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Dear Friends: Please read my October E-Newsletter to learn about what I'm doing on your behalf in the Capitol and at home in the 23rd Senate District. In this Issue
Legislative Update – Protecting Public Safety
Governor Brown recently signed my bill that will protect the public from sexually violent predators. My SB 179, which was sponsored by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, will strengthen parole requirements by closing a dangerous loophole that allows sexually violent predators to avoid court-ordered parole. Under current law, most high risk sex offenders who have completed their prison sentence must be confined to a state mental hospital and evaluated by California's Sexually Violent Predator Program. However, the parole time for these offenders begins as soon as they are released from prison and continues while the offender is being assessed in the state hospital - under full security. The result is that these sexually violent predators receive overlapping supervision. As a consequence, some offenders run out the clock on their three to five year court-ordered parole time and are released into the community with no supervision – contrary to the intent of the law. It is simply outrageous that some of the most violent sexual predators in the state- the worst of the worst - are released onto our streets with no supervision. SB 179 will ensure that those determined to be sexually violent predators serve their parole time after they are released from hospital custody and into the community. We know some of these convicted sex offenders will strike again if not properly monitored. “By assuring that these offenders will be subject to close supervision upon release from the state mental hospital, SB 179 will enable us to quickly return these violent offenders to custody if they attempt to engage in criminal conduct in the future,” said L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley. I'm pleased the governor signed my bill. This is a common sense measure that will help keep our communities safe. Another bill aimed at protecting Californians from predators is awaiting the governor's signature. My SB 586, jointly sponsored by AARP and the California Senior Legislature, was brought to me by Liz Sanders of Woodland Hills. Liz called my office after her mother was fleeced of her life savings by her in-home care giver. The “care giver” used a signature stamp issued by a bank to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from Liz's mom. Liz wanted to protect other families from this kind of devastation. Our bill would toughen restrictions on the issuance of signature stamps and would double fines for elder and dependent care abuse. Another of my bills, outlined in the story below, has been signed by the governor. Brown has until October 12 to sign or veto all remaining bills. I will be sure to update you on my bills signed/vetoed by the governor in next month's newsletter. Physician Assistants Honor Pavley
I recently attended the annual conference of the California Academy of Physician Assistants (CAPA), where I was honored to receive their 2011 “Legislator of the Year Award”. I have long supported Physician Assistants and other mid-level healthcare providers, and believe that they play an important role in our healthcare system. These hardworking professionals are particularly crucial to the delivery of care in underserved and rural areas where there is not always adequate access to healthcare services. This year I was proud to author SB 233, recently signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, which clarified several important definitions in the California Health & Safety Code in order to ensure that physician assistants and other mid-level healthcare providers can continue to provide critically needed services in emergency rooms across the state.
I would like to wish Hidden Hills a very Happy 50th Birthday! Hidden Hills became a city on October 19, 1961. At the time the civic leaders were faced with the prospect of being annexed to the city of Los Angeles. I commend the founders for having the wisdom and foresight to protect the area from overdevelopment. Hidden Hills is now home to about 2,000 residents who continue to enjoy a more rural and tranquil way of life that has nearly vanished from some surrounding communities. The absence of sidewalks and streetlights and the presence of corrals, barns, natural rustic equestrian trails, horses, llamas, ostriches, and the occasional cow make it a wonderful and attractive place to live. Hidden Hills is the oldest of the five cities within the Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments, which includes Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Westlake Village. When Hidden Hills incorporated in 1961 it became the 73rd municipality in Los Angeles County. I was honored to present the people of Hidden Hills a special resolution congratulating them on 50 years.
On the same evening of that presentation, the Hidden Hills City Council honored students from various local schools with certificates of academic achievement. Congratulations to all of these outstanding boys and girls. Keep up the good work!
I was honored to recently offer opening remarks at the Good Food Festival in Santa Monica. The five-day event was organized to celebrate the city's farmers markets. I'm a big fan of shopping at farmer's markets for locally grown food and I'm especially impressed with the way the Santa Monica Farmers Market is tied to the school system by providing salads for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District lunches. The opening night of the event included a wonderful art show at Santa Monica High School. About 90 paintings were accidentally discovered in a broom closet of the school! Most of the paintings featured rustic, agriculturally-themed landscapes. Congratulations to Santa Monica's Farmers Markets for 30 successful years! The Los Angeles County Fire Department announced during a multi-agency meeting in Calabasas recently that it is launching a social media effort to help dispatch public information, especially during emergencies. I now follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get important updates, and you can too. October 9-15 is Fire Prevention Week. Our local and county fire departments along with other public safety advocates want to remind children and adults about fire safety during this week. To take a fire prevention quiz and to learn more about keeping your home and property safe, click here. Oxnard Company Among the Nation’s Fastest Growing
Congratulations to Agromin of Oxnard for being named one of the country's fastest growing private companies by Inc. magazine. Agromin, which manufactures earth-friendly soil products for farmers, landscapers and gardeners using renewal organic material from over 50 California communities, was ranked 65th in environmental services (10th in California) and 4,112th overall. The company recycles the organic materials collected from residents in Ventura County's 10 cities. The companies on the Inc. list reported creating 350,000 jobs in the past three years. Agromin has experienced a 29 percent growth in revenue in the past three years while adding 21 new jobs. “While large corporations were shedding jobs, small businesses were adding them. The accomplishments of those on this list prove that innovation and job creation comes from smaller companies," says Bill Camarillo, Agromin CEO. Last year I presented Agromin with a Sustainability Award. Congratulations Agromin. To see the Inc. magazine article, click here.
Each month I recognize a business, person or organization in my district that is dedicated to preserving our environment by living and working responsibly. This month I'm proud to announce that I presented an Environmental Sustainability Award to Aspen Environmental Group. Aspen recently celebrated its 20th anniversary as a leading environmental consulting corporation in Agoura Hills and has just opened a new gold candidate LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) office building. Aspen has assembled a staff of experts in environmental science and engineering who specialize in environmental assessment, management, and regulatory compliance. I commend them for their dedication to providing practical solutions in support of a strong economy and industrial progress, based on the principles of sustainable use of Earth's resources and maintenance of a safe and healthy environment. Assistance for Ventura County Renters I want to let renters facing eviction in Ventura County know that they may be eligible for funds to help them remain in their home or apartment. The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and administered through the Ventura County Human Services Agency. The program has already helped hundreds of residents in the county by providing eviction-prevention rental payments, rental deposits, utility payments, and budget management counseling. For more information or for eligibility qualifications call 805-385-8585 or visit www.evictionpreventionvc.org.
I recently presented a certificate to the UCLA Volunteer Center for their efforts to deploy tens of thousands of UCLA volunteers across the LA County and LA City. In this picture the volunteers are doing touch-up painting at Ernest Lawrence Middle School in Chatsworth. The students also painted murals on the campus. I want to commend all of the volunteers who so generously gave their time to help complete many worthy projects. Meet a Member of my District Staff
I'd like to take some time to introduce you to one of the talented people working in my district office. Rebekah Rodriguez-Lynn is my District Director. Rebekah works on mountains, public parks, and water supply issues in Senate District 23, serving as my representative on the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Board, and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission. Rebekah also specializes in the Santa Susana Field Lab clean-up efforts, veteran's issues, human trafficking prevention, and mental health care. Her region includes Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Mountains, and Topanga. Rebekah previously worked as the Deputy Director of Political, Press, and Public Affairs for the British Consulate-Los Angeles, and as a Legislative Aide on Capitol Hill. Her B.A. is in Political Theory from UCLA, and her M.A. is in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Rebekah's community work includes serving on the PTA of Edison Language Academy in SMMUSD, volunteering for the Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC) in Santa Monica, volunteering with The Giving Spirit, and raising money for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Rebekah is an outdoors enthusiast and can often be found hiking or camping in our beautiful Santa Monica Mountains. If you'd like to contact Rebekah, please e-mail her at: Rebekah.Rodriguez-Lynn@sen.ca.gov or you can call: 310-314-5214.
L.A. River Hearing As Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Urban Rivers, I will be hosting a joint hearing on the Los Angeles River with Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes, the Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the Revitalization of the Los Angeles River and the Pacoima Wash. The hearing will focus on the San Fernando Valley portion of the 51 mile-long L.A. River and will include updates from community groups as well as city, county, and federal officials about efforts to revitalize the river. But more importantly, we will be inviting the public to offer their ideas for revitalization. When: October 12, 2011 ~ 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Climate Change Adaptation Hearing When: Thursday, October 20, 2011 10:00 a.m. - noon “Lazy Gardner” Class Agoura Hills Celebrates Reyes Adobe Days
I had a wonderful time celebrating Reyes Adobe Days in Agoura Hills last weekend. The 7th annual event was filled with great music, wine tasting, fabulous food from local restaurants, and amazing artwork. There was something for everyone! It was a real treat to take part in the parade along with local businesses, school bands and 4-H clubs. This year's parade Grand Marshall was long time Agoura Hills resident Donny Most. Many of you will remember Donny from his days playing Ralph Malph in Happy Days. Of course the highlight of the festival was celebrating the beautiful restoration of the 150 year-old Reyes Adobe. The Reyes Adobe, which is now open for tours, has been recognized by the Historic American Building Survey and documented in the Library of Congress.
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