Doctors brace for pain as 10% cut to Medi-Cal rates looms

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Created on Monday, 10 June 2013 15:08

The cuts, affecting physicians, dentists and pharmacists, were enacted in 2011 to counter a budget deficit. But with the state on surer footing, medical providers want to restore funds for poor Californians.

In a office decorated with Chinese art and diagrams of body parts, Dr. George Ma cares for more than 4,000 patients.

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California state auditor to examine child welfare offices

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Created on Wednesday, 05 June 2013 14:15

A California legislative committee requested an audit of child welfare agencies Wednesday after two lawmakers accused county officials of bungling recent cases, including one in Sacramento.

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, criticized social workers for allegedly violating the rights of a Sacramento County couple in April when they removed a 5-month-old boy who a doctor said needed heart surgery.

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Rally to Save Medi-Cal - State Capitol, West Steps

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Created on Tuesday, 04 June 2013 12:51

Assemblymember Gray addresses the crowd.

Our View: Give enforcement teeth to metal theft

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Created on Friday, 31 May 2013 14:16

The whims of nature provide California agriculture with challenges aplenty. Farmers' very survival hinges on their ability to deal with weather, water and insects, among other things. And consumers feel the impact of their relative success or failure at the supermarket.

So it's particularly frustrating when petty crime enters the equation as well.

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Assemblymember Gray’s Bill to Prevent MID Rate Hike Clears Assembly

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Created on Friday, 24 May 2013 13:42

Sacramento—Assemblymember Adam C. Gray (D-Merced) announced that his bill to prevent a 20% increase in electricity for Merced Irrigation District (MID) passed the Assembly with support from both Democrats and Republicans. AB 793 received a vote of 65-3.

“I am happy to see my colleagues on both sides of the aisle appreciate the unique set of circumstances MID faces,” said Assemblymember Gray. “It is not appropriate to force rate hikes on an economically challenged community of just 8,000 customers.”

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California bill to establish task force to tackle metal thefts

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Created on Thursday, 23 May 2013 13:41

SACRAMENTO -- State lawmakers want to crack down on the chronic problem of metal theft by setting up a task force to help local law enforcement and district attorneys catch and prosecute thieves.

Under a California Farm Bureau Federation-sponsored bill carried by Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, the panel created as part of the Board of State and Community Corrections would eventually provide grants to local agencies to focus on metal theft and recycling crimes.

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Assemblymember Gray’s Reaction to the May Revision

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Created on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 09:33

SACRAMENTO –Assemblymember Adam C. Gray (D-Merced) issued the following statement on Governor Brown’s May Revision to the 2013-14 budget:

“I want to thank the Governor for his prudent spending decisions contained within his budget revision.  I find it refreshing that the Governor is taking a long-term view of our budget and reducing debt.  Not assuming that the multibillion dollar increases the state has received will continue indefinitely is a budgeting approach long overdue in Sacramento.”

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Lone Democrat Against Non-Citizen Jury Service “ I Will Vote My District”

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Created on Wednesday, 01 May 2013 13:36

SACRAMENTO – The California Assembly passed AB 1401 by a vote of 45-26 last week. The bill would make California the first state to allow non-citizen jury service by immigrants residing in the country legally. The bill was passed largely on a party-line vote, with only one Democrat voting against the measure. The lone Democrat is freshman Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-AD21), representing California’s Central Valley, which includes Merced, Patterson, and Newman; a region known for its agriculture and its independent politics.

Although AB 1401 passed without serious opposition, Gray’s lone “No” vote should not go unnoticed. There were 8 members of the assembly that did not vote on the bill — all Democrats. These members include Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), Tom Daly (D-Anaheim), Steve Fox (D-Los Angeles), Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), Adrin Nazarian (D-Van Nuys), Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), and Rudy Salas Jr. (D-Bakersfield).

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Bill would let MID count Exchequer Dam power as 'green'

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Created on Wednesday, 01 May 2013 08:41

MERCED -- Under newly proposed legislation, the Merced Irrigation District could see an easing of green-energy requirements, a move officials say would benefit local ratepayers' pocketbooks.

Under California law, power utilities have to provide 33 percent of their energy from renewable sources by the end of 2020. Power providers also must hit benchmarks of 20 percent renewable energy by 2014 and 25 percent by 2017.

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Calif. bill would let non-citizens serve on juries

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Created on Thursday, 25 April 2013 09:31

SACRAMENTO, California -- The California Assembly passed a bill on Thursday that would make the state the first in the nation to allow non-citizens who are in the country legally to serve on jury duty.

Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski said his bill would help California widen the pool of prospective jurors and help integrate immigrants into the community.

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