OPENING NEW CONSTITUENT SERVICE CENTERS

With the 2013 legislative session now fully underway, I wanted to share with you some of the legislative proposals I have introduced. Additional information on each of these bills can be found through the “Bill Information“ tab on the following website: http://leginfo.ca.gov/

• Senate Bill 17 - Repeals the $150 fee the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection levies on habitable structures in State Responsibility Areas (SRA).
• Senate Bill 125 - Exempts a property owner of a structure that is located both within an SRA and within the boundaries of a local fire protection district from paying the $150 tax.
• Senate Bill 147 - Exempts any property owner located within an SRA who has an income of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level from paying the $150 fire tax.
• Senate Bill 127 - Makes someone permanently ineligible to own, possess, or control a firearm who has been determined by a court to be dangerously mentally ill.
• Senate Bill 268 - Requires 24-hour mandatory disclosure on political campaign contributions and repeals limitations on candidate political contributions.
• Senate Bill 384 - Prevents certain child pornography crimes from being expunged from criminal records.
• Senate Bill 621 - Postpones the California Air Resources Board (CARB) diesel retrofit requirements for five years on a variety of large trucks and buses.

I will be keeping you updated on the status of these bills as they progress through the legislature. Feel free to contact my office if you have any questions at (916) 651-4001 or email me at senator.gaines@senate.ca.gov.

HONORING OFFICER RAYMOND CARPENTER

I was honored and humbled to have participated in a recent ceremony that paid tribute to Auburn California Highway Patrol Officer Raymond Carpenter, who was killed in the line of duty on February 17, 1970. A stretch of I-80 from Rocklin Road to Highway 65 has been dedicated by the state Legislature as “California Highway Patrol Officer Raymond Carpenter Memorial Interchange.” The designation is a fitting tribute to Mr. Carpenter’s life of service and a great memorial for the wonderful family that represents him today.

Senator Gaines at tribute to Auburn California Highway Patrol Officer Raymond Carpenter.

UPCOMING MARCH EVENTS

I have a couple of events on this month’s calendar that will give me an opportunity to meet with you and discuss issues of importance to you and your community. I am continuing to add events like these for other parts of my Senate District, so please check my website (www.senate.ca.gov/GAINES) for up-to-date information!

Open House — El Dorado Hills Constituent Service Center
Tuesday, March 12
6:00-8:00 p.m.
4359 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 112, El Dorado Hills

Open House — Redding Constituent Service Center
Wednesday, March 13
6:00-8:00 p.m.
1670 Market Street, Suite 244, Redding

Town Hall Meeting — Fair Oaks
Thursday, March 21
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Fair Oaks Water District (American River Room), 10326 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Fair Oaks

TASTE OF BEEF, SIP OF WINE

Senator Gaines attending the 25^th annual “Taste of Beef, Sip of Wine” fundraiser at the Susanville Elks Lodge.

I thoroughly enjoyed attending the 25^th annual “Taste of Beef, Sip of Wine” fundraiser at the Susanville Elks Lodge presented by the Lassen County Cattlemen and Cattlewomen. It was a great event for a great cause, raising funds for local scholarships, youth activities and agriculture in the classroom.

THE ALS ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOUR HELP!

This tax season, Californians have the opportunity to make a difference in the fight to defeat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), by donating $10 or more on line 414 — ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease Research Fund of their California Tax Return.

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that renders patients unable to use their voluntary muscles — they lose the ability to walk, talk, move and breathe. On average, people diagnosed with ALS die within two to five years from the point of diagnosis. There is no cure or treatment for the disease. ALS affects people of all ages and of every ethnicity. Nearly 30,000 Americans annually live with ALS.

Tremendous progress has been made in ALS research, including the recent discovery of ALS6, the gene responsible for about 5 percent of all inherited cases of ALS. “With the progress that’s been made through research in the last few years, we have every reason to believe that new discoveries are around the corner,” said Fred Fisher, President and CEO of The ALS Association, Golden West Chapter. “We need California’s tax payers to help get us there.”

With your help, the research can continue to find the causes, treatments, and cure to this cruel disease. Please remember to give on line 414 when you file your California State Tax Return and support the ALS/Lou Gehrig Research Fund.

CALIFORNIA Rx CARD

Did you know that as a California resident, you and your family have access to a free, statewide discount prescription assistance program? Create and print your FREE discount prescription drug card here [http://www.californiarxcard.com/create.php].

This card will provide you with Rx medication savings of up to 75 percent at more than 56,000 pharmacies across the country including CVS/pharmacy, Safeway, Vons, Longs, Raley’s, Ralph’s, SaveMart, Pavilions, Target Pharmacy, Sav-On Pharmacy, Walgreens, Kmart, and many more. You can create as many cards as you need and feel free to share with your friends and family members. This card is pre-activated and can be used immediately! For more information, click here [http://www.californiarxcard.com/index.php].

Gaines Gazette
March 1, 2013