Taking stock as Legislature breaks for recess




Marie Waldron

Marie Waldron

Marie Waldron photo by Courtesy Photo.August recess:

taking stock

The Legislature is now in summer recess. Though there is still a lot to accomplish before final adjournment in September, this is a good time to take stock.

This session a balanced general fund budget was passed, tough spending priorities remained skewed. Major issues including Medi-Cal and rebuilding California’s crumbling highways were pushed off into special extraordinary sessions.

Water remained a major concern, with the Governor’s mandated cutbacks impacting this region more severely than elsewhere. I joined local water agencies and the agricultural community to protest how the cuts were being enacted, resulting in more equitable treatment for local farmers.

In another water-related matter, I opposed SB 88, which grants massive new powers over local water agencies to the State Water Resources Control Board, negatively impacting private property rights.

Several of my bills are still pending, including AB 68, which expedites the appeals process for epilepsy drugs initially denied under Medi-Cal. AB 68 passed the Assembly unanimously in June.

Still another bill, AB 32 which clarifies existing law regarding computer crime penalties, also passed with unanimous support. Two year bills include AB 14, which establishes a task force responsible for creating a comprehensive plan governing unmanned aircraft, and AB 500, which helps incentivize business to hire previously incarcerated individuals upon completion of drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs.

While I am looking forward to family time and catching up with district events, a lot of work remains after we reconvene in August. Special session issues, along with hundreds of Senate bills must still be debated. As always, I deeply appreciate your support, encouragement, and most importantly, your prayers.

California’s Special Districts; an example of good governance

Thousands of special districts exist throughout California, delivering needed local services that most of us take for granted. Without them, many services would be lacking and state and local government would be more costly and much less efficient.

Voters have created 2,160 independent special districts to serve specific needs that might otherwise be unavailable. Special districts deliver and treat wastewater for 30 million people, provide fire and emergency protection for 11 million, operate more than half of California’s critical access hospitals and provide irrigation water for 90 percent of our farmland.

Financed through property taxes, efficient management of limited taxpayer dollars is a hallmark of special districts. Unique among public agencies, the number of special districts has actually been reduced by more than 7 percent over the past 20 years through voluntary closures and consolidations.

Concentrating on specific, local needs, special districts are often more transparent and responsive forms of government than the large, better-known bureaucracies that usually receive more notoriety. Special districts are governed by elected boards of directors, and must report annually to the State Controller’s office. To ensure transparency, all financial reports are posted on the Controller’s website, as well as local county websites.


*Note: Opinions expressed by columnists and letter writers are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the newspaper.

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