April 21, 2022
California Federation of Republican Women
Janet Price, President
Submitted by the CFRW Legislative Analyst Committee
Karen Contreras, Gretchen Cox, Elaine Freeman,
Theresa Speake, and Cheryl Sullivan
E-mail: legislativeanalysts@cfrw.org
AB-2248 – WATER QUALITY: CALIFORNIA-MEXICO CROSS-BORDER RIVERS
Current law establishes the California-Mexico Border Relations Council in state government, chaired by the Secretary for Environmental Protection, and prescribes the functions and duties of the council with respect to coordinating the activities of state agencies that are related to cross-border programs, initiatives, projects, and partnerships that exist within state government and state and local efforts that are of concern between California and Mexico.
Current law requires the council to establish the New River Water Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Program to coordinate funding for, and the implementation of, recommendations from the strategic plan and related programs.
This bill will make $100,000,000 available from the General Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute, to the California Environmental Protection Agency to address water quality problems arising in the rivers that come across the border from Mexico. Of that amount, the bill would make $50,000,000 available for purposes consistent with the New River Water Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Program.
AB-2506 – CANNABIS: EXCISE TAX: CULTIVATION TAX
The 2016 Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA-Prop. 64), authorizes a person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. AUMA imposes an excise tax upon purchasers of cannabis or cannabis products sold in this state at the rate of 15% of the average market price of any retail sale by a cannabis retailer, and a separate cultivation tax on harvested cannabis that enters the commercial market, as specified.
Because these taxes make the legitimate cultivation and retail selling of cannabis more expensive than that found in the black market, this bill would suspend the imposition of the cultivation tax and its scheduled increases from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2028. The bill would increase, from July 1, 2023, until July 1, 2028, the excise tax by an additional percentage that the Department of Finance estimates will generate the amount of revenue that would have been collected pursuant to the cultivation tax.
Only California legislators would pass a bill heavily taxing a product and then be surprised that they have priced it out of the market.
SB-923 – GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE
Existing law establishes the Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund, administered by the Office of Health Equity within the State Department of Public Health, for the purpose of grant funding focused on coordinating trans-inclusive health care for individuals who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex (TGI).
This bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan, a PACE organization, a health care service plan, or a health insurer, as specified, to require its staff and contracted providers to complete evidence-based cultural competency training for the purpose of providing trans-inclusive health care, as defined, for individuals who identify as TGI. The bill would specify the required components of the training and would make use of any training curricula subject to approval by the respective departments.
Note – In addition to working to pass this bill, our state legislature is also now on record that they will be introducing a bill offering transgender youth from all over the country a “Safe Haven”, so those from states that are considering legal action against parents that let their young children have gender-affirming procedures can come here.
For further information on any of the bills mentioned here, click the Bill # in the email. Or you can CLICK HERE and simply enter the bill # or keywords where designated.
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