Saturday, August 31, 2013

 Statement of California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton
on Use of Military Force in Syria



I agree with the 193 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who are urging the President to seek Congressional approval for any military action with respect to Syria. 
 


Congress should be shown definitive proof concerning the Syrian government’s role in the use of chemical weapons. The memory of weapons of mass destructions that failed to materialize in Iraq – which continues to undergo turmoil long after our departure – is far too fresh in many of our minds to demand anything less.
 


Congress must debate the wisdom of engaging in yet another military adventure in the Middle East after receiving all the independently verified facts.

ATKINS BILL EXPANDING ABORTION PROVIDERS GOES TO GOVERNOR


(San Diego)  AB 154, legislation carried by Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins, has passed the State Legislature and now goes to the Governor for his consideration.  The bill expands the trained healthcare professionals who may perform early abortions to include nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants, and certified nurse midwives. This expansion will help alleviate a shortage of abortion providers in California, where more than half the counties have no abortion provider.

“Timely access to reproductive health services is critical to women’s health,” says Atkins.  “AB 154 will ensure that no woman has to travel excessively long distances or wait for long periods in order to obtain an early abortion.  I am grateful to my colleagues in the Legislature for their support of women and their families and am hopeful that Governor Brown will sign the bill into law.”

A recent comprehensive study conducted by the University of California San Francisco and published in the American Journal of Public Health showed that trained nurse practitioners, midwives and physicians’ assistants can safely provide early abortions and that women appreciate receiving care in their own communities.  AB 154 includes stringent training and competency requirements for these practitioners.

The bill is sponsored by the California Women’s Health Alliance, a coalition of groups such as Planned Parenthood, California Church IMPACT, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and Black Women for Wellness.  The Alliance is dedicated to protecting and improving the reproductive health of California women. The bill is also supported by the California Medical Association.

The Governor will have until October 13 to sign or veto the bill.



For S.D. Voters, the "DeMaio Dance" Is in Full Swing 

 

Lines Increasingly Shaky Between SuperPAC, Congressional Bid, Mayoral Efforts



As a recent mayoral candidate, current congressional candidate, and likely future mayoral candidate, Carl DeMaio has been revealing an old habit: trying to have it both ways.

Just months after he decided to convert his fundraising network into a bid for Congress, he’s now tiptoeing around campaign laws to advance his second attempt in one year to be Mayor of San Diego. Call it the "DeMaio Dance.” He keeps on going … but San Diegans might ask: What does he really want?

Talk Leadership / Keep a Finger in the Wind

♦ DeMaio has raised nearly $500,000 from supporters this year on the promise that he will “Fix Congress First.” But in recent weeks his congressional campaign website has quietly shifted to a much more local focus, with its “Issues” page titled “Carl’s Bold Plans for Fixing Our City.” For more details, the site points to the same “Pathway to Prosperity” crafted for his first mayoral campaign, apparently not updated since then.

♦ “Reform San Diego” – a DeMaio-controlled City political committee that he describes as a “grassroots SuperPAC” – has raised more than $30,000 this year and spent most of it on consulting and polling. The former chair of San Diego’s Ethics Commission has filed a complaint against DeMaio and the PAC, suggesting he is using it illegally to circumvent federal campaign restrictions.

♦ In July, the County Republican Party’s treasurer inquired into whether Reform San Diego funds could be used to conduct polling in a potential mayoral race. Unlike candidate committees, DeMaio’s PAC can accept unlimited and corporate contributions, but it cannot contribute funds or services to a specific candidate.   

Public Resources / Private Gain

♦ For someone who has made a career out of attacking public workers and services, DeMaio has a knack for benefitting personally from taxpayer-subsidized spending. Even the “Pathway to Prosperity” plan now showcased in his congressional campaign was developed for and promoted by him as a sitting City Councilmember using public staff and resources.

♦ DeMaio’s own substantial personal fortune came from a business he owned, the Performance Institute, which raked in millions from government agencies for training and consulting services.

“New Generation” Label / Old Ideas

♦ The National Republican Congressional Committee commissioned a recent poll suggesting that DeMaio should present himself as a “new generation Republican,” and his campaign messages have included that language. But his actual record puts him squarely in line with the Tea Party base of the GOP.

♦ DeMaio has avoided taking a position as a congressional candidate on many controversial subjects. On key issues such as immigration, though, his past statements and actions come right from the old Republican playbook. He has opposed the DREAM Act, wants local law enforcement involved in policing immigration status, and was the lone councilmember to vote against a resolution denouncing Arizona’s extremist anti-immigrant law.

♦ Even as an openly gay public figure, DeMaio has been largely silent on equality issues and has embraced the support of anti-gay activists. He refused to comment on Proposition 8 as a councilmember, accepted money and endorsements in 2012 from some of the biggest funders of the anti-gay-marriage measure, and just last month touted the financial backing of the same Republican House leaders who spent taxpayer money to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.







Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Governor signs Block measure to save courts time and money

 

SB 378 would allow courts to use electronically digitized copies

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation today to allow electronically digitized copies of conviction records as evidence to the same extent as paper copies of the original record or a certified copy are admissible.

Senator Marty Block (SD-39) introduced the measure at the request of San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. “SB 378 will save processing time, paper and costs by using what is now common technology,” Block said.

In supporting SB 378, the California Judges Association stated that the bill is expected to create efficiencies that decrease processing times and assist with case management. The Judicial Council of California, in their letter of support, wrote that courts can save “significant money” by using the digitized copies instead of producing and certifying multiple hard copies.

Prosecutors need court-certified copies of prior convictions in many cases, but court staff reductions have made the processing of requests for this information more time consuming and expensive even as prosecutors must still meet mandated timelines for bringing defendants to hearing.

An electronic digitized copy includes a scanned or photographed copy or any exact reproduction stored in a digitized format that includes the certifying entity’s electronic signature or watermark.

Block said, “This bill allows our justice system to catch up to the 21st Century. Technology such as scanning and e-mail can increase efficiencies in our financially-strapped courts.”

SB 378 is also supported by the California District Attorneys Association.


Monday, August 26, 2013

ATKINS BILL EXPANDING ABORTION PROVIDERS ADVANCES IN STATE SENATE


(San Diego)  AB 154, legislation carried by Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins, has passed its last significant legislative hurdle with today’s passage by the State Senate.  This bill will include nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants, and certified nurse midwives among the healthcare professionals authorized to perform early aspiration abortions after receiving training in the procedure.  This expansion will help alleviate a shortage of abortion providers in California.

“All women should have timely access to reproductive healthcare regardless of whether they live in urban or rural areas and without excessive expense or travel,” says Atkins.  “AB 154 will help fill the gap created by the fact that over half of California’s counties lack an abortion provider.”

A recent comprehensive study conducted by the University of California San Francisco and published in the American Journal of Public Health showed that trained nurse practitioners, midwives and physicians’ assistants can safely provide early abortions and that women appreciate receiving care in their own communities.  AB 154 includes stringent training and competency requirements for these practitioners.

The bill is sponsored by the California Women’s Health Alliance, a coalition of groups such as Planned Parenthood, California Church IMPACT, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and Black Women for Wellness.  The Alliance is dedicated to protecting and improving the reproductive health of California women. The bill is also supported by the California Medical Association.

AB 154 now returns briefly to the State Assembly for concurrence in amendments made in the Senate before moving to the Governor’s desk in the next several weeks.





STATEMENT OF ASSEMBLY MAJORITY LEADER TONI ATKINS REGARDING DECISION NOT TO RUN FOR MAYOR OF SAN DIEGO





(San Diego) Today, Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins issued the following statement regarding her decision to not run for Mayor of San Diego:

“In the past few weeks many people have contacted me encouraging me to run for Mayor of San Diego should the office become vacant. Now that Mayor Filner has resigned, I wanted to share with you my decision – reached after much careful consideration – that I will not be a candidate for Mayor.

I am deeply committed to helping the city heal and move forward. But I also take very seriously my responsibility to the people who elected me to represent the 78th Assembly District in Sacramento and to my colleagues in the Assembly, whom I have the privilege of serving as Majority Leader.

The simple truth is that I love the job I have now—being able to help advance San Diego’s interests and concerns in the Legislature and being able to have a statewide impact on vital issues like increasing access to health care, growing our economy and honoring the debt we owe to our veterans.

I want to sincerely thank everyone who encouraged me to run. I am deeply honored to have your trust and respect and I share your faith that we can move San Diego past these difficult times.”