Our Lawmakers

Home buyers’ incentive legislation announced

Congressman David Dreier, who is completing three decades in the House with the current term, will return as ranking minority member of the House Rules Committee. Dreier previously chaired the committee, which oversees all major issues coming to the floor of the House.

Dreier has also announced legislation to provide a tax incentive for persons buying homes and putting at least 10% down on the purchase.

“This bill will help families who want to make a purchase and it will help get the real estate market moving again.”

Liu appointed new chair of Human Services panel

Carol Liu, newly elected state senator from the 21st District, has been name chair of the Human Services Committee by Senate President Pro Tem David Steinberg. She will work closely with Sen. Elaine Alquist, who is moving from Human Services to the Senate Health Committee. Steinberg gave committee chairmanships to 19 of the 24 Senate Democrats.

Liu, a La Cañada Flintridge resident and former mayor, has also resumed her membership in the Joint Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus, which she helped found in 2000 as a new Assembly member. The caucus now includes 11 members in the two houses.

Breast cancer screenings

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, also of La Cañada Flintridge, has introduced a bill, AB 56, to improve breast cancer coverage and health insurance in California. The bill is sponsored by the California chapter of the America College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The bill would, among other items, include allowing doctors to evaluate factors other than age in ordering breast cancer screenings.

Portantino said, “Science and technology has advanced over the years, but one fact that remains changed is the early detection is the key to saving lives.”

He also introduced AB 52, to expand on his previous legislation to mandate a program to collect and store umbilical cord blood. This bill would require the state health department to establish the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program from Jan. 1, 2011, until Jan. 1, 2020, for the purpose of collecting and storing umbilical cord blood for public use, as defined, for human transplantation and human research.

— Charles Cooper