Fiona Ma

MADD's Report Card

2011-11-18T18:20:28Z

I congratulate California for receiving an impressive 4-star rating from MADD when the nation has only received 2.9 stars. Drunk driving is an ongoing battle in every state, and it is imperative that we continue to work with MADD to keep roads safe for everyone.

I had the honor to work with MADD this past year on a very important piece of legislation, AB 183. This bill will reduce the number of minors obtaining alcohol from supermarkets through self-checkout stands. It is illegal to buy cigarettes, spray paint and prescription drugs through self-checkout stands, and alcohol should be no exception. It is because of MADD's contribution that AB 183 was signed by the Governor, and that California has received such a high rating.

However, there's still work to be done. In 2009, 950 people were tragically killed due to drunk driving in California and another 27,000 were injured. While California has an impressive 4-star rating, we can do better. I look forward to continuing my work with MADD to help California achieve that perfect score.

Groundhog Day

2011-06-27T22:59:02Z

Spring is already here but it still feels like Groundhog Day. Last November, we heard loud and clear from the voters that they wanted us to pass an on-time balanced budget and we have worked tirelessly to find a compromise that dramatically reduces our state budget and doesn't decimate the services that are crucial to the operation of California.

Democrats made $12 billion of cuts in March and were forced to make many more cuts today because we could not get any Republicans to look beyond ideology and vote for the future of California. Today we passed Part Two of a budget that meets ours cash flow requirements and does not jeopardize our credit rating on Wall Street.

As Democrats we have focused on keeping business in California, creating jobs, and not cutting our k-12 education. Unfortunately, the budget we are forced to pass keeps California on a perilous path with deep cuts to higher education, our greatest commodity. We hope the economy continues to improve at its current pace and we will once again be able to invest in our future.

Four important votes

2010-10-26T20:45:35Z

With the election just a week away and vote-by-mail ballots already being cast, I want to share my positions on four of the most important items on the November ballot here in California:

U.S. Senator -- Barbara Boxer: Since her election to the Senate in 1992, Senator Barbara Boxer has been one of our nation's strongest advocates for our children, our jobs, and our environment. In these challenging economic times, Senator Barbara Boxer's top priority has been getting California back on track and getting Californians back to work. We need Senator Boxer to continue fighting for us in Washington, so I urge you to support her re-election. Please click here to learn more about her campaign at Senator Boxer's website.

California Governor -- Jerry Brown: As our next governor, Jerry Brown will be committed to getting California working again -- both its government and its people. He will be the partner we need in the legislature to develop an honest budget that brings the government closer to the people, and has shown the leadership we need to attract investment and new jobs, promote quality education, and protect public safety. And as our current Attorney General, Brown has been active protecting consumers and stopping corporate abuse, such as with his recently launched investigation into foreclosure abuses. Please click here to learn more about his campaign at Jerry Brown's website.

Proposition 23 -- NO: In 2006 California passed AB 32, our landmark, first-in-the-nation global warming law. Proposition 23, whose campaign is funded by two giant Texas oil companies, would effectively kill AB 32. As a result, it would hurt California's environment and cost us thousands of clean energy jobs. This is an attempt by out-of-state oil companies to maximize their own profits at the expense of jobs for Californians, and we must defeat it.

Proposition 25 -- YES: I can tell you from personal experience that over the last few years, the single biggest reason for our budget mess has been the two-thirds requirement for passing the budget. California is one of only three states in the nation that require a two-thirds vote to pass budgets, which allows a handful of legislators to hold the budget hostage until their demands are met. Proposition 25 would fix this problem by allowing us to pass a budget -- but not raise taxes -- with a simple up-or-down majority vote. Proposition 25 would also create added incentive to pass an on-time budget, as legislators (such as myself!) would permanently lose our salary for each day that the budget is late. If passed, Proposition 25 would mean more on-time budgets and protection for vital services like education that are often held hostage to stall tactics. Please join me in voting "yes" on Proposition 25 so we can break the budget gridlock and restore accountability to Sacramento.

Please consider these facts when you cast your votes, and don't forget that Election Day is coming up in just one week on November 2!

Governor Vetoes Consumer Protection Bill

2010-10-01T17:44:39Z

"I am disappointed with the Governor's decision to veto this legislation. Californians need to know if they are buying raccoon dog or a polyester blend. It shouldn't be a mystery.

Imagine if 1 in 8 medicine bottles or food packages didn't list key ingredients that some among us have allergies or principled objections to. The fact of the matter is, whatever one's positions on a product or ingredient, we have a right to know what we are buying.

I reached out to the CA Retailers Association early on in the process. They came to me with a few minor amendments-basically asking me to make the bill mirror the New Jerseylaw. I made those amendments, and they are fine with the bill.

This should not cost the retailers and manufacturers anything. Five states already require that consumers be given this information - New York, Delaware, New Jersey,Massachusetts and Wisconsin.

I am asking for Californians to be given this information so they can make informed decisions. The bill sailed through the Assembly and Senate with bi-partisan support and had no opposition."

Capitol Fellows Program

2010-07-08T20:16:31Z

Sacramento State - Center for California Studies

http://www.csus.edu/calst/capital_fellows_programs_overview.html

Postmark deadline for all 2010-2011 fellowships is February 24, 2010

The Center for California Studies at Sacramento State administers four fellowship programs.

Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship
Executive Fellowship
Judicial Administration Fellowship
California Senate Fellows

These programs, known collectively as the Capital Fellows Programs, are nationally recognized and were recently named the #1 internship opportunity in America by Forbes. The 18 Assembly Fellows, 18 Senate Fellows, 18 Executive Fellows and 10 Judicial Administration Fellows receive an outstanding opportunity to engage in public service and prepare for future careers, while actively contributing to the development and implementation of public policy in California. The ranks of former fellows include a Justice of the California Supreme Court, members of the United States Congress and the State Legislature, a deputy director of the Peace Corps, state and local government officials, corporate executives and community leaders.

Fellows in each program work for 11 months, receive health benefits and a monthly stipend of $1972, and are employees of Sacramento State. They work as full-time members of a legislative, executive, or judicial branch office, and are typically given assignments with a significant amount of responsibility and challenges. Fellows also enroll as graduate students at Sacramento State and receive graduate units from the Sacramento State Government Department or Public Policy and Administration Program. The enrollment fees are paid by the programs.

For a general program overview and for application information, please visit http://www.csus.edu/calst/capital_fellows_programs_overview.html

A.B. 1656

2010-07-08T20:13:47Z

AB 1656 is about protecting consumer rights - I think there is an expectation that if clothing isn't labeled as real fur it must be fake fur. I was shocked to learn that in fact these furs are coming from animals like dog or rabbit but just aren't labeled. People have a right to know if they are buying dog fur or a polyester blend. It shouldn't be a mystery.

Speaker John A. Pérez Starts Term With A Bang

2010-07-08T20:11:29Z

Speaker John A. Pérez has begun his first term with quite a bang. Not only is his ascension to the Speakership historic, but he made some brave commitments on his first day. Committee chairmanships for Republicans, the elimination of the 2/3s vote for the budget, and a promise to open up the budget process to the public are bold first steps. He even promised to ban lobbyist text messages - a rule to surely save the battery life of many members' cell phones. He possesses all of the necessary qualities of a leader and California will be in good hands with John at the helm over the next 5 years. We have a tough year ahead full of difficult discussions and decisions. The Chinese have a saying "in crisis, there is opportunity" and with John Perez, I see an opportunity to bring us all together and to do what's right for Californians.

My New Role

2010-07-08T20:10:13Z

Yesterday, I was appointed by Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez to be Speaker pro Tempore of the California Assembly. I am honored to be the first Asian-American woman to hold this position.

In my new role as presiding officer, I will be responsible for managing the daily business of the Assembly. As the San Francisco Chronicle put it, "Ma's new title means the former SF supervisor will preside over most floor sessions, essentially serving as the face of the lower house during policy deliberations." I will guide members through daily business, respond to parliamentary inquiries, and rule on points of order.

In addition to my new role as Speaker pro Tempore, I was also assigned to several important committees: the Committee on Agriculture; Committee on Business and Professions; Committee on Governmental Organizations; Committee on Public Employees, Retirement, and Social Security; and the Committee on Utilities and Commerce.

While my constituents will always remain my number one priority, I am honored by these appointments and look forward to this new leadership role where I will have added responsibility for promoting the Caucus' priorities throughout the legislative process.

Next Steps For The Budget

2010-07-08T00:02:20Z

Right now, much of my time has been devoted to solving the State's budget deficit. The Assembly Democrats have a plan to close the $19 billion budget gap with the California Jobs Budget, and I'd like to thank our many supporters who recently wrote their representatives in support of this important piece of legislation. Here are some of the key components of our budget:

Creates and Protects Jobs in the Private Sector
Keeps Teachers in the Classroom and Cops on the Beat
Increases Job Training Through Community Colleges
Pays Down Debt to Schools and Local Governments
Protects Education and Cuts Student Fees
$10 Billion Jobs and Economic Stability Fund
No Hidden Borrowing or Broad-based Taxes
Protects Working Families and Small Businesses from Harmful Cuts
Prevents Loss of over $5 Billion in Federal Funds
$1 Billion Emergency Reserve

As you read this, the Budget Conference Committee continues to meet to resolve the differences between the budget proposed by the Senate and Assembly Democrats. We expect this process to conclude shortly, and a vote can be expected soon.

You can learn more about the Assembly Democrats' California Jobs Budget by clicking here.

Meanwhile, I have also been working on a number of bills to bring in additional revenue, generate jobs, and protect consumers. I wanted to take an opportunity to share with you a little bit about some of the bills that are moving through the last leg of the legislative process:

AB 223 -- Safe Body Art Act of 2010
This bill creates statewide standards for persons engaged in the business of tattooing, body piercing and the application of permanent cosmetics in California. Some statistics show that as many as 20% of young people are receiving tattoos. But, shockingly, those performing the procedures need no training, and there is often a lack of any local standards.
AB 384 -- Assessing Airplanes
AB 384 saves the State millions in administrative costs and increases efficiency for both the airlines and local government when assessments of airplanes are performed by counties.
AB 987 -- Transit Village Plan Development
This bill expands to 1/2 mile the area in a transit village plan to encourage development around a transit hub. This will help local communities deal with sprawl, traffic gridlock, commute times, the loss of open space, and increased air and water pollution.
AB 1050 -- Child's Voice in Family Courts
This bill strengthens the law to ensure children of a sufficient age and maturity can provide input in court custody proceedings with court discretion.
AB 1656 -- Animal Fur Labeling
This consumer awareness measure addresses the federal loophole by requiring all garments sold in California that contain animal fur to be labeled with the type of animal fur and the country of origin, regardless of how much they are worth. This ensures that consumers are not duped into buying what they may think is fake fur but is actually real.
AB 1800 -- Landlord Imposters
This bill will enhance penalties on criminals who pose as owners of a residential dwelling and defraud potential tenants.
AB 1960 -- California Grown
This bill brings the state one step closer to ensuring that public funds are used to purchase fruits, nuts, and vegetables from California.
AB 1987 -- Pension Spiking Reform
This bill makes sensible and strong reforms to California's local retirement systems in order to guard against abusive practices like "pension spiking" and "double-dipping."
AB 2600 -- Continuing Hepatitis B Medical Education
This bill would require the Medical Board of California to consider including a continuing education course in the diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis, a leading cause of liver cancer.
AB 2700 -- Separation Equity Act
This bill is an equality measure that will permit couples who are both married and registered as domestic partners to dissolve both relationships in a single proceeding, rather than having to go through two separate court processes.

I look forward to keeping you updated on the progress of these pending pieces of legislation along with any movement on the budgeting process.

My New Role

2010-03-20T00:55:00Z

Yesterday, I was appointed by Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez to be Speaker pro Tempore of the California Assembly. I am honored to be the first Asian-American woman to hold this position.