Legislators tackling ambitious agenda

Universal health care, affordable housing among bills under consideration

SACRAMENTO — After regaining their supermajorities in both the Senate and Assembly in November’s election, California Democrats are not shying away from the big issues this year.

Universal health care, affordable housing, immigration enforcement and major road repairs are all on the table — not to mention proposals to end daylight saving time and allow cities to decide whether to keep bars open longer.

Many of the bills under consideration this year — including a controversial plan to replace private health insurance with a single-payer system, submitted just hours before Friday’s deadline — strike a distinctly different tone from the policy directives now coming out of Washington. And in many cases they appear to be an in-yourface reaction to the proposals from the Trump White House, said Melissa Michelson, a politi-

cal science professor at Menlo College in Atherton.

“We’re really drawing a line in the sand,” Michelson said.

Here are just some of the hundreds of bills that lawmakers will grapple with over the next several months.

Plugging potholes: The Democrats are taking another stab at passing a gastax-funded transportation package to reduce a huge backlog of road repairs. Because it will involve raising taxes, Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jim Beall, D-Campbell, requires a two-thirds vote. Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, has authored Assembly Bill 496, the GOP’s no-tax-increases alternative. It would redirect billions of dollars in taxes generated through vehicle sales and insurance from the state’s general fund to road repairs.

A (not-so) modest health care proposal: Two Southern California Democrats, Sens. Ricardo Lara and Toni Atkins, want the state’s health care system to look more like Canada’s, replacing private insurance with a government plan that covers everyone — including undocumented immigrants. On Friday, the two senators introduced Senate Bill 562 as a “spot bill.” That means it was introduced with few specifics other than their intent to create a universal health care plan.

Sanctuary state: Both houses have presented proposals to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation by further limiting law enforcement’s participation in immigration enforcement, training more attorneys in immigration law and setting up a public-defender-like program for people in deportation proceedings (SB 54 by Senate leader Kevin De León; AB3 by Rob Bonta, D-Oakland; and SB 6 by Ben Hueso, D-El Centro). And possessing false papers to conceal your immigration status would no longer be a felony carrying a mandatory five-year prison sentence under AB 222, carried by Raul Bocanegra, D-San Fernando. AB 699 would try to prevent ICE agents from entering schools without prior approval from the principal or superintendent (Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, and David Chiu, DSan Francisco). No bailout necessary: California is considering a cash bail reform measure, AB42, to avoid holding people in jail who are too poor to post bail. The bill, introduced by Bonta, would require courts to release defendants accused of misdemeanors without bail unless the court deems them a safety risk.

Ban the box: Public and private employers could not ask about prior criminal convictions on initial job applications under AB 1008 (Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento). President Barack Obama in 2015 directed federal agencies to stop asking as part of a campaign to help ex-cons make an honest living and stay out of jail and prison.

Addictive pain meds? Not for minors: SB419 by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Glendale, would block the prescription of oxycodone pain medication for anyone under 21.

Snack alert: Two Senate bills would stick warning labels on not-so-natural snacks and drinks consumed by kids. SB504 by Sen. Bob Wieckowski, a Fremont Democrat, would warn consumers that synthetic food dyes may be associated with adverse behavior. Another, SB 300 by Senate Majority Leader Bill Monning, D-Monterey, would warn those thinking about buying a sugary drink — those with added sweeteners of 75 calories or more per 12 ounces — that “Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay.” Can I see your ID? Recreational marijuana may be legal in California now but remains illegal for teens to use. AB 729 by Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, would crack down on the sale of marijuana to people under 21 with strict laws similar to those governing the sale of alcohol and tobacco.

Gun-free schools (for real this time): AB424, by McCarty, would prohibit schools from permitting concealed weapons on campus — which the state’s Gun-Free School Zone Act still allows.

Cap and trade hanging in the balance: If Gov. Jerry Brown can get twothirds of the Legislature to approve a cap-and-trade bill, the future of the program — which makes big polluters pay big bucks but is now tied up in court — will be on more solid ground, as will the bullet train and other initiatives that are counting on the money it would generate. The Assembly recently introduced a related bill, AB378, to force the state to account for “social costs” of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. The authors are Assembly members Cristina Garcia, D-Downey; Chris Holden, D-Pasadena; and Eduardo Garcia, DCoachella.

Fixing up parks and college campuses: Eduardo Garcia’s AB18 would put a $3 billion bond measure on the June 2018 ballot for local, regional and state parks, water and coastal protection, and outdoor recreation. SB 483 by Sens. Steve Glazer, D-Walnut Creek, and Benjamin Allen, D-Redondo Beach, would ask voters to borrow $2 billion for Cal State and UC’s aging facilities — the first such measure since 2006. Both bills require a twothirds vote by each house of the Legislature. Vacation-home taxes: As lawmakers consider what to do about the skyrocketing cost of housing in the Bay Area and elsewhere, a proposal by David Chiu, AB71, would take away the mortgage-interest tax deduction enjoyed by owners of second homes — which saves them roughly $300 million a year — and give the tax break to developers of affordable housing. AB74, also by Chiu, would give rental housing grants to the chronically homeless who are on Medi-Cal.

Equal pay: A law that took effect in January prevents employers from paying a woman less than her male colleagues because of her prior salary. Under AB168 by Susan Talamantes Eggman, D-Stockton, a prospective employer could not ask how much you used to make.

Later last calls? SB384 by Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, would let cities keep bars open as late as 4 a.m. Closing time is now 2 a.m. statewide. Daylight saving time: It would become a thing of the past in California if Assemblyman Kansen Chu gets his way. After narrowly losing this battle last year, the San Jose Democrat has reintroduced a bill, AB 807, that would allow voters to repeal an existing state law so that the Legislature could adjust the dates or do away with daylight saving time entirely. Another state holiday? Yes, under a bill by Evan Low, a Cupertino Democrat, state employees and schoolchildren would have November election days off to increase voter participation. It would apply only to even-numbered years.

Another tuition

freeze: AB393 by Assembywoman Sharon QuirkSilva, a Democrat from Buena Park, would freeze tuition at California State University and community colleges at current levels — where they have been since 2011 — through 201920. The bill encourages the University of California, which has some autonomy from the Legislature, to follow suit, though UC regents last month voted to increase tuition.