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Time to Get to Back to Work

By Assemblymember Norma J. Torres
As seen in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on Thursday, Nov. 15th, 2012

The election has come to an end, and the voters have chosen who they want to represent us here in the Inland Empire. For those like me fortunate to serve this great region, there is a lot of work to do.

Like much of the state, the Inland Empire is still struggling to regain its footing in the aftermath of the Great Recession. The economy is slowly improving, and the unemployment rate is inching downward. But, if you are an out-of-work laborer still relying on an unemployment check, a recently graduated student forced to move in with your parents because you can’t afford rent, or a small business owner working hard to keep the doors open, it is not improving fast enough. Therefore, it is critically important that local and state elected officials join business leaders to come up with innovative, out of the box policy solutions that will speed things along and get our community back to work.

Torres Joins Food For Life To Help Warehouse Workers

Assemblymember Norma Torres on Wednesday collaborated with Food for Life, a local non-profit based out of Chino, Calif., to donate groceries to the families of striking warehouse workers. By the end of the day, a total of 53 families received over a weeks’ worth of groceries.

“I was proud to work with Food for Life to donate groceries to the families of the workers who gave up their pay to fight for the rights of all warehouse workers,” Torres said. “The down turn in the economy has been hard on every sector of the economy, but it has been especially hard on warehouse workers. Many of the warehouse workers in the Inland Empire have been relegated to temporary employment status, work in unsafe conditions, with no benefits and low pay. The very least we could do is to provide them bread, vegetables and cheese to feed their families.”

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Two Torres Housing Bills Signed By Governor Brown

Assemblymember Norma Torres today announced that two of her housing bills, Assembly Bills 1551 and 1797 have been signed by the Governor and will become law on January 1, 2012. Assembly Bill 1551 will allow homeowners with second mortgages from California Housing Finance Agency (CalFHA) to refinance their primary mortgages to take advantage of lower interest rates and to avoid foreclosure. Assembly Bill 1797 authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to offer an interest rate below 3% on loans to help mobilehome owners purchase their mobilehome parks.

“I applaud the Governor for signing these important homeowner bills,” said Torres. “These bills are part of our efforts to provide homeowners and mobilehome residents more security and stability – allowing them to stay in their own homes.”

Assemblymember Torres Honors Community Leaders in 61st District

(Chino, CA) -- A special celebration was held recently by Assemblymember Norma Torres (D-Pomona) to honor the men and women who have been community leaders over the past year in the 61st Assembly District she represents.

Torres' Warehouse Workers Bill Approved by the State Legislature

Assemblymember Norma Torres announced today that the State Legislature has approved Assembly Bill 1855. This legislation protects warehouse worker’s rights by prohibiting contracts or agreements where a contractor knows or should know that there are insufficient funds to comply with basic labor laws. The bill has been sent to Governor Brown for his signature.

“AB 1855 will provide warehouse workers in the logistics industry the same protections against labor exploitation as temporary workers in the construction, farm labor, janitorial or security industries when they are hired by temporary staffing agencies,” said Torres.

Torres' Criminal History Bill Approved by the State Legislature

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Norma Torres announced today that Assembly Bill 2343 was approved by the State Legislature and will soon be sent to Governor Brown for his signature. Assembly Bill 2343 will streamline California's criminal history information notification system. This legislation authorizes the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide private and public employers with up-to-date state and federal arrest, disposition and sentencing information for all employees or licensees that require a criminal background check.

"It is critical that employers have necessary arrest, disposition and sentencing information to re-examine the employment, licensing, or certification of individuals that are already in a position of trust. We must protect the children, the elderly, the disabled, and all people whom the employees or licensees work with," said Torres.

Senate Committee Fails to Approve Bill to Stop Copper Thieves

Sacramento, CA – Assembly Bill 2003, by Assemblymember Torres, which would have helped law enforcement catch copper thieves by requiring recyclers to make payments by check only for copper recycling, was rejected by the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee.

"Although AB 2003 enjoyed strong support in the Assembly, I'm disappointed that some members of the committee failed to see the benefit of the bill and instead sided with recyclers who are profiting from the stolen copper. The problem with current law is that it allows cash or check payments for all recycling. AB 2003 would have removed the cash option to make it easier for police to track recycling payments for copper and harder for thieves to turn stolen copper into quick cash," said Torres.

University of California 4-H Youth Development Program

I want to thank Marty Marino from Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Amber Meek from I-Poly High School in Pomona, and Janet Champlin from Serrano Middle School in Montclair, for visiting the State Capitol and for their interest in our state government. I also want to thank Marty’s mom, Teri Marino, for supervising the students during their two day stay in Sacramento. The students participated in the University of California 4-H Youth Development Program. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

23rd Annual Pomona Valley Juneteenth Jazz & Arts Festival

Join me for a full day of fun activities for the entire family! The annual festival will continue its tradition of live jazz entertainment, cultural marketplace and activities. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Juneteenth National Freedom Day Ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and celebrates the 10th Anniversary for the California State Juneteenth National Freedom Day Observance.

Where: Thomas Plaza in Downtown Pomona's Arts Colony: 209 2nd Street, Pomona, California.

When: Saturday, June 16, 2012

Time: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The festival is presenting new features like the farmers market, featured visual artists and continuing the health fair. Additionally, I will be available to answer any state legislative questions you may have. I hope to see you there!

For more information call (909) 621-9707 or visit www.juneteenthamerica.us.

Sincerely,

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Memorial Day 2012

Memorial Day gave us the opportunity to pay tribute to local soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for our country to defend our freedoms. Thank you to the Cities of Pomona, Chino, Ontario and La Verne for honoring and celebrating the memory of our hometown heroes.

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