Recent News in the 55th District

Assemblymember Warren T. Furutani honored Winnie Heiss in the California State Assembly as 2012 Woman of the Year for the 55th Assembly District. “The City of Lakewood and its residents are lucky that Winnie Heiss and her husband Phil decided to move to Lakewood in 1966,” said Assemblymember Furutani. “For the past 40 years, Winnie has tirelessly served her community and improved the lives of thousands of people through her leadership and volunteer work. She serves as an example to all of us of the difference one person can make.”

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Assemblymember Furutani hosted a Town Hall meeting with hundreds of residents from the Carousel Housing Tract in Carson where high levels of benzene and methane were discovered in the soil during routine testing almost two years ago. Click here to listen to the story reported by KPCC.

From the early 1920's to the mid-1960's, Shell Oil Company operated a crude oil storage facility on the site. About 285 single family homes were developed on the land in the late 1960's. The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board is conducting an investigation and ordered Shell Oil to clean the soil, but plans for the clean-up have not yet been released.

Dozens of residents shared painful stories about the illnesses and financial hardship they have had to endure along with the uncertainty that their lawns and backyards are unsafe. Their home values have plummeted and a recent law suit they filed against Shell Oil was thrown out of court.

Assemblymember Furutani recently introduced legislation to help. Assembly Bill 1207 is designed to protect consumers' rights when exposed to a pollutant or hazardous substance. The Carousel Neighbors Association is sponsoring the legislation.

A smoking grill in a chaotic kitchen, a cacophonous auto garage and a computer-filled virtual business classroom at Banning High provided the backdrop Friday for a call from state officials for more career-technical options for secondary school students.

The Wilmington campus - which offers culinary, automotive repair and international trade courses - was visited by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and South Bay Assemblyman Warren Furutani.

The pair called for support of legislation that would give students credits toward graduation for one career-technical course in lieu of a required foreign language or arts course. Read more...

Assemblymember Warren T. Furutani, Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus joined Direct Relief International -- California’s largest international non-profit -- and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) to detail the efforts being mobilized by public and private entities in California to help the people of Japan. Direct Relief and JACL established the Japan Relief and Recovery Fund, to be used solely and exclusively for Japan. Assemblymember Furutani encourages all Californians to lend a hand during Japan’s time of need. Already the Japan Relief and Recovery Fund includes $1.7 million in financial support and millions made available in medical supplies.

There are two ways you can help:

1) Offer help to the Japan Relief and Recovery Fund at www.directrelief.org/Japanrelief
2) Text "Give10" to 20222 to give $10 to Japan.

(Sacramento) – Led by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County) the California State Assembly paused from its traditional duties to observe a moment of silence for the hundreds of thousands of people who have died, been injured or displaced by the earthquake and tsunami that has ravaged Japan. Assemblymember Furutani said watching the television video of the devastation caused by the natural disaster was like standing on a virtual bluff above Northern Japan. Here’s more in this Assembly Access video.

(Sacramento) – Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County), Chair of the Assembly's Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security Committee, was a guest recently on KCRW's "Which Way LA" radio program to discuss pension reform and the state’s budget crisis. Listen to the program by clicking on the link below. The program segment runs 28:02.

Click here to listen

California's Cal Grant Financial Aid Program guarantees financial assistance to every qualified student who applies. The deadline to submit FAFSA applications is March 2. Click here for more information, or go to www.fafsa.gov.

"Today, we're celebrating nearly eight years of collaboration and partnerships that have culminated into a new Gerald Desmond Bridge that will be a cornerstone of our region's leadership in international trade and our local economy. Read More ...