Sacramento – Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – San Francisco) and San Francisco County Supervisor Mark Farrell announced the introduction of state legislation today, AB 362, to provide tax relief for employees who receive reimbursement from  their employer for federal taxes they paid on healthcare benefits provided to their same-sex partner and dependents.

“At the heart of this issue is a question of fairness for same-sex couples,” Ting said.  “The federal policy to tax their benefits is discriminatory, and the last thing the state of California should do is make it harder to remedy the injustice by taxing the reimbursement of these costs,” he added.

Sacramento – Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – San Francisco) was tapped to Chair a new “Select Committee on Asia/California Trade and Investment Promotion” Wednesday by Assembly Speaker John Pérez.

“I am thrilled to lead this important effort for the state Assembly,” Ting said.  “It is especially meaningful to me because it will allow me to continue to build on the China/SF work that I spearheaded as Assessor in San Francisco,” he added.

Second measure will provide tax credit for guns turned in to buyback programs

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – San Francisco) and Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez (D – Los Angeles) introduced legislation, AB 231,* today that will require gun owners to purchase liability insurance to cover the cost of damage that may be caused by the weapon.

“The government requires insurance as a condition of operating a car – at the very least we should impose a similar requirement for owning a firearm,” Ting said.  “The cost to society of destruction by guns is currently being born collectively by all of us, and not by those who, either through carelessness or malice, cause the destruction.  It is time to change that equation so that those who cause the harm pay the costs.”

Exemption from sales tax and vehicle license fee, free parking at State lots sought

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D – San Francisco) introduced legislation today,

AB 220,* intended to provide an exemption from the state sales tax and vehicle license fee for the purchase of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs).

“Widespread use of clean vehicles is absolutely key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but we need to do more to motivate the public to purchase them,” Ting said.  “Financial incentives are the proven best way to steer consumers to choose clean cars,” he added.