FCL NEWSLETTER -- October, 2000

2000 Voting Record

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What Ever Happened To?

Articles in Prior Newsletters

2000 Voting Record

[FCL N/L: 10/00]

Below we present our annual voting record for members of the California Legislature, focusing on selected legislation of particular concern to the Friends Committee on Legislation of California. FCL offers this record as an aid to Newsletter readers who may wish to discuss issues with their legislators.

A voting record should be interpreted with caution. It does not tell us that a legislator is a good person or a bad person. This record cannot explain why members voted as they did, and it reveals nothing of what they did before the floor vote, in committee, or behind closed doors. The votes selected here are not necessarily the most important of this legislative session, but they do represent responses to some key FCL concerns.

Here, then, are summaries and the votes cast on 11 bills of interest to FCL that came to the floor of one or both houses during the 2000 legislative year.

AB 1197 (Marco Firebaugh, D., East Los Angeles) allows otherwise qualified immigrants to pay in-state tuition for public higher education. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. Floor votes: Assembly, 9/1/00; Senate, 8/29/00.

AB 1255 (Rod Wright, R., Los Angeles) exempts qualified former drug felons from lifetime ban on cash and Food Stamp assistance. FCL SUPPORTS. Assembly Inactive File. Floor votes: Assembly, did not vote on this version; Senate, 6/20/00.

AB 1463 (Gil Cedillo, D., Los Angeles) allows immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. Floor votes: Assembly, 8/30/00; Senate, 8/29/00.

AB 1969 (Darrell Steinberg, D., Sacramento) improves oversight of skilled nursing facilities serving mentally ill patients. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. Floor votes: Assembly, 8/29/00; Senate, 8/28/00.

AB 2447 (Rod Wright, D., Los Angeles) directs judges, when implementing the "Three Strikes" law, to consider ignoring prior convictions if the present conviction is not violent or serious. FCL SUPPORTS. Failed on Assembly Floor. Floor votes: Assembly, 6/1/00; Senate, did not vote on this bill.

AB 2752 (Dennis Cardoza, D., Merced) establishes procedures for state approval of a landfill within a mile of a site sacred to the Pala Band of Mission Indians. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. Floor votes: Assembly,

9/1/00; Senate, 8/30/00. SB 89 (Martha Escutia, D., Los Angeles) requires formation of a state agency working group on environmental justice. FCL SUPPORTS. Signed by governor; Chapter 728. Floor votes: Assembly, 8/30/00; Senate, 8/31/00.

SB 1149 (Tom Hayden, D., Los Angeles) allows employees to take family care and medical leave to care for a person other than a child, spouse or parent. Vetoed. FCL SUPPORTS. Floor votes: Assembly, 8/30/00; Senate, 8/31/00.

SB 1348 (John Vasconcellos, D., Silicon Valley) requires school districts and California Youth Authority to provide parenting education in grades 9-12. Requires State Department of Health Services to develop a master plan for parenting education in nonschool settings. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. Floor votes: Assembly, 8/31/00; Senate, 8/31/00.

SB 1845 (Richard Polanco, D., Los Angeles) creates a board of education and superintendent of education within the State Department of Corrections. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. Floor votes: Assembly, 8/22/00; Senate, 8/25/00.

SB 1978 (Tom Hayden, D., Los Angeles) reduces costs of telephone services used by prisoners, who currently are charged excessive rates. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. Floor votes: Assembly, 8/30/00; Senate, 8/31/00. ?

ASSEMBLY VOTES AB AB AB AB AB AB SB SB SB SB SB
1197 1255 1463 1969 2447 2752 89 1149 1348 1845 1978
Aanestad, Sam (R) n n Y n n n n n Y Y
Ackerman, Dick (R) n n Y n Y n n n n n
Alquist, Elaine (D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y Y Y Y
Aroner, Dion (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Ashburn, Roy (R) Y n Y n Y n n n n Y
Baldwin, Steve (R) n n n n n n n n n Y
Bates, Patricia (R) n n Y n n n n n Y Y
Battin, Jim (R) - - Y n Y n n n n n
Baugh, Scott (R) Y n Y - - n n n - -
Bock, Audie (I) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Brewer, Marilyn (R) n n Y n - n n n Y n
Briggs, Mike (R) n n Y n Y n n n n n
Calderon, Thomas (D) Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y Y
Campbell, Bill (R) n n Y n Y n n n Y Y
Cardenas, Tony (D) Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y -
Cardoza, Dennis (D) Y Y Y n Y Y - - Y Y
Cedillo, Gil (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Corbett, Ellen (D) Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y Y
Correa, Lou (D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y Y Y Y
Cox, Dave (R) - Y Y n Y n n n n Y
Cunneen, Jim (R) - Y Y n Y n Y - Y Y
Davis, Susan (D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y - Y Y
Dickerson, Dick (R) Y n Y n Y n n n n n
Ducheny, Denise M. (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Dutra, John (D) Y - Y - Y Y Y Y Y Y
Firebaugh, Marco (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Florez, Dean (D) Y Y Y n Y - n n Y n
Floyd, Dick (D) - - Y Y - Y Y Y - -
Frusetta, Peter (R) - - - - - - - - - -
Gallegos, Martin (D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y Y Y Y
Granlund, Brett (R) n Y Y n - n n - n n
Havice, Sally (D) - n Y n Y Y n Y Y n
Hertzberg, Robert (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Honda, Mike (D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y Y Y Y
House, George (R) n n Y n Y n n n n -
Jackson, H.B.(D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y Y Y Y
Kaloogian, Howard (R) Y n Y n n n n n n Y
Keeley, Fred (D) Y Y Y Y n Y Y Y - Y
Knox, Wally (D) Y Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y
Kuehl, Sheila James (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Leach, Lynne (R) - n Y n - n - n n Y
Lempert, Ted (D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y Y Y Y
Leonard, Bill (R) Y n Y n Y n n n Y n
Longville, John (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Lowenthal, Alan (D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y Y Y Y
Machado, Mike (D) Y Y Y n Y Y n Y Y Y
Maddox, Ken (R) n n Y n Y n n n n n
Maldonado, Abel (R) - Y Y n Y n n n Y Y
Margett, Bob (R) n n Y n Y n n n - Y
Mazzoni, Kerry (D) Y Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y
McClintock, Tom (R) n n n n n n n n n Y
Migden, Carole (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Nakano, George (D) - - Y n Y - - Y Y Y
Olberg, Keith (R) n - Y n Y n n n n n
Oller, Rico (R) n n Y n - - n - n n
Pacheco, Robert (R) Y - Y n Y n n n - n
Pacheco, Rod (R) - - Y n Y n n n Y n
Papan, Louis (D) Y Y Y Y Y - Y - Y Y
Pescetti, Anthony (R) n n Y n Y n n n Y n
Reyes, Sarah (D) Y Y Y n Y Y n Y Y Y
Romero, Gloria (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Runner, George (R) n n Y n Y n n n n n
Scott, Jack (D) Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y Y
Shelley, Kevin (D) Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y Y
Steinberg, Darrell (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Strickland, Tony (R) Y Y Y n Y n n n n n
Strom-Martin, V. (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Thompson, Bruce (R) Y n Y n Y n n n - n
Thomson, Helen (D) Y Y Y n - Y Y Y Y Y
Torlakson, Tom (D) Y Y Y n Y Y Y Y Y Y
Villaraigosa, A. (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Vincent, Edward (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Washington, Carl (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Wayne, Howard (D) - - Y n n Y Y Y Y Y
Wesson, Herb (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Wiggins, Patricia (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Wildman, Scott (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Wright, Roderick (D) Y - Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Zettel, Charlene (R) Y n Y n - n n n n n


SENATE VOTES AB AB AB AB AB AB SB SB SB SB SB
1197 1255 1463 1969 2447 2752 89 1149 1348 1845 1978
Alarc?n, Richard (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y -
Alpert, Dede (D) Y Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y
Bowen, Debra (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Brulte, James (R) n n n - Y n n n Y n
Burton, John (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Chesboro, Wes (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y - -
Costa, Jim (D) - Y n Y Y n n Y Y Y
Dunn, Joe (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Escutia, Martha (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Figueroa, Liz (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Hayden, Tom (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Haynes, Ray (R) n - n n - - n n n n
Hughes, Teresa (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Johannessen, K.M. (R) Y n - Y Y - n n Y n
Johnson, Ross (R) - n - - - n - - Y -
Johnston, Patrick (D) Y Y Y Y - Y Y - Y Y
Karnette, Betty (D) Y Y n Y - Y Y Y Y -
Kelley, David (R) n n Y Y - n n n Y n
Knight, Pete (R) n n n - - - n n Y n
Leslie, Tim (R) n Y - n - - n n Y Y
Lewis, John (R) n n n - n n n n Y -
McPherson, Bruce (R) n Y n - n Y - - Y Y
Monteith, Dick (R) n n - - - n n n Y n
Morrow, Bill (R) n n - Y n - n n - n
Mountjoy, Richard (R) n - n - - n n n Y n
Murray, Kevin (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
O'Connell, Jack (D) Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Ortiz, Deborah (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Peace, Steve (D) - - - Y - - Y n Y Y
Perata, Don (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Polanco, Richard (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Poochigan, Charles (R) n n n - - n n n Y n
Rainey, Richard (R) n n - - - n n n Y n
Schiff, Adam (D) - Y - Y Y - Y - Y Y
Sher, Byron (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y - - Y Y
Solis, Hilda (D) Y Y Y Y - Y Y Y Y Y
Soto, Nell (D) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Speier, Jackie (D) Y - - Y - Y Y Y Y Y
Vasconcellos, John(D) - Y Y Y Y - Y Y Y -
Wright, Cathie (R) Y - Y Y - Y n n Y Y

BALLOT BOX

FCL's stands on November 7 proposals. Proposition 32. Veteran's Bond Act. FCL TAKES NO POSITION. Proposition 33. Legislature: Retirement. FCL TAKES NO POSITION. Proposition 34. Campaign Contributions and Expenditures. FCL OPPOSES. Proposition 35. Public Works Projects. FCL TAKES NO POSITION. Proposition 36. Drug Treatment Diversion Program. FCL SUPPORTS. Proposition 37. Fees, Taxes. New Definitions, Vote Requirements. FCL OPPOSES. Proposition 38. School Vouchers. State-Funded Private and Religious Education. Public School Funding. FCL OPPOSES. Proposition 39. School Facilities. 55% Local Vote. Bonds, Taxes. Accountability Requirements. FCL SUPPORTS. Whatever Happened To... Below are key bills of interest to FCL. All action on legislation for the 1999-2000 two-year legislative session ended on October 1, which was the deadline for the governor to sign or veto bills presented to him by the Legislature. Bills described by their chapter number were signed into law as part of the statutes of 2000. Criminal Justice and Public Safety AB 1718 (Robert Hertzberg, D., Los Angeles) requires peace officers to receive advanced training concerning the special needs of persons with mental illness or developmental disabilities. FCL SUPPORTS. Signed by governor. Chapter 200. AB 1762 (Antonio Villaraigosa, D., Los Angeles) expands on the experience of jurisdictions that use intensively trained officers to intervene in incidents involving a person who shows signs of acute mental illness. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Assembly. AB 2489 (Gloria Romero, D., Los Angeles) appropriates $4 million and authorizes the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to expand its Family Violence Emergency Response Teams to operate on a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week basis. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Senate. SB 1342 (John Burton, D., San Francisco) gives convicted defendants in a criminal case the right to request DNA testing on evidence relevant to their conviction if the evidence or technology for testing was not available at the time of trial. FCL SUPPORTS. Signed by governor. Chapter 821. Capital Punishment AB 2826 (Dennis Cardoza, D., Turlock) extends the death penalty to murders in which the defendant either mutilated the victim to conceal the act of murder or committed sexual acts upon the corpse. FCL OPPOSES. Died in Assembly Public Safety Committee. Imprisonment AB 2101 (Carole Migden, D., San Francisco) directs the Department of Corrections to permit news reporters to interview consenting prisoners and requires the Department to permit reporters to receive certain confidential correspondence from a prisoner. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. SB 127 (Richard Polanco, D., Los Angeles) allows more flexibility in the place of parole for prisoners seeking to enroll in a drug treatment program. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. SB 1117 (John Vasconcellos, D., Silicon Valley) revises the objectives of incarceration to enhance public safety and include prisoner rehabilitation programs. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Assembly. Juveniles and Youth AB 235 (Sheila Kuehl, D., Los Angeles) establishes a youth violence prevention authority. FCL SUPPORTS. Assembly Inactive File. AB 565 (Dean Florez, D., Fresno) directs the Office of Crime and Violence Prevention in the Department of Justice to develop a statewide plan to implement violence, crime, and gang prevention programs. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Senate Public Safety Committee. AB 788 (Abel Maldonado, R., San Luis Obispo) revises juvenile law objectives to encompass accountability of offenders, public protection, and building the competence of offenders to assume productive roles in the community. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. AB 2280 (Dean Florez, D., Fresno) provides for an Office of Violence, Crime, and Gang Prevention in the Governor's Office of Criminal Justice Planning. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Assembly Public Safety Committee. SB 126 (Richard Polanco, D., Los Angeles) creates the office of the State Incarcerated Youth Ombuds-person to provide assistance to offenders who are 10 to 21 years of age and who are confined. FCL SUPPORTS. Gutted; no longer relevant to FCL policy. Poverty AB 1233 (Dion Aroner, D., Berkeley) counts study hours toward student work eligibility requirements for CalWORKS cash assistance. FCL SUPPORTS. Signed by governor. Chapter 933. AB 1255 (Rod Wright, R., Los Angeles) exempts qualified former drug felons from lifetime ban on cash and Food Stamp assistance. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Assembly. SB 1421 (Hilda Solis, D., Los Angeles) state earned income tax credit for low- income working families. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee. SB 1501 (Don Perata, D., Alameda) regulates payday loan industry. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Assembly Banking and Finance Committee. Health AB 16 (Mike Honda, D., San Jose) improves home health care workers' wages, benefits, and quality of service by creating and funding local home health care authorities. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Senate Appropriations Committee. AB 1800 (Helen Thomson, D., Davis) abbreviates the process for subjecting a person with a serious mental illness to involuntary treatment. FCL OPPOSES. Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform. AB 1863 (Martin Gallegos, D., Los Angeles) allows medically needy individuals to qualify for MediCal without "spending down" all their assets. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Senate. AB 1969 (Darrell Steinberg, D., Sacramento) improves oversight of skilled nursing facilities serving mentally ill patients. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. AB 1990 (Gloria Romero, D., Monterey Park) gives domestic partners the right to make medical decisions for each other when one is incapable of informed consent. FCL SUPPORTS. Assembly Inactive File. AB 2018 (Helen Thomson, D., Davis) reduces barriers to prescription of medication for pain management. FCL SUPPORTS. Signed by governor. Chapter 1092. AB 2034 (Darrell Steinberg, D., Sacramento) authorizes funding for expansion of community mental health programs. FCL SUPPORTS. Signed by governor. Chapter 578. AB 2228 (Dion Aroner, D., Berkeley) provides mental health screening for juvenile offenders as a first step in developing an appropriate continuum of service responses for juvenile offenders. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Senate. SB 89 (Martha Escutia, D., Los Angeles) requires formation of a state agency working group on environmental justice. FCL SUPPORTS. Signed by governor. Chapter 728. SB 1149 (Tom Hayden, D., Los Angeles) allows employees to take family care and medical leave to care for a person other than a child, spouse or parent. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. SB 1348 (John Vasconcellos, D., Silicon Valley) requires school districts and California Youth Authority to provide parenting education in grades 9-12. Requires State Department of Health Services to develop a master plan for parenting education in nonschool settings. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. SB 1408 (Richard Alarc?n, D., Los Angeles) creates the Environmental Justice Technical Assistance Grant Demonstration Program. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Assembly. SB 1622 (Richard Alarc?n, D., Los Angeles) requires that environmental justice issues be considered when siting new power plants. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee. SB 1534 (Don Perata, D., Oakland) specifies the duties and responsibilities of patients' rights advocates and clarifies the rights of mental health clients. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Senate. SB 1769 (Wesley Chesbro, D., Arcata) encourages counties to submit crime reduction grant proposals that establish or implement mental health courts. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. SB 1770 (Wesley Chesbro, D., Arcata) requires the Department of Mental Health to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to establish and expand empowerment programs for mental health clients and their families. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. Immigrants AB 1197 (Marco Firebaugh, D., East Los Angeles) allows otherwise qualified immigrants to pay in-state tuition for public higher education. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. AB 1463 (Gil Cedillo, D., Los Angeles) allows immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. FCL SUPPORTS. Vetoed. AB 2417 (Marco Firebaugh, D., East Los Angeles) eliminates restrictions on immigrant eligibility for food and cash assistance. FCL SUPPORTS. Assembly Inactive File. Peace and Human Rights AB 2047 (Darrell Steinberg, D., Sacramento) gives domestic partners inheritance and administrative rights when one dies without a will. FCL SUPPORTS. Amended into AB 1990 (Assembly Inactive File). AB 2142 (Fred Keeley, D., Santa Cruz) prohibits employment and housing discrimination based on actual or perceived gender. FCL SUPPORTS. Died in Senate. AB 2574 (Mike Briggs, R., Fresno) amended to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to automatically register male driver's license applicants ages 18-25 who are not already registered with Selective Service and give those same applicants the option of being deleted from the registry. Implementation is mandated only if federal financial support is made available for this purpose. FCL OPPOSES. Died in Assembly. ? Top Contributors ? California Propositions s of June 30, 2000 ? the most recent date for which data is available ? almost $24 mil- lion had been spent by the proponents and opponents of the eight ballot measures on the November 7 ballot (see page 4 for FCL's positions and the August/September FCL Newsletter for detailed descriptions and analysis of the propositions). The following figures reflect total contributions by each ballot measure campaign from the time the campaigns were first organized and include cash, loans and non-monetary contributions. The data was compiled by the California Voter Foundation . Interestingly, the first three ballot propositions ? dealing with veteran's bonds, legislative retirement funds, and campaign finance reform ? had no reported contributions for or against. After that, the dollars jump significantly. Proposition 35, Public Works Projects Contracting, saw a total of $6.8 million, with major contributions coming from engineering firms, who stand to benefit from additional contract work, and Professional Engineers in California Government, who fear losing jobs, under provisions of Proposition 35. Proposition 36, Drug Treatment Programs for Non-Violent Felons, generated a total of $1.6 million. The biggest donors in support were three businessmen from outside California, while the biggest donor in opposition was A.G. Spanos, the Stockton developer and professional sports team owner. Proposition 37, Fees, Vote Requirements and Taxes, produced $1.6 million in support and no contributions in opposition. Pro-37 donors included alcohol, tobacco, and petroleum interests, all of whom hope to reduce their risk of paying mitigation costs through the enactment of this ballot measure. Proposition 38, School Vouchers, rang up a total of $4.9 million, with its author Tim Draper accounting for all but $.2 million of the $3.8 million raised in support. The opposition total of $1.6 million was given by four school employee unions. Proposition 39, School Bonds 55% Vote, attracted $8.6 million, with most of the $7.7 million in support coming from high tech interests and $.9 million in opposition coming from taxpayer groups and retirees. ? ? Ken Larsen Help Advocate! The new legislative session will soon be upon us. FCL's advocacy is more important than ever.