Representing the 79th District

Assemblymember Hueso's Legislative Package reflects the Member's years of experience as a small business owner, his service in local government, and his dedication to community advocacy. His bills cover a variety of topics including: economic development, government transparency, small business expansion, healthy communities, and public safety.

ACR 86 - No Place For Hate: Increases awareness and offers solutions to discrimination and hate crimes in our communities by designating February 2012 as California, No Place for Hate Month.

ACR 134 - Dropout Recovery: Highlights the importance of education and the critical need for our state to invest additional efforts to the recovery of high school dropouts. This resolution designates June 4 through June 10, 2012, as Dropout Recovery Week in California.

AB 1248 - Secure Retirements: Provides retirement security for California's local public employees by requiring local public employers to provide coverage under the federal social security system to all employees who are not covered under a defined benefit plan, with specified exceptions.

AB 2113 - Enhanced Driver's License: Attracts new revenue and provides significant economic benefits to the state by relieving congestion and reducing wait times at the California-Mexico border through the creation of an Enhanced Driver's License.

AB 2155 - Responsibility and Transparency in Public Schools: Provides accountability within the finances of our public schools by requiring school districts to release detailed budget information to the school board and public. In addition, the bill will reduce the cap on severance pay for school superintendents from an 18-month to a 6-month salary.

AB 2209 - Protection of Dependent Children: Provides critical protections to dependent children who are U.S. citizens and are considered for placement outside of the country by requiring a court to make a determination that such a placement would be in the best interest of the child..

AB 2586 - California Healthy Choices Act: To assist in the fight against obesity, this bill creates a voluntary grocery store state certification program to promote and identify grocery stores that are healthy choices for California consumers.

Assemblymember Ben Hueso, Chair of the Select Committee on California/Mexico Bi-National Affairs
Invites You to the Select Committee's Hearing on

"Cross Border Economic Development:
Reducing Wait Times Across the California-Mexico Border"
Thursday, January 26
2 - 4 p.m.
State Capitol Room 444
Sacramento

Watch it live: www.calchannel.com

This Select Committee was created to cultivate our relationship with Mexico and address important issues surrounding California’s economic, labor, and environmental relationship. This Committee hopes to continue to provide a place for on-going dialogue and collaboration between representatives and people of expertise from both countries in the areas of infrastructure, trade, commerce, job creation, environment, health, social justice and public safety.

Select Committee Members:
Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian, 33rd District; Assemblymember Luis Alejo, 28th District; Assemblymember Michael Allen, 7th District; Assemblymember Roger Hernández, 57th District; Assemblymember Ricardo Lara, 50th District; Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal, 54th District; Assemblymember Henry Perea, 31st District; Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez, 80th District; Assemblymember Norma Torres, 61st District; Assemblymember David Valadao, 30th District

For more information on this hearing, please call the district office at (619) 409-7979.

By Ben Hueso

Three women are killed every day due to domestic violence in this country.

About 1.5 million women in the U.S. are raped or physically assaulted by a partner or spouse every year.

In California, about 700,000 women currently experience intimate-partner violence, three times the national average. It is the leading cause of serious injury to women, responsible for three times as many emergency-room visits as car crashes and muggings combined.

Read more...

Members of the California Assembly are expected in San Diego on Friday to hear about issues that affect the lives of border residents and reach far beyond: infrastructure, environment and commerce.

The Select Committee on California-Mexico Bi-National Affairs has scheduled a public hearing from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the offices of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) in downtown San Diego.

Read more...

A large ongoing sewage spill in Playas de Tijuana contaminated beaches on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border for almost three weeks before California officials learned about it Jan. 18. Why did they not know sooner about this health threat that could have put thousands of San Diego beachgoers at risk? The answer is simple: We have our backs turned on Mexico.

The estimated 31-million-gallon sewage spill should serve as a wake-up call. Our relationship with our neighbors in Mexico requires greater attention from the state of California.

Read more...

San Diego Union Tribune
By Ben Hueso & Eloisa Orozco

Summer is here. That means that the kids are out of school and summer vacation plans are in full gear. It also means that the 100 deadliest days of the year for teen drivers have begun.

It is also the time of year for graduation events and festivities, which all too often are accompanied by an alarming increase in teen deaths due to drunken or drug-impaired driving.

Motor vehicle-related injuries are the leading cause of death for 15- to 25-year-olds. Nine of the 10 deadliest days for youth on our nation's highways are between the months of May and August.

How many times in the last year have you been touched by, know of or have read about a fatal crash involving someone in that age group? During one graduation period in California, according to statistics provided by the California Highway Patrol, more than 50 drunk drivers in this age group were involved in fatal crashes.

The magnitude of the tragedy of losing young lives senselessly to drunken driving is overwhelming. Occurring at a time of such hope and accomplishment, these young deaths shatter families and traumatize communities. When school-age youth drink alcohol, according to a number of studies, they are more likely, not less likely, to develop serious behavioral and health problems related to the use of alcohol and other drugs.

Parents can help keep their teen safe by setting rules and enforcing them.

• No drinking alcohol before age 21. Parents are the No. 1 influence on their child's decision about alcohol. (For more information on talking with teens about underage drinking, check out MADD's Power of Parents, It's Your Influence® program or contact the local MADD office, (858) 564-0780.)
• Insist on seat belts at all times and in all seating positions. Low seat belt use is one of the primary reasons that teen driver and passenger fatality and injury rates remain high.
• Ban the use of all electronic devices, including cellphones.
• Limit nighttime driving and control the number of teenage passengers in the vehicle while they are driving.

Hueso represents the 79th Assembly District, which includes portions of San Diego, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, National City and Coronado. Orozco is the executive director of MADD, the nation's largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunken driving and underage drinking.