(San Francisco, CA) –  Flanked by health care advocates at a Sunset District center specializing in care for Chinese-speaking seniors, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) announced new legislation helping 6.5 million Californians with limited English proficiency to understand their medications by requiring pharmacists to distribute standardized translations of drug information materials.

“Healthcare access requires effective communication between patients and the medical professionals treating them,” said Ting.  “Failure to understand prescriptions causes preventable tragedies.  By ensuring that all patients understand their medications, we will save lives and improve healthcare for millions of Californians.”

Bill creates new standard for government transparency and accountability

(Sacramento, CA) –  Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) announced legislation to make California a leader in open data at a Data Summit organized by California Forward, a government reform non-profit organization, which convened leading government transparency tool developers.  Ting’s objective is to make more information about our state government freely available for everyone to access, analyze, and republish without restrictions.

“We know open data leads to more accountability and efficiency,” said Ting.  “As the home of Silicon Valley, California should be an open data leader.  We have seen how open data works in communities across the state, especially San Francisco.  Data crunching technology is readily available and inexpensive, making it easier than ever for citizens to assess the performance of their government.  We must seize the potential of the next frontier in open government.”

(SACRAMENTO, CA)  Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) honored Jeanine Cotter of San Francisco as Woman of the Year.  Cotter is co-founder and President of Luminalt, San Francisco’s only solar contractor certified as a Women Business Enterprise.

“Clean energy is the cause of our generation and Jeanine is one of the industry’s leading experts,” said Ting.  “Her commitment to social and environmental change in business has resulted in good inner city jobs and clean energy in our community.  By building a company with these values, she’s demonstrated in typical San Francisco fashion that you can profit while making the world a better place.”

(SACRAMENTO, CA) - Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), a member of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement from Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California, that new California student enrollment would be capped. Napolitano also proposed a cap on out of state students at two campuses, while increasing out of state enrollment.

“I am greatly concerned about the path the University of California continues to pursue. It will be admitting 2,000 more out of state students in the coming months at the expense of California students, who will not see any increase in enrollment opportunities. UC needs more resources and the Speaker’s proposal does just that, but not at the expense of California students who have paid for the bulk of increased UC expenses in recent years. California’s higher education system is the envy of the rest of the world. It is one of the main reasons why our economy is the eighth largest in the world. We need to reinvest in higher education but not on the backs of California students and their families. I look forward to identifying solutions that increase access to a UC education for California students while containing costs.”

Bill aims to accelerate purchase of clean cars through new sales tax incentive

(Sacramento, CA) - Assemblymember Phil Ting (D - San Francisco) re-introduced legislation aimed at boosting electric vehicle sales to meet California’s climate and air quality goals through reducing state sales taxes associated with the purchase of zero-emission and other clean vehicles.

“This bill enables Californians to save money while doing something good for the environment,” said Ting.  “We cannot confront climate change without changing the cars we drive.  Governor Brown has set a high bar for change and it needs a powerful jump start to be achieved.  There are more clean cars are on the market today than ever before and consumers need an incentive to buy them.”

(Sacramento, CA) – Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo) are urging the State Legislature to investigate the morality clauses imposed by Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, on staff employed at Catholic high schools under his control in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties.

In a letter jointly addressed to the Chairmen of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee and the Assembly Judiciary Committee, Ting and Mullin said the morality clauses “set a dangerous precedent for workers’ rights through manipulations of law that deprive employees of civil rights guaranteed to all Californians.”  In their request for these committees to review the issues, the lawmakers said, “California cannot become a laboratory for discrimination under the guise of religion,” adding that the Legislature must “investigate instances where religion is used as a Trojan horse to deprive our fellow citizens of their basic civil rights.”

(Sacramento, CA) – Bay Area lawmakers sent a letter to Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, urging him to withdraw discriminatory morality clauses as conditions of employment at four Catholic high schools under his control in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties.

The letter states the morality clauses “conflict with settled areas of law and foment a discriminatory environment,” which sends “an alarming message of intolerance to youth.”  Referring to the affected schools as “locally revered institutions,” the lawmakers note the expansive morality clauses jeopardize the ability of these schools to continue their legacy of educating local leaders.  “If that were to occur, everyone loses,” the lawmakers said.

(Sacramento, CA) – California State Assemblymember Phil Ting (D–San Francisco) issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement from the Accrediting Commission on Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) that City College of San Francisco will have more time to resolve its accreditation challenges completely.

“We live to fight another day and anxiously await the court’s decision about the commission’s review of City College,” said Ting.  “The college cannot be replaced.  It must now begin a longer and harder path towards accreditation via the restoration process.  Today’s news is another reminder that we must reform the accreditation process so that California’s students can learn from their teachers in peace.”

(Sacramento, CA) – Assemblymember Phil Ting (D–San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation, issued the following statement about Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget for California released today.  Brown’s proposal is available online at www.ebudget.ca.gov.  Ting’s statement follows.

“It is exciting to see a budget plan molded by aspirations for the future instead of imperatives driven by financial crisis.  A five-year infrastructure investment plan and over $50 billion invested in school funding reforms for high need students will expand opportunity and equality for Californians.  When paired with a substantial investment in sustainable communities and transportation, California is forging a new path for our planet.  My concern is the budget plan is silent on tax reform.  Proposition 30 revenues are phasing out completely in four years at which time the governor has projected a minor deficit.  While that may be resolved through continued economic growth, we must reform our tax code to ensure that the state’s financial future is even more secure.”