Hollingsworth announces 2008 legislation

SACARAMENTO — On February 25, Senator Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta) announced his package of legislation for 2008, including a number of bills that address issues brought to light by the wildfires of last fall and other measures to crack down on elder abuse and real estate fraud.

Hollingsworth’s fire-related legislation includes:

• SB 1064, which allows homeowners and businesses to carry forward their financial losses from the fires into future taxable years, ensures that those who lost their homes to continue to receive the homeowners’ property tax deduction while they rebuild and backfills lost property tax revenues to local governments

• SB 1412, which will require the state to streamline the process of allowing military aircraft to assist in firefighting efforts

• SB 1413, which authorizes the state to enter into official mutual aid agreements with tribes for the purpose of providing fire response

• SB 1414, which requires Cal Fire to track whether wildfires have been started by illegal immigrants, so that the state may request reimbursement from the federal government for the cost of fighting such fires

• SB 1562, which allows fruit and nut tree growers who suffered significant losses from the fires and the 2007 freeze to defer their next property tax installment without penalty or interest and exempts severely damaged fruit and nut trees from property taxation for four years

• SB 1618, which allows property owners to clear up to 300 feet of defensible space under the discretion of a local fire official, effectively putting public safety as a top priority over environmental red tape

Other 2008 Hollingsworth bills include:

• SB 1227, which removes the sunset clause of the Disaster Response-Emergency Operations Account, a fund that supports the state’s response to disaster events

• SB 1287, which authorizes Riverside County to notify property owners when their property is executed upon in order to prevent the fraudulent sale of property without the owners’ knowledge

• SB 1390, which prevents the taking of multiple non-diseased wildlife species of animals for the purpose of native ecosystem restoration

• SB 1416, which creates an online registry of known elderly abusers, similar to the Megan’s Law Web site

• SB 1417, which allows individuals to deduct the trade-in value of their old vehicle from the taxable price of a new-vehicle purchase

• SB 1530, which adds the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Insurance Commissioner and the Chair of the Board of Equalization to the order of gubernatorial succession.

Dennis Hollingsworth represents the 36th Senate District, which includes Southwest Riverside County, northern and eastern San Diego County and portions of the City of San Diego.