Runner's Assembly record shows hard work

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press October 14, 2000.

By VERN LAWSON
Valley Press Managing Editor

LANCASTER - With 27 measures passed through the legislature and sent to the governor's desk over the two-year legislative session, Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster, has posted a positive law-making record - tops for GOP assembly members.

Although nine of the 27 bills were vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, Runner supporters suspect that some of the vetoes were motivated by partisanship.

With 18 bills that became state law, Runner said, "The key to these legislative successes is the good ideas we have been able to present to the legislature. In addition to the ideas have been the positive relationships that have been cultivated in Sacramento along with a lot of hard work.

"It has been very rewarding to be able to work on such a varied and balanced legislative agenda this session," Runner said. "And it has been exciting to realize so many successes, especially in the legislature."

Here is a rundown of Runner's bills in the second year of the twoyear legislative cycle that were signed by the governor or, where specified, became law without the governor's signature:

AB 615 - Sponsored by the California School Boards Association, this proposal establishes the pilot project for Categorical Education Program Flexibility that allows 75 school districts to participate and will streamline 24 categorical programs into three clusters or block grants to create more flexibility.

AB 1346 - This proposal would provide a permanent exemption from non-resident tuition at all University of California schools, California State Universities, and California community colleges for active members of the armed forces and their dependents stationed in California.

AB 1348 - This proposal, sponsored by ABBA Products, would expand trademark infringement penalties to those who aid and abet in trademark infringement in addition to the actual violators.

AB 1801 - Proposal requiring the state lottery to post the overall estimated odds of winning some prize or prizes in a particular lottery game on all television and print advertising, exclusive of outdoor displays.

AB 1871 - Legislative measure to make 14 Freeway high-occupancy vehicle lanes available to single-occupant drivers during non-commuter hours.

AB 2018 (Thomson and Runner) - Sponsored by the California Medical Association and the State Board of Pharmacy, this bill would lift the cap on the number of Schedule II triplicate prescriptions the Department of Justice can issue in a 30-day period to a particular physician. Became law without governor's signature.

AB 2409 (Migden and Runner) - This proposal encourages the California State University system and the University of California system to operate on a yearround basis and provide the same course offerings during the summer as the regular academic year.

AB 2453 - This proposal, sponsored by the Walden Foster Family Agency, allows foster family agencies narrowly defined access to foster children school records, including transcripts and individualized education plans.

AJR 55 - This resolution, sponsored by the Hemophilia Council of California, urges Congress to fully fund the Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998. Chaptered by the secretary of state.

Vetoed by governor

AB 1226 - This proposal would have appropriated $12 million, from the Veterans Home Bond Act of 2000, for the construction of the Lancaster Veterans Home. This bond was approved in March of 2000 by 62% of the voters, and the funds were to be used specifically for the construction of the Lancaster and Saticoy veteran homes.

AB 1861 - This proposal would have required the segments of higher education to develop and maintain current articulation agreements. Specifically, by the academic year 2005-06, the University of California and the California State University would have been asked to develop and maintain systemwide articulation agreements with all California community colleges on lower division course requirements for 20 high-demand majors within their respective systems.

AB 2007 - This proposal, sponsored by Antelope Valley College, would have allowed students enrolled at Antelope Valley College to use instructional facilities built on their campus by California State University, Bakersfield.

AB 2014 - A proposal to request the California State Library Research Bureau to conduct an evaluation of joint-use projects library projects.

AB 2431 - A proposal to reform California's child day-care licensing procedures by broadening the list of convictions that would require the automatic denial of a license for 25 years following the commission of the crime. This measure would have allowed parents access to the letter of exemption, located in an employer's file.

AB 1904 - This measure, sponsored by the Voluntary Plan Administrators, would have enhanced public notification and disclosure reforms to the Employment Development Department's State Disability Insurance Fund employee contribution rate process.

BUDGET PRIORITIES
Improving education

Beginning the year with a push to get California's per-pupil funding to at least the national average coupled with enhanced accountability, this year's budget increased the K-12 per-pupil funding to $6,763, nearly $750 per-pupil more than last and clearly brings California to the national average in per-pupil spending.

Of this amount, nearly $3.2 billion in additional funding for local schools was completely discretionary, or free of state strings.

$245 million in funding was for one-time block grant funds that schools may use for school safety, deferred maintenance, education technology, staff development, Internet linkages or other school facility improvements.

$133 million for School Safety Block Grant funding, an increase of $61 million over last year to expand the program from grades 8-12 to include K-7, on an ADA basis.

Tax relief

With a projected budget surplus of $12 billion, Assembly Republicans demanded significant tax relief for working families. What they settled for was a $2.4 billion reduction in Vehicle License Fees (car tax) over the next two years in the form of a refund check reflecting the total 67.5% permanent reduction in the car tax.

In addition, $218 million in tax relief for teachers based on number of years in experience; $154 million increase in Senior Citizen's Property Tax and Renters' Assistance Program; $48 million for Long-Term Care Tax Credits to caregivers who provide longterm care; and $195 million in tax relief for the Childcare Expense Tax Credit for childcare expenses.

Local government relief

The local government relief in the state budget and the ultimate relief presented to the governor by the legislature. SB 1637.

The Local Government Fiscal Reform Conference Committee presented the AB 1396 Conference Committee Report, which resulted in $212 million in one-time local government relief for distribution to cities, counties and special districts based on population and their losses. Of this amount, the City of Palmdale would receive roughly $360,000 in additional funding and the City of Lancaster would receive nearly $390,000.

In addition, the Budget Act included $400 million in local road maintenance funding to cities and counties. Of this amount, the City of Lancaster should receive $937,000 in local road maintenance funding, and the City of Palmdale should receive $865,400.

$121 million for the Citizen's Option for Public Safety (COPS) program, which gives cities and counties funds to pay for front line law enforcement. In addition, a new law enforcement equipment program will provide the City of Lancaster with $184,000 and the City of Palmdale $177,000.

One of the final acts of the Legislature was to send to the governor, by overwhelming margins, legislation (SB-1637-Button) that would cap the Educational Revenue Augmentation Funds shift and, after a phase-in period of four years, allow local governments to keep the increases in local property taxes stemming from the boom in residential and commercial development.

Local projects in budget

$200,000 for Grace Resources Center to acquire its facility and make necessary improvements to enable it to better serve the less fortunate in the Antelope Valley community.

$250,000 for the Antelope Valley Search and Rescue Team for its equipment needs.

$946,000 to the City of Lancaster for its Whit B. Carter Park Development Project.

$500,000 to the city of Palmdale for Little League and PONY League operated youth baseball facility improvements.

$500,000 to the city of Lancaster for AYSO-operated youth soccer headquarters building at the National Soccer Complex.

$100,000 to the city of Palmdale for a downtown Urban Forestry Tree Planting Project.

$100,000 to Los Angeles County for Fox Field Urban Forestry Project.

Other Accomplishments

Successful community effort to force the State Department of Corrections to relocate the infamous sex offender Eldon West from the city of Palmdale in less than 48 hours.

Runner was named Legislator of the Year by the League of California Cities, by the California Redevelopment Association, by the California State Association of Sheriffs and by the California State University.

He was nominated for Legislator of the Year by the Antelope Valley School Boards Association.

Disappointments

Loss of legislation and funding for making the Los Angeles County pilot project DISARM statewide. DISARM successfully targets high-risk felons on probation with conditions of probation that preclude them from possessing weapons, thereby focusing gun control on criminals rather than on law-abiding citizens.

Gov. Davis' overall transportation plan that left the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys out in the cold, and potentially unravels the future funding for SR 14 and SR 138.

Vehicle License Fee tax rebate plan in lieu of direct tax cuts to the people, at a cost of $44 million.

Failure to cut the state sales tax on gasoline with the enormous surplus and the soaring gas prices facing consumers in California.