Recent & new legislation, feedback from constituents discussed

By Dave Schwab | SDUN Reporter

It was “Legislation 101” as State Sen. Marty Block walked constituents through the bill-making process while receiving ideas for new legislation at an informal town hall meeting, held at Hillcrest’s Scripps Mercy Hospital Monday, Sept. 23.

Previously a state Assemblymember, Block’s 39th Senate District includes large portions of San Diego as well as Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Beach, Calif. San Diego Interim Mayor Todd Gloria, whose council district includes Hillcrest in Uptown, introduced Block.

“So many issues in Sacramento are critical to our quality of life in our neighborhoods in San Diego,” Gloria said. “Marty has been a wonderful leader in Sacramento, advocating many quality-of-life issues on behalf of public education, health care and veterans.”

Gloria called Block a “good listener,” and said state legislators come to their districts to collect information from constituents, noting it is important for them to hear what residents have to say.

The Senator revealed his “report card” for the 2013 legislative session, which ended the previous week. Gov. Jerry Brown signed six of Block’s bills into law and five await his signature, while Brown vetoed one bill. Currently, 12 others penned by Block are pending further action in the legislature.

“I’m here to plan our legislative agenda for next year and tonight is the first step,” Block said.

Block told constituents the legislative session in Sacramento goes from January through September. He said the bill-making process has an intricate committee “screening system,” set up to defeat bills, not pass them.

“Most bills have eight or nine opportunities to get killed [in committee],” Block said. Proposed bills must pass with both the Assembly and Senate, including financial review for prospective costs, before making it to the Governor to be signed or vetoed. The idea is that those bills ultimately making it through the system are wise, needed and entirely vetted by legislators before they become law, he said.

Constituents from the 39th Senate District had many ideas to offer Block about problems that need to be resolved by legislation. Attendees expressed concerns on a number of important issues, including the state minimum wage law being increased from $8 to $10 over the next couple of years.

“I don’t think the consequences of that increase have been thought out enough,” one constituent told Block, saying she feared it could cost some people jobs.

Block responded he has been told many employers feel the minimum-wage increase will not be negative, but rather a stimulus for the economy, putting more disposable income in the pockets of wage earners who will spend more on local products and services.

Several people remarked that more laws need to be created to protect the disabled, especially those injured on the job, by strengthening workers’ compensation laws while closing existing loopholes.

One military family told Block they have been fighting a school district to get adequate care for their special-needs child, pointing out the district would be better served spending money to accommodate disabled students rather than fighting their families in court.

Several lawyers, including public defenders in the audience, asked Block to seek legislative action to soften the three-strikes rule that some claim frequently sends repeat criminals to prison for relatively minor offenses, thus overburdening an already overcrowded prison inmate population.

Block said he has introduced legislation to bring San Diego lifeguard workers’ compensation standards up to those elsewhere in the state, and has a bill going through committee to toughen laws against human trafficking by having it designated as a gang-related offense.

He said he is also working on legislation that would make schools safer by allowing classrooms to be locked from the inside, and has also considering authoring legislation that would require anyone purchasing a “long” gun other than a handgun to be required to take a training course.

“I find it hard for anybody to disagree that people buying a weapon ought to know how to use and store [it] properly,” he said.

In closing, Block encouraged everyone to contact his office with concerns, saying he has staff whose “main job is to serve the constituents.” His office is located at 701 B St.

For more information visit martyblock.com or call 619-645-3133.