Sacramento, CA – A measure authored by Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – San Francisco) that aims to increase participation in gun buyback programs was approved by the Assembly Public Safety Committee today.   The bill, AB 232, would establish a state income tax credit of up to $500 per handgun, and $1000 per assault weapon, for persons who turn in a firearm to a local gun buyback program.  The bill also would create a $10,000 corporate income tax credit to entities that donate funding to local law enforcement to pay for buyback programs.

“We know that financial incentives are effective in helping to get dangerous weapons off the streets.  A state tax credit is a great way for the state to support local communities that conduct gun buyback programs, and attract more dollars by entities that will help fund these programs,” Ting said.

Sacramento, CA – Gun control legislation authored by Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – San Francisco) and Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez (D – Los Angeles) was approved by the Assembly Public Safety Committee today.  The measure, AB 231, strengthens California’s Child Access Prevention (CAP) laws by making it a crime to negligently store a loaded firearm or leave it in a place where a child is likely to access it.

Under current CAP laws, a gun owner is criminally liable only if a child obtains and uses the firearm resulting in injury or death, or carries it into a public place.  This means that a child could be playing with a loaded firearm in their own home, or a firearm owner could leave a gun on a coffee table where a child could access it, and these would not be criminal offenses.  AB 231 addresses this gap in CAP laws by making such unsafe storage practices a crime.

Sacramento – Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – District 19) was joined by more than 50 college students at a rally Tuesday in support of Ting's legislation, Assembly Bill 1364 (AB 1364), that will increase financial aid for students who qualify for state assistance.

The legislation will give low-income students a better chance of obtaining a college degree by increasing the amount of aid they receive under Cal Grant B stipends. The stipend pays for expenses including textbooks, class supplies and transportation. AB 1364 would increase the Cal Grant B stipend to $5900 – the level it would be if it had been adjusted for inflation since its inception in 1969. The current Cal Grant B level is only $1473.

State Assembly Observes Holocaust Day of Remembrance

Sacramento, CA – At a ceremony today on the Assembly floor in the state Capitol, Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – San Francisco) honored Rivka Spiegel, a resident of his San Francisco Assembly District, in commemoration of the Holocaust Day of Remembrance. This important day honors the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

"This observance is a solemn reminder about the atrocities that were committed during the Holocaust, and the valiant struggle of those who perished and those who survived against incredible odds," Ting said.

San Francisco, CA – At a ceremony today in his San Francisco Office, Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – San Francisco) honored his awardees for 2013 "Women of the Year." The honorees, Perla Ibarrientos (Daly City) and Mary Jung (San Francisco) were chosen from a select field of civic leaders residing in Ting's Assembly District, and were presented with a commemorative plaque at the event.

The first recipient is Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition Board Member and San Francisco Democratic Party Chair, Mary Jung.