SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) has introduced legislation to continue Assembly Democrats’ work to enshrine legal rights for transgendered Californians.  AB 87 prohibits the use of a peremptory challenge of a prospective juror who is a transgendered person, if the challenge is made under the assumption that the person’s transgendered status will cause him or her to be biased while serving on a jury.

“We’ve led the way in this state to ensure that the law recognizes that transgendered people have the same rights and responsibilities afforded to other Californians,” said Stone.  “This bill, which restricts the use of a peremptory challenge on a transgendered juror candidate on the basis of assumed bias, reflects this priority.”

SACRAMENTO –Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) has appointed Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) to the following policy committees:

• Assembly Natural Resources Committee: Jurisdiction includes a variety of environmental issues, such as air quality, climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), coastal protection, forestry, land conservation, oil spills, solid waste and recycling.  Stone served on this committee during his first term in office.
• Assembly Human Services Committee: Jurisdiction includes policies relating to the most vulnerable Californians, such as child welfare, foster care, eldercare, developmental disability services, temporary cash assistance, and CalFresh food benefits.  During his first term in the Assembly, Stone served as Chair of this committee.
• Assembly Banking and Finance Committee: Jurisdiction includes financial institutions, real property finance, consumer finance, and corporate securities law.

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) wrote the below new laws that will take effect on January 1, 2015.

Streamlining Government Services and Increasing Transparency

AB 2119 – Improving County Infrastructure: This new law will help counties improve infrastructure which they are responsible for maintaining.  AB 2119 will allow a county to introduce a sales tax ballot measure for unincorporated areas.  If the qualified voters from the unincorporated areas of the county approve the ballot measure, the revenues could be applied to road maintenance, sewer and water pipe improvements, and other infrastructure needs.  All existing state and local ballot measure passage requirements would apply to sales tax measures placed on the ballot as a result of this new law.

SACRAMENTO –Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) has appointed Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) to serve as Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

“As Chair of the Judiciary Committee, I look forward to protecting civil rights, advocating for consumers, and ensuring that all Californians have access to justice,” said Stone.

SACRAMENTO –Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) has introduced Assembly Bill 43, legislation to address poverty amongst working families and boost California’s recovering economy.  The measure would create a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for families already eligible for the federal EITC.

“The federal earned income tax credit is one of the tools that has measurably reduced poverty amongst working California families,” said Stone.  “It’s time for California to join the twenty-five states that already have a supplemental EITC to lift vulnerable low-wage workers and their families out of poverty.”

SACRAMENTO –Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) has introduced Assembly Bill 48, legislation that would protect wildlife and preserve California’s coast and waterways by banning cigarette filters.  Filters, commonly known as cigarette butts, do not protect smokers from cancer, emphysema, or other diseases associated with smoking; however, discarded filters create a costly and prevalent source of litter in California communities and recreational areas. 

“Cigarette filters do not provide any health benefits to smokers, but they do leach dangerous chemicals into the environment, kill wildlife, and cause communities to spend millions of taxpayer dollars for clean-up,” said Stone. “California has many laws in place to curtail cigarette litter, but people continue to illegally discard tons of cigarette butts each year.  The current laws aren’t sufficient to address this major problem.”

SACRAMENTO— Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) has been named co-chair of the Legislative Environmental Caucus.  The caucus, made up of legislators from across the state, provides a monthly forum for members to discuss ways to address pressing environmental concerns that affect California regions and residents.

“I look forward to facilitating conversations about ways that the Legislature can address threats to the state’s diverse habitats, help conserve natural resources, and protect Californians’ health,” said Stone.

SACRAMENTO — The California State Legislature has approved a bill by Assemblymember Stone (D-Monterey Bay) that would help people released from prison successfully reintegrate into their communities. AB 2308 ensures that all eligible individuals released from prison have a valid identification (ID) card that they can use to access critical services that will help reduce recidivism. The bill now goes to the Governor for signature or veto. If signed by the Governor, it will become law on January 1, 2015. 

“The passage of AB 2308 with support from both Democrats and Republicans demonstrates the legislature’s commitment to reducing recidivism,” said Stone. “Providing a valid ID card is a simple step that can make all the difference in accessing healthcare, a job and a place to live. I urge the Governor to sign this measure.”