Gary L
Nov 27th, 05, 08:48 PM
Anyone interested in getting black plates on California cars again read this article. I would suggest emailing Mike Villines (a state assembly man) in support. I was at a pre-election function last year or so where Mike appeared and brought this same issue up. I hope this link works. The guy holding the plate is a local radio person and Camaro collector. He has a highly optioned 396/325 SS convertible.
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/11527397p-12263821c.html
http://www.fresnobee.com/ips_rich_content/106-hansen.jpg Craig Hansen wants to see legislation that would allow classic cars to use the original color scheme of black and yellow for their license plates.
Eric Paul Zamora / The Fresno Bee
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Lawmakers tap constituents' playbook
Legislators are looking for bills for upcoming session.
By Jennifer M. Fitzenberger / Bee Capitol Bureau
(Updated Sunday, November 27, 2005, 9:40 AM)
SACRAMENTO — Have an idea for a new law?
Now is a good time to contact your state legislator.
This time of year, elected state representatives are gathering suggestions for bills that could become state law. They're sorting through ideas, deciding which ones to convert to legal language for introduction in the Legislature, which begins the second half of its two-year session in January.
Ideas have been pouring in, at least to some central San Joaquin Valley legislators. They say voter ideas have a good chance at becoming bills that, at some point, the entire Legislature could debate and send to Gov. Schwarzenegger for a final verdict.
Ron Silva, chief executive officer of Westar Transport, a trucking company in Selma, sent an e-mail to Assembly Member Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, suggesting a law that would require California to study and, if necessary, build an ocean shipping system to haul trailers full of goods between Southern and Northern California and other states.
Silva says such a system could take thousands of trucks off Valley highways, making roads safer and the air cleaner.
He has pitched his idea to several policymakers but so far has gotten little response. He hopes Parra will turn his idea into legislation.
"If we have a way to get trucks off the highway and save lives and pollution, why aren't we doing it?" Silva says. "This is a missing link in the transportation system that needs to be constructed."
Parra, now asking for bill ideas in her electronic newsletter sent each week to more than 800 people, has received several responses and is considering them for new legislation.
She and her staff scrutinize each idea before deciding whether to send it to legislative counsel, which turns the idea into a bill. Then, Parra decides whether she will introduce the legislation. She considers how much time a bill will take to carry and whether it fits into her priorities of economic development, public safety and consumer protection.
Parra says voters suggest bill ideas out of frustration with existing laws.
"These are folks who have tried to work within the process," Parra says. "When it gets to me, it's usually because it's almost a last resort."
Doctors from the Tulare County Medical Society, a professional organization of about 220 physicians, also are pitching legislative ideas.
Steve Beargeon, executive director of the society, says legislation should address a shortage of physicians. Tulare County has a tough time recruiting doctors who specialize in areas such as dermatology and surgery because low Medi-Cal and Medicare reimbursements make it difficult for them to make a living.
Medi-Cal is the state-federal health insurance program for the poor. Medicare is the federal health care insurance program for senior citizens and the disabled.
"It is difficult to recruit physicians in Tulare County to serve patients when they can't financially survive in a practice," Beargeon says.
He hopes Parra, Assembly Member Bill Maze, R-Visalia, and Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, can help, but he realizes that attracting the attention of big-city lawmakers from outside the Valley is a challenge.
"We don't have the legislative power to make a lot of change, but we do feel the legislators who do represent us are sympathetic and are trying to intervene on our behalf," Beargeon said.
This year, more than 3,000 bills were introduced by 120 state Assembly and Senate members. More than 960 bills passed both legislative houses and were sent to Schwarzenegger, who signed 729 of them and vetoed 232.
Lawmakers can carry up to 40 bills per legislative session. Up to 90% of their legislation originates from constituent ideas, they say. Other bill ideas come from lobbyists employed by interest groups and from other lawmakers, who for various reasons can't or don't want to carry a certain bill.
"I get all kinds of good ideas from the district. Those are what I prefer to carry as legislation," says Assembly Member Mike Villines, R-Clovis. "You get a lot of common sense in the district that usually applies statewide."
Car enthusiast Craig Hansen of Madera is talking with Villines about possible legislation that would allow cars built in 1969 or older to have license plates issued in that era.
Existing law allows older plates only for cars built in 1962 or before. Newer cars must be fitted with modern license plates.
Hansen says having an original-type plate makes a classic car more authentic.
"It just doesn't look right if it has a white reflectorized plate," says Hansen, who hosts a KMJ radio show.
Hansen worked with former Assembly Member Mike Briggs, R-Clovis, on similar legislation. On two occasions, bills passed the Legislature but were vetoed by then-Gov. Gray Davis.
Davis said in one veto message that license plates are for identification purposes and are not intended to enhance the beauty or value of a vehicle.
This time, Hansen is more confident.
"I feel pretty good about the possibility of getting it through the state Legislature," Hansen says. "I would hope Gov. Schwarzenegger would take a different angled approach when this bill goes before him."
Villines likes Hansen's idea, but isn't sure yet whether he will carry the bill.
About a month ago, Villines and his staff sat down to go over about 35 ideas for bills. He narrowed those possibilities to 18 — 10 that will become bills and eight that are good ideas but need more research.
Hansen's idea is in the latter group.
This year, Villines introduced 13 bills, seven of which started as ideas from people who live in his district. Just one was signed into law, requiring all California State University campuses to close on Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day.
Maze introduced 23 bills this year. Three of them were local ideas. One was signed into law, allowing the Friends of the Mount Whitney Hatchery to lease the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery facilities.
Says Maze: "The point of representing folks in the general public is that we're acting on areas of interest to them."
The reporter can be reached at jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com (jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com) or (916) 326-5541.
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/11527397p-12263821c.html
http://www.fresnobee.com/ips_rich_content/106-hansen.jpg Craig Hansen wants to see legislation that would allow classic cars to use the original color scheme of black and yellow for their license plates.
Eric Paul Zamora / The Fresno Bee
E-mail (http://www.fresnobee.com/cgi-bin/mailastory/mailastory.cgi?http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/11527397p-12263821c.html)
Print (http://www.fresnobee.com/local/v-printerfriendly/story/11527397p-12263821c.html)
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Lawmakers tap constituents' playbook
Legislators are looking for bills for upcoming session.
By Jennifer M. Fitzenberger / Bee Capitol Bureau
(Updated Sunday, November 27, 2005, 9:40 AM)
SACRAMENTO — Have an idea for a new law?
Now is a good time to contact your state legislator.
This time of year, elected state representatives are gathering suggestions for bills that could become state law. They're sorting through ideas, deciding which ones to convert to legal language for introduction in the Legislature, which begins the second half of its two-year session in January.
Ideas have been pouring in, at least to some central San Joaquin Valley legislators. They say voter ideas have a good chance at becoming bills that, at some point, the entire Legislature could debate and send to Gov. Schwarzenegger for a final verdict.
Ron Silva, chief executive officer of Westar Transport, a trucking company in Selma, sent an e-mail to Assembly Member Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, suggesting a law that would require California to study and, if necessary, build an ocean shipping system to haul trailers full of goods between Southern and Northern California and other states.
Silva says such a system could take thousands of trucks off Valley highways, making roads safer and the air cleaner.
He has pitched his idea to several policymakers but so far has gotten little response. He hopes Parra will turn his idea into legislation.
"If we have a way to get trucks off the highway and save lives and pollution, why aren't we doing it?" Silva says. "This is a missing link in the transportation system that needs to be constructed."
Parra, now asking for bill ideas in her electronic newsletter sent each week to more than 800 people, has received several responses and is considering them for new legislation.
She and her staff scrutinize each idea before deciding whether to send it to legislative counsel, which turns the idea into a bill. Then, Parra decides whether she will introduce the legislation. She considers how much time a bill will take to carry and whether it fits into her priorities of economic development, public safety and consumer protection.
Parra says voters suggest bill ideas out of frustration with existing laws.
"These are folks who have tried to work within the process," Parra says. "When it gets to me, it's usually because it's almost a last resort."
Doctors from the Tulare County Medical Society, a professional organization of about 220 physicians, also are pitching legislative ideas.
Steve Beargeon, executive director of the society, says legislation should address a shortage of physicians. Tulare County has a tough time recruiting doctors who specialize in areas such as dermatology and surgery because low Medi-Cal and Medicare reimbursements make it difficult for them to make a living.
Medi-Cal is the state-federal health insurance program for the poor. Medicare is the federal health care insurance program for senior citizens and the disabled.
"It is difficult to recruit physicians in Tulare County to serve patients when they can't financially survive in a practice," Beargeon says.
He hopes Parra, Assembly Member Bill Maze, R-Visalia, and Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, can help, but he realizes that attracting the attention of big-city lawmakers from outside the Valley is a challenge.
"We don't have the legislative power to make a lot of change, but we do feel the legislators who do represent us are sympathetic and are trying to intervene on our behalf," Beargeon said.
This year, more than 3,000 bills were introduced by 120 state Assembly and Senate members. More than 960 bills passed both legislative houses and were sent to Schwarzenegger, who signed 729 of them and vetoed 232.
Lawmakers can carry up to 40 bills per legislative session. Up to 90% of their legislation originates from constituent ideas, they say. Other bill ideas come from lobbyists employed by interest groups and from other lawmakers, who for various reasons can't or don't want to carry a certain bill.
"I get all kinds of good ideas from the district. Those are what I prefer to carry as legislation," says Assembly Member Mike Villines, R-Clovis. "You get a lot of common sense in the district that usually applies statewide."
Car enthusiast Craig Hansen of Madera is talking with Villines about possible legislation that would allow cars built in 1969 or older to have license plates issued in that era.
Existing law allows older plates only for cars built in 1962 or before. Newer cars must be fitted with modern license plates.
Hansen says having an original-type plate makes a classic car more authentic.
"It just doesn't look right if it has a white reflectorized plate," says Hansen, who hosts a KMJ radio show.
Hansen worked with former Assembly Member Mike Briggs, R-Clovis, on similar legislation. On two occasions, bills passed the Legislature but were vetoed by then-Gov. Gray Davis.
Davis said in one veto message that license plates are for identification purposes and are not intended to enhance the beauty or value of a vehicle.
This time, Hansen is more confident.
"I feel pretty good about the possibility of getting it through the state Legislature," Hansen says. "I would hope Gov. Schwarzenegger would take a different angled approach when this bill goes before him."
Villines likes Hansen's idea, but isn't sure yet whether he will carry the bill.
About a month ago, Villines and his staff sat down to go over about 35 ideas for bills. He narrowed those possibilities to 18 — 10 that will become bills and eight that are good ideas but need more research.
Hansen's idea is in the latter group.
This year, Villines introduced 13 bills, seven of which started as ideas from people who live in his district. Just one was signed into law, requiring all California State University campuses to close on Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day.
Maze introduced 23 bills this year. Three of them were local ideas. One was signed into law, allowing the Friends of the Mount Whitney Hatchery to lease the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery facilities.
Says Maze: "The point of representing folks in the general public is that we're acting on areas of interest to them."
The reporter can be reached at jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com (jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com) or (916) 326-5541.