(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) – During World War II, 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent were sent to internment camps around the country. California State Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) took the opportunity to reflect and remind all Americans that we can't forget the civil rights of any person. He spoke about ACR 16, which would make February 19th, a "Day of Remembrance." Listen to Furutani's speech of the Floor of the California Assembly in this Assembly Access Video.

(Sacramento) - In his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the State Legislature California Governor Jerry Brown presented lawmakers with details of the state’s economic troubles and what needs to be done to move California forward. Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County) says the Governor is “on the money” with his challenge to lawmakers to approve his proposed budget, complete with difficult and painful spending cuts, or come up with specific alternatives to his blueprint. Here’s more from Assemblymember Furutani in this Assembly Access video.

(Sacramento, CA) -- The California Legislature held a joint hearing of the Senate and Assembly Career Technical Education and Workforce Committees regarding the implementation of Assembly Bill 2648. AB 2648 requires California's Superintendent of Public Instruction to report to the Legislature regarding the feasibility of multiple pathways to integrate academic and career technical education for California high school students. Chair of the Assembly Committee, Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) expressed his optimism about giving our students a variety of avenues to achieve future career success. Learn more in the Assembly Access video.

(Sacramento) - California State Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-Los Angeles) honored the band, Hiroshima, with a resolution on the floor of the California Assembly. Hiroshima, a name the group chose for political purposes, integrates traditional jazz with Asian cultural influences for a unique sound. More in this Assembly Access Clip.

(Sacramento) – Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County) knows that in these difficult economic times jobs are priority number one and successful small businesses are the engines that drive the state's economy and create a substantial majority of the California’s jobs. He wants everyone to show their support for the hard working men and women who run the small businesses in the Golden State so Assemblymember Furutani has introduced ACR 101. ACR 101 declares May 2010 as "Buy California Small Business First Month." Learn more in this Assembly Web Report.

(Sacramento) Assemblymember Warren T. Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County) recently joined his colleagues in the State Assembly for a special ceremony to honor the late labor and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. Assemblymember Furutani said in his speech on the Assembly floor that Chavezs message of workers rights captured the imagination of Americans and had a monumental impact on our state and nation. California celebrates the founder of the United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez Day each March 31st, the anniversary of his birth. Heres more in this Assembly Access video.

(Sacramento) Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County) joined with his fellow lawmakers in the State Assembly for a special ceremony marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This federal holiday is a day devoted to the life and legacy of a man who changed the future of civil rights and brought a new justice to America. It is a day to give back to our communities and share with our families, friends, and children the spirit of a man who sacrificed his life for us to live a better future. Heres more from Assemblymember Furutani in this Assembly Access video.