Recent News in the 24th District

Here are some of the highlights from my week:

• I presented an Assembly resolution to the organizers of the Willow Glen 5K Run/Walk in recognition of their work to raises funds for schools in the community.
  
  Delivering the resolution to Lee Anna Botkin, Kelly Osborne, and Bob Shelby, members of the Willow Glen Elementary School PTA and organizers of the Willow Glen 5K Run/Walk.
• I took part in a policy briefing with the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives and the California Program on Access to Care about federal healthcare reform and substance abuse treatment.
• I also met with various representatives from the Department of Health Care Services; the California Automatic Vendors Council; the California Psychological Association; California State Retirees; California Women for Agriculture; and the California Geological Survey.

Assemblymember Jim Beall commended the selection of civil rights activist Dolores Huerta for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s most illustrious civilian award.

“It is with great pleasure that I wish to congratulate you on the announcement of your inclusion as a recipient of our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.’’ Beall said in a letter to Huerta

“To have this great honor bestowed upon you, for your invaluable contributions as an American labor leader and civil rights activist, co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, and advocate for the rights of women, immigrants, and workers everywhere, is a shining achievement that marks the indelible legacy you have created. . . . Your sense of decency, courage, and tenacity are models for all of us to emulate in the fight against injustice.

“As a fellow Californian, I am especially proud to relay my sincere congratulations to you on such an auspicious occasion as this.’

The White House announced last week that Huerta had been chosen for the rare honor which is bestowed upon Americans “who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,’’ according to an Obama Administration statement.

In addition to co-founding the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farmworkers of America, Huerta played an instrumental role in the adoption of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, giving farmworkers the right to collective bargaining. She also worked to secure state disability insurance for farmworkers. A decade ago, she established the Dolores Huerta Foundation to nurture a new generation of leaders.

Sacramento - Too many families are getting squeezed out of a higher education by the triple digit fee increases over the past decade and the struggling economy. To make higher education more affordable Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) is joining with Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) in an effort to pass the Middle Class Scholarship Act (www.MiddleClassScholarship.com). It will cut fees at California state colleges by up to two-thirds for students whose family income is under $150,000 and who are not eligible for financial aid grants. Here’s more from Assemblymember Beall in this Assembly Access video.

Many who attended my Pancake Breakfast on Feb. 25, asked that I post the slide presentation on the state budget created by guest speaker Christian Griffith of the Assembly Budget Committee put together. As promised, here is a link to his presentation. To read about the Governor’s proposed budget, click here.

This year, the Select Committee on Foster Care – chaired by Assemblymember Jim Beall -- is holding hearings across the state to analyze the factors behind the overrepresentation of African Americans and Latino children in California’s child welfare system.

These hearings will examine solutions to overcome societal conditions, such as poverty and cultural issues, which perpetuate children of color entering and languishing in the system.

The overrepresentation of children of color in the child welfare system is a troubling and persistent problem for both the nation and California, a state that prides itself on furnishing opportunity for all.

The first hearing, held Jan. 6 in San Jose, focused on Latino children in the system. Among those testifying were Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farmworkers of American and founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation; San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed; Benny Diaz, president of the California League of United Latin American Citizens; and Victor Garza, chairman of La Raza Roundtable de California.

To view photos of the San Jose meeting, click here.

A second hearing will be held in Los Angeles to understand the problems and circumstances that have led to the disparate numbers of African American children in the system. The Select Committee is in the process of scheduling that hearing and will soon announce the date, place, and time.

A third hearing is also being planned and will be held in San Francisco.

Sgt. Carl Geoffrey Perez, right, with me on the floor of the Assembly Chambers

It was a privilege to present the District 24 Veteran of the Year accommodation to Carl Geoffrey Perez for all his contributions to our country. We owe our veterans so much. They have given more than any of us could ask in the name of the United States and our liberty.

Sgt. Perez served two tours of duty in the Iraq/Afghanistan War Zone as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 2001-2011. While serving in the Reserves, Perez worked for the San Jose Vet Center where he participated in 32 outreach events and reached a total of 726 new generation veterans returning home from the war zone.

This week we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was honored to participate in several events both here in my district and in the Capitol. To learn more about the significance and history of the ADA, please read my address to the ADA event in Sacramento on June 26.

Christina Mills and Assemblymember Beall at the SVLIC's West Coast Disability Pride Parade and Festival

(Sacramento) – Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) recently addressed a rally on the steps of the State Capitol to mark May 2010 as Foster Care Month and honor country music star Jimmy Wayne. Wayne, who grew up in foster care and group homes, embarked on a 1,700-mile trek on Jan. 1 in Nashville, Tennessee. His final destination is Phoenix, Arizona. The singer's journey halfway across the nation aims to publicize the challenges the homeless face, especially for at-risk kids and young adults as they leave foster care. Assemblymember Beall is carrying legislation, Assembly Bill 12, that ensures California obtains essential federal funding to provide transitional support to qualifying foster youth until age 21. Here's more from Assemblymember Beall in this Assembly Access video.

Listen to foster care advocates outline some of the best practices used to help families stay together and ensure the well-being of foster youth and families.