News from the District

Can you provide an update about the on going meetings you have been convening to establish a process for the development of the California Coastal Trail along the Big Sur coast?

When completed, the California Coastal Trail will provide a continuous public trail along the coastline from Oregon to Mexico. Predating my involvement, a committee of local community members took the initiative to compile a document that synthesizes the criteria by which the Coastal Trail should be established adjacent to the Big Sur coastline.

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A bill that would allow the state to hold donated funds for a Fort Ord veterans cemetery was unanimously approved by the state Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday and is expected to go to a floor vote next week.

AB 1842, authored by Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Carmel, would permit the state Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into any financial agreement to receive cash advances in the endowment fund to be used for building the Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord.

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(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Legislation authored by Assemblymember Bill Monning (D-Carmel) to provide “disaster loss treatment” for damages sustained in Santa Cruz County as a result of the severe storm that occurred in March 2011 passed out of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation today.

Between March 15 and 27, 2011, California was struck by a devastating storm, destroying and damaging public facilities and private property throughout the state. Santa Cruz County sustained $15 million in damages, 30 percent of the statewide total. While Governor Brown issued an Emergency Proclamation in April 2011 that requested the federal government to declare the event a major disaster, the federal government denied California’s request.

“Last year’s storms wreaked havoc for many neighborhoods in Santa Cruz County when heavy rain, flooding, and massive debris flows devastated homes and property,” stated Assemblymember Monning. “Assembly Bill (AB) 2332 will provide a small amount of relief to those who sustained property damage or loss as a result of the severe March 2011 Storm.”

AB 2332 would allow for losses resulting from the March 2011 storms to be claimed on 2010 tax year returns if a 2010 original or amended return is filed by October 15, 2012. In addition, the bill ensures that taxpayers are allowed to follow the most advantageous excess disaster loss rules – a 20 year carryover and 2 year carryback for net operating losses from 2013 or later.

“As our county continues to deal with the after-effects of the 2011 storms, we are faced with an abdication of responsibility by the federal and state governments to provide assistance after a natural disaster,” stated Santa Cruz County Supervisor Mark Stone. “At the very least, we fully support the efforts of this legislation for the members of our community who have been impacted by the storm.”

Assemblymember Monning was first elected to represent the 27th Assembly District in 2008 and re-elected in 2010. The 27th Assembly District includes portions of Monterey, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties. Prior to his election to the Assembly, Assemblymember Monning was a professor at the Monterey College of Law and a Professor of International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

The recent announcement by Arysta LifeScience, the manufacturer of the soil fumigant methyl iodide, of its product withdrawal from the California and U.S. markets represents a significant development in the campaign to protect workers, rural residents and the environment from the pesticide's potentially adverse effects.

While Arysta stated that its decision to withdraw methyl iodide was based on economic factors, it's clear there were myriad issues that led to its decision. The soil fumigant intended for use in strawberry production would have been a costly tool for agriculture. In addition to the high cost of purchase and application, potential liability related to an accident during application or use had to be an important consideration. In California, legal challenges to abuses in the registration process of methyl iodide also promised further costs, as well as the uncertainty caused by protracted litigation.

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(SACRAMENTO, CA) - Today, with the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 1461 authored by Assemblymember Bill Monning (D-Carmel), California is a step closer to having an insurance market where people are not denied coverage because of preexisting conditions. AB 1461 passed out of the Assembly Committee on Health with an initial vote of 11-6.

"This is a giant step forward for people who have been locked out of healthcare insurance because of pre-existing health conditions," stated Assemblymember Monning. "AB 1461 significantly changes the dynamics of health care insurance by requiring health insurers to sell their products to consumers on a guaranteed issue basis with ability for the consumer to renew with their plan."

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What happens now that the maker of methyl iodide has removed its product from markets in California and the United States?

ArystaLifeScience Inc.’s confirmation on March 20 that it had suspended the sale of the fumigant methyl iodide in the United States due to lack of  “economic viability” represents a victory for the health and safety of the public, workers, and the environment. Scientists, environmental and worker advocates, elected officials, agriculturists, and members of the public at large successfully placed pressure on Arysta to remove methyl iodide from the marketplace. In the end, only six California growers applied methyl iodide in the state.

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(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Arysta LifeScience Inc. confirmed in a news release late Tuesday, March 20, 2012, that it was immediately suspending the sale of all formulations of the fumigant Midas in the United States after controversy about its threat to human health, the environment, and worker safety persisted.

Methyl iodide, marketed as Midas, was approved for use in California in 2010 by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation despite recommendations from the Department’s staff scientists and the commissioned Peer Review Committee not to register the fumigant.

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California Assemblymember Bill Monning says the state needs to intervene in the troublesome trajectory of childhood obesity and preventable disease.

So he hopes the hearing exposes lawmakers to community-based wellness models that work, and can be applied on a large-scale.

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(SACRAMENTO, CA) - Assemblymember Bill Monning (D-Carmel) has named Rama Khalsa, Ph.D., as the 27th Assembly District’s 2012 “Woman of the Year”. As part of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus annual tribute to outstanding California women during Women’s History Month, Dr. Khalsa will be honored on the Floor of the Assembly on March 26, 2012. Each Legislator is honoring a woman from his or her district who has made exceptional contributions to her community.

“For more than 26 years, Dr. Khalsa has gone above and beyond what her duties require when providing healthcare service, as well as public policy guidance, as Santa Cruz County’s Health Service Director,” stated Assemblymember Monning. “She is a tireless champion for children’s health, ensuring access to quality healthcare for all who need it, and improving the health and well-being of all Santa Cruz County residents. I am delighted to be able to recognize Dr. Khalsa’s many contributions to the Central Coast community by naming her as a 2012 Woman of the Year.”

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You will be giving the keynote address at the first-ever Central Coast regional health summit, the “Health from Field to Sea” event on March 9. What will your message be, and what are your near-term hopes for health policy and action in the Santa Cruz area?

The regional “Health from Field to Sea” Summit is a new collaborative effort to support healthy eating and active living, and my keynote address will be to provide an update on the state budget, Medi-Cal, federal healthcare reform implementation in California, and the promotion of health and wellness.

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Sacramento - Today, Assemblymember Bill Monning (D-Carmel) introduced legislation to help California schools promote and protect student health by restricting mobile food vending near school campuses.

Assembly Bill (AB) 1678 prohibits mobile food and beverage vending within 1,500 feet of elementary and secondary school campuses from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on any day schools are in session. The bill also requires local health agencies to notify mobile food vendors of this restriction.

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Sacramento - The current worldwide financial crisis has hit working families especially hard. Just paying for food and shelter is a struggle, and paying for their children to attend college is simply not possible. However, California Speaker John A. Pérez has introduced the Middle Class Scholarship Act (www.MiddleClassScholarship.com) that could change all of that by reducing the fees to public colleges and universities by 2/3 for California students whose families make $150,000 dollars or less a year. California State Assemblymember Bill Monning (D-Carmel) applauds the Speaker’s measure in this Assembly Access Video.

En Español

by Assemblymember Bill Monning

Gov. Jerry Brown recently released his 2012-13 proposed budget, which includes continued cuts to services and the ability to ask voters to raise taxes. How do you feel about the proposed budget and what does it means for our area?

Gov. Brown's proposed 2012-13 budget includes very difficult cuts to social programs, including MediCal ($842 million); Childcare Services ($447 million); CalWORKs ($946 million); and In-home Support Services ($164 million). These reductions are part of his solution to close the state's projected $9.2 billion deficit.

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(Sacramento, CA) – Assemblymember Bill Monning (D-Carmel) believes Governor Brown is making some difficult but responsible choices to close California’s $9.2 billion dollar budget gap. While he knows that choices placed before the Legislature will be hard, the Assemblymember thinks the Governor's plan puts California on the road to a brighter future. Hear more in this Assembly Access Video.

En Español

Sacramento - On the last day for the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation to hear and report legislation introduced in 2011 for referral to fiscal committees, the Committee continued to hold Assembly Bill (AB) 669 by Assemblymember Bill Monning (D-Carmel), which makes the legislation ineligible to be considered during this year’s legislative session.

“I am disappointed AB 669 could not move forward, but remain committed to educating the public about the health dangers of sugary drinks – the biggest contributor to current obesity trends,” stated Assemblymember Monning. “Placing a tax on sweetened beverages will provide the necessary funding for a broader public health campaign that counters the massive advertising budgets used to market sugary drinks and other unhealthful options directly to our children.”

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