Assemblyman Jeffries introduces bills focusing on fires and disasters and tax relief

MURRIETA — Freshman Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries (R-Lake Elsinore) publicly released his first complete bill package March 1. “I have worked very closely with private citizens, community groups and local governments to develop a legislative package that reflects the interests of my district,” said Assemblyman Jeffries. “Public safety, transportation and tax relief are among the most important issues to me and to our region, and I believe this package reflects those priorities in a reasonable and practical way.”

The most ambitious proposal (AB 791) would take a page from the Governor’s California Performance Review by combining all state government’s various first responder police and fire agencies and merging them into a single California Public Safety Agency. “Uniting them in one agency will improve our state’s ability to train, equip and manage our public safety assets for responding to natural disasters, wildfires and homeland security threats,” remarked the Assemblyman.

AB 1485 was brought to Assemblyman Jeffries by Michele Linn, a constituent who lives in Bonsall. Her husband was killed while on active duty in Iraq, and while trying to adjust to the sudden loss of a husband, father and primary breadwinner in the family, Linn noticed that current military survivor benefits in California were inadequate for modern living.

“While some states and counties provide 100 percent property tax exemption for spouses of those killed in action, California only offers an exemption for the first $100,000 of a home, which doesn’t get you very far in this state,” said Linn. “I have many friends in a similar situation, and we want to continue to live in California, but housing prices make it very difficult. Fortunately, Assemblyman Jeffries agreed and has introduced AB 1485 to try to help military widows such as myself.”

“I am very proud of the legislative package we have prepared,” said the Assemblyman. “I believe passage of these bills will be a great benefit to the people of my district and the state. Furthermore, most of my bills have been written in a way that they should attract bipartisan support, something that is obviously a necessity for success in the State Capitol.”

Full text and status of all legislation is available on the Internet at http://www.Leginfo.Ca.Gov.