Dept of CA - Legislative Commission

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California's Legislative Commission Members

 Area

Commissioner

 Area 1

Gary E. Ross Sr ( 861-6)

 Area 2

Kenneth W Newman (558-13)

 Area 3

Charles P Wendt (74-12) Chairman

 Area 4

S Wayne Parrish (177-23)

 Area 5

Thomas Valenzuela (679-29) Vice-Chairman

 Area 6

DeForeest B Wright Jr (539-24)

Department Representative to the California Legislature:
Al Menshew (74-12)
View Legislative Representative Page

 
Call to Action:


Action AlertTHE AMERICAN LEGION
DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA
CALL TO ACTION!

(For Rapid and Broad Distribution)

California Gold Star Family License Plate (TIME SENSITIVE)
  Your support is needed for the bill which calls for approval of a Gold Star Family license plate. State Senate Bill 1455 (Cogdill/Denham) would amend the existing vehicle code to allow family members related to a person killed in active duty in any war to apply for a special license plate. The language in the bill states that a special California State Vehicle License plate be available in numbered sequence for the families whose loved ones lost their lives in defense of the United States. The fiscal impact is minimal due to fees collected at the time of application.
  SB 287 was introduced in February 2007 and reintroduced again earlier this year. Unfortunately, no hearing date was set by the Senate Transportation Committee and therefore the bill failed to get to the floor for a vote. State Senators Cogdill and Denham introduced SB 1455 on April 2, 2008; however, once again, a hearing date has not been set.

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP NOW!

In order to get this bill out of committee and to the senate floor for a vote it is incumbent upon us to take the following immediate action

This bill is very important to the Gold Star families in California and urge you to act upon this today. Approximately 12 states have the license plate measure in place and 12 more are enacting the bill as well. To date, California has lost more servicemen and women than any other state in the Union. It is a small token of appreciation for the Gold Star families whose sons and daughters have made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. Please forward this request to your family and friends. Every call, every letter makes a difference!


Public Expression of Religion Act

  • HOUSE PASSES PERA, H.R. 2679: 244 TO 173!
    WE MUST NOW WORK TO PASS S. 3696 (PERA) IN SENATE

    >>> Resolution 326 - Congress should amend 42 U.S.C. Section 1988, to expressly preclude the courts from awarding attorney fees under that statute, in lawsuits brought to remove or destroy religious symbols
     
  • Support S. 3696 - Veterans Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2006 - To amend the Revised Statutes of the United States to prevent the use of the legal system in a manner that extorts money from State and local governments, and the Federal Government, and inhibits such governments' constitutional actions under the first, tenth, and fourteenth amendments. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.

    Sponsor: Sen Brownback, Sam [KS] (introduced 7/20/2006) Cosponsors (13)
    >>> Latest Major Action:
         
    8/2/2006 Senate committee/subcommittee actions.
         Status: Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
  • SUMMARY OF S. 3696 AS OF:
    7/20/2006--Introduced. Veterans' Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the Revised Statutes of the United States to limit remedies to injunctive relief and declaratory relief in a civil action for deprivation of rights where the deprivation consists of a violation of a prohibition in the Constitution against the establishment of religion, including a violation resulting from: (1) a veterans' memorial, a public building, or the official seal of a state or local government containing religious words or imagery; or (2) the chartering of Boy Scout units by a state or local government and the Boy Scouts using state or local government buildings. Prohibits a court from awarding attorneys' fees in such a civil action, including such an action against the federal government.
     

 

The American Legion's Legislative Program
The American Legion maintains a fully staffed office in Washington, DC to represent veterans in Congress on all legislation concerning veterans and their families.

Additionally, the Department of California has a Legislative Commission and a Department Representative to the California Legislature to serve as a “watchdog” on all legislation, Federal and State, that affects veterans or The American Legion mandates and programs.

 

Communicating with Elected Officials

Tips On Telephoning Your Elected Representatives
To find your senators' and representative's phone numbers, you may use our searchable online congressional directory or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask for your senators' and/or representative's office.

  • Remember that telephone calls are usually taken by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment.
  • After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, such as: "Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose (S.___/H.R.___)."
  • You will also want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senators' or representative's position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

Tips On Writing Congress
The letter is the most popular choice of communication with a congressional office. If you decide to write a letter, this list of helpful suggestions will improve the effectiveness of the letter:

  • Your purpose for writing should be stated in the first paragraph of the letter. If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it accordingly, e.g., House bill: H. R. ____, Senate bill: S.____.
  • Be courteous, to the point, and include key information, using examples to support your position.
  • Address only one issue in each letter; and, if possible, keep the letter to one page.

Addressing Correspondence:
 
To a Senator:

    The Honorable (full name)
    __(Rm.#)__(name of)Senate Office Building
    United States Senate
    Washington, DC 20510

    Dear Senator:

 To a Representative:

    The Honorable (full name)
    __(Rm.#)__(name of)House Office Building
    United States House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20515

    Dear Representative:

 Note: When writing to the Chair of a Committee or the Speaker of the House,
     it is proper to address them as:

    Dear Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman:
    or Dear Mr. Speaker:

Tips On E-mailing Congress
Generally, the same guidelines apply as with writing letters to Congress. You may find and e-mail your senators and representative directly from this Website.

 

More Letter Writing Tips

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National Legislation

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State of California Legislation

  • California Senators Home Page Link
    http://www.sen.ca.gov/~newsen/senators/senators.htp
    On each Senators' Home Page you will find his/her email address, Capitol and District addresses and phone numbers, a map of the district, the Member's biography, a list of all the legislation authored by that Senator, his/her committee memberships, press releases and other publications, district links, and more.
  • California Assembly Member Page Link
    http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset7.htm
    On the Assembly Page you will find links to his/her email address, Capitol and District addresses and phone numbers, a map of the district, the Member's biography, a list of all the legislation authored by that Assembly Member, his/her committee memberships, press releases and other publications, district links, and more.
  • Daily Updates - Assembly Bills - Senate Bills
    http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/
    Bill Index: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilindex.html
    The official site for California legislative information.
    Maintained by the Legislative Counsel of California, pursuant to California law.
  • Search for Any Current Bill Status
    http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html

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More California Legislature’s Website Links

Assembly www.assembly.ca.gov
Well-designed Web site provides access to a searchable database of full-text legislation, legislative counsel reports and bill status as well as a membership directory; legislative calendar; assembly journals; legislative manuals;committee and caucus information; and daily business.

Senate www.senate.ca.gov
Visitors to this site can easily follow the links to senators' Web pages and contact information, committee information and session schedules. The site also features legislative calendar, daily journals, full-text legislation and provides links to other sites of state and local government interest.

Legislative Counsel www.leginfo.ca.gov
A one-stop site for California legislative research, this searchable Web site, a service of the Legislative Counsel, provides full text of pending legislation, enactments, agency reports, Legislative Counsel analysis plus bill status and history. The site also features an alert system that allows visitors to receive bill-tracking information via e-mail. It also contains: pages for members of the legislature; a member contact list; pages for committees of the Legislature; the full text of the state constitution; and the full text of statutes and laws.

Law Revision Commission www.clrc.ca.gov
This Web site features contact information, agendas, recommendations available for public comment, commission-sponsored bills, minutes and other materials relating to the law revision process. Many of these documents are available for downloading in pdf or Word formats.

Legislative Analyst's Office www.lao.ca.gov/
Office provides nonpartisan fiscal and policy analysis and advice to the Legislature. Publishes its reports and analyses on this site. Provides analyses of ballot propositions and ordering information for publications.

California Voter Foundation www.calvoter.org
Offers Internet Guide to California's elections and government. Lists large contributors to campaigns; provides election previews and results. Designed to help Californians learn how the State Capitol works and how to participate in the legislative process in a meaningful way. Contains links to California government agencies, political organizations, news media, etc. Lists California interest groups. Contains updated state Senate and state Assembly rosters and current legislative calendar.

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Searching For Pending California Legislation

Legislative Counsel 
www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html
This site provides the full text, analysis and history of Assembly and Senate legislation. Users may enter the bill number and session to go directly to a document, or enter keywords for full-text searches of legislation. The Web site also provides a free e-mail service that tracks the status of bills and updates you with pertinent information. A one-stop site for California legislative research, this searchable Web site is a service of the Legislative Counsel.

Law Revision Commission www.clrc.ca.gov
This Web site features contact information, agendas, recommendations available for public comment, commission-sponsored bills, minutes and other materials relating to the law revision process. Many of these documents are available for downloading in pdf or Word formats.
 

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
(Officially December 1 through November 30)
2008 REGULAR SESSION
This calendar shows you the months when letter writing is especially critical
Namely: January 3 through September 10

California State Assembly
 
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/clerk/billslegislature/2008legcalendar.html

California State Senate
 
http://www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/schedules/LEGIS.HTP

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Questions?
David L Eby
calegion@pacific.net
State Commander 1998-99
Department Webmaster

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last update
5-13-08

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