Legislators in home stretch
Housing, employment, PG&E on the table, among others
California legislators reconvened from summer break last week and are headed into their final month or so.
The Appeal asked local Assemblyman James Gallagher and State Sen. Jim Nielsen what they think about a number of issues and possible local effects. Here are answers, in their own words.
Housing Issues:
In previous decades, Califor
nia was building upwards of 200,000 homes a year – approximately double what we are seeing today. Overregulation has significantly slowed down the building process and increased the cost of building a home. Streamlining housing projects, especially in areas impacted by the Camp Fire, is vital to addressing the housing shortage in this state. I have authored legislation (Assembly Bill 430) which is designed to exempt certain housing projects from these time consuming and costly regulations.
Nielsen: There is a housing shortage in California. It is too expensive to live here. The regulations, requirements and fees that are imposed on new housing only increase housing costs and represent “new homebuyer taxes.” We must reduce these excessive cost drivers to encourage the construction of new housing.
Employment:
Gallagher: I am opposed to Assembly Bill 5 and AB 51. Independent contractors are vital to California’s economy. AB 5 will limit individuals’ ability to contract out their service and manage their time as they see fit. AB 51 will result in increased costs for employers and employees and will likely cause increased litigation and delays.
Nielsen: We need to encourage more small business creation and employment through free enterprise and entrepreneurship, not stifling it through more government regulations.
Pacific Gas & Electric:
Gallagher: First and foremost, PG&E needs to do right by wildfire victims and make significant contributions to the recovery effort. The company must also follow through with their commitment to harden the grid in order to prevent
future power shutoffs and protect communities from fire. I intend to do all I can to hold them accountable.
Nielsen: What should happen to the utility? What should they do to compensate for fires and how? Survivors of the Camp Fire and the affected communities are my only priority. I will view every issue relating to PG&E through that lens. The Community of Paradise: Gallagher: I am continuing to work alongside federal, state, and local officials to help Butte County recover and be more resilient going forward. Senator Nielsen and I have secured vital dollars to keep local governments whole, support critical fire stations, and help rebuild the water system and other key infrastructure projects.
Nielsen: Recovery of Paradise and the Ridge is underway. But there’s still much more that needs to be done. We will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to help rebuild the community.
Oroville Dam:
Gallagher: The construction is nearing completion, but the work continues to ensure there is proper oversight of the operations and maintenance of the entire facility. We fought to give the public a seat at the table for the ongoing Comprehensive Needs Assessment process which will be making recommendations on long term changes to improve safety. We also passed legislation creating a public oversight commission.
Nielsen: My staff and I continue to monitor the progress of Oroville and work closely with DWR to protect the people of Butte County and those living downstream. I do believe that the newly constructed spillway is safe. I will continue to monitor the inspections of the dam and spillways as prescribed by Assemblyman Gallagher and my bill. A formal commission will meet in
October to monitor this progress.
U.S. Trade:
Gallagher: The trade war has been difficult for farming families like my own. However, I am hopeful that the President will continue to work with China towards a resolution that will ultimately be fair and beneficial for Americans in the long-term. But we must ensure that China plays by the rules.
Nielsen: (Did not comment.)
Gun violence:
Gallagher: California’s restrictive gun laws have not been successful in preventing mass shootings. California needs to focus on efforts that will improve public safety by disarming criminals and the mentally unstable. Further, actions need to have consequences. Reducing prison sentences and suspending the death penalty send the wrong message to criminals. We also need to invest in school safety, tone down the political rhetoric, and identify threats earlier.
Nielsen: We simply cannot tolerate senseless violence. There must focus our public policy efforts on identifying early signs of mental illness and anti-social behavior that is common to so many of these violent criminals. Protecting the rights of law abiding citizens must always be a priority.
Requiring presidential to open up tax returns:
Gallagher: I am strongly opposed to this legislation. Requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns in order to appear on the state ballot is a thinly-veiled attempt to undermine the President and suppress Republican voters.
Nielsen: The United States Constitution has specific requirements for a candidate for President; releasing one’s tax returns is not one of them.
Water usage:
Gallagher: candidates
I have been opposed to
statewide water policy mandates from Sacramento that do not take into account our region’s efforts to be responsible stewards of this precious resource. Conservation alone will not protect us in the next drought; therefore, we must increase above ground water storage. Sites Reservoir is a smart investment that will offer statewide and regional benefits to the overall water picture.
Water is a precious resource that must be shared by farmers, ranchers, humans and the environment. Conservation will not be enough; we must increase the supply of water, including more above ground storage especially and immediately the construction of Sites Reservoir. We must also recharge the groundwater basins.
DMV:
In August of 2018, I and other Assembly Republicans requested a non-partisan, independent audit of operations at the DMV. The request was denied. We made the request again in January and it was once again voted down. DMV’S underlying issues need to be addressed, and it’s clear that throwing more money at the issues won’t fix them. It needs a total overhaul.
There must be a complete change in the culture at the DMV. We are all public servants who must earn the public’s trust with hard work and transparency.
Road infrastructure:
California should be investing every year into our backbone infrastructure, including our roads. New revenues from the gas tax are already being misused for projects that have nothing to do with improving roads. I will continue to be a proponent of making consistent investments in our roads from the state’s general fund.
SB 1 imposed billions of dollars in taxes on the people of California. These monies must be used to fix our roads and highways.