Churning out legislation

Ryan Carter

It was a busy and tumultuous year for local legislators. When they

weren’t grappling with each other over the state’s massive budget

deficit, they were immersed in recall politics. But when it was all

said and done, local Assembly members and state senators were able to

squeeze through some legislation that then-Gov. Gray Davis ultimately

signed.

For some, successful legislation had been long fought for.

Assemblyman Dario Frommer (D-Glendale), chairman of the Assembly’s

health committee, touted AB 1286, a bill he introduced guaranteeing

that if a doctor and a health maintenance organization have a

contractual dispute or if the contract is terminated, the patient can

retain the right to receive care from that doctor.

“That was a three-year fight that culminated this year in a bill

that the governor signed,” Frommer said.

Frommer said other highlights of his legislative agenda this year

included legislation that allows patients to see the sticker costs of

major operations and medical procedures. He also pushed through a

bill stiffening penalties for tax-shelter abusers. Another Frommer

bill that passed will prohibit juvenile firearm offenders from buying

or holding firearms until they turn 30.

Firearms remained a hot topic for State Sen. Jack Scott

(D-Glendale).

Former Gov. Gray Davis signed into law Scott’s bill that by 2006

will require gun manufacturers to include chamber load indicators and

magazine disconnect safety mechanisms on new handguns.

“It’s a big bill for me,” Scott said. “I think it will save lives

and prevent injuries.”

A Scott bill that aims to protect elderly people from fraudulent

annuity scams also made it to the governor’s desk.

Both lawmakers said they were satisfied with their work on trying

to resolve state budget and major business issues in 2003.

Among them were workers’ compensation laws and a law that requires

more small businesses to provide health insurance. Scott said

education funding was trimmed but it could have been worse, and the

system was saved.

Other local legislators also saw legislation passed.

Assemblywoman Carol Liu (D-La Canada Flintridge) pushed through

bills protecting the privacy of Social Security numbers. Another law

introduced by Liu requires school districts to limit the operation of

15-passenger vans to drivers with a special license.

Davis signed a bill by state Sen. Bob Margett (R-La Crescenta)

that requires a person convicted of sending, producing or possessing

child pornography to register as a sex offender.

Assemblyman Keith Richman (R-La Crescenta) had two bills pass, one

that expands the state’s Healthy Families program to include

insurance for parents. A resolution written by Assemblyman Dennis

Mountjoy (R-La Crescenta) to honor families with members serving in

the military also passed.

On the national front, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale) continued a

push for a resolution recognizing all genocide, including the

Armenian Genocide. President Bush signed a bill written by Schiff and

Rep. Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys) to name the Burbank Post Office after

Bob Hope. He also continued to push for expanded civil rights for

people detained as “enemy combatants” and visited Iraq. Rep. David

Dreier (R-La Crescenta) was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s co-campaign

manager in the recall campaign.