow smoking in their homes. Yet 35% of them claim that second hand smoke still infiltrated their homes.
Assembly Bill 253 Allows Owners of Floating Homes to Purchase Marina
The Assembly Local Government Committee today unanimously approved legislation by Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) to allow the residents of a floating home marina to create a condominium association for the purpose of purchasing their marina.
“When a floating home marina is up for sale, those with the most at stake are those who call the marina home,” said Levine. “AB 253 is straightforward legislation that simply allows owners of floating homes to come together to protect their residences. I am glad that this legislation was met with bipartisan and unanimous support in its first committee hearing.”
Assembly Bill 158 (Levine) Approved by Assembly Natural Resources Committee
Today the Assembly Natural Resources Committee passed AB 158 (Levine), which would provide a statewide ban on single-use plastic grocery bags.
"I am pleased that this important bill has cleared its first legislative hurdle. The elimination of plastic bags is inevitable and it is time for a statewide solution to this problem," said Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael). "To continue to allow the use of plastic bags would ignore the convincing body of global evidence proving that these bags are having a drastic effect on marine environments."