In this issue, learn about how I am working to represent you in the Capitol and at home in the 27th Senate District.I welcome your thoughts and input on Sacramento and local issues. Please feel free to stay in touch viamy website, and you can always call my office at (818) 876-3352.Sincerely,

Fran Pavley
State Senator, 27th District

Balanced Budget Passes

California lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown have crafted a $115 billion annual state spending plan that provides strong support for education, health, and child care programs. The budget is effective July 1, 2015.

At the same time, the budget pays down debt and sets money aside as a cushion against economic downturns.

The budget earmarks $2 billion in new resources to counter the ill effects of four years of drought. These funds encourage the use of recycled water and storm water capture and reuse.

The good news is that the budget is on time and balanced. It contains some key priorities including additional money for education. The state now is financially healthy, and we can re-invest.

Majorities in both houses of the Legislature approved the proposed budget in time to meet the constitutional June 15 deadline. However, it took another few days for legislative leaders to reach detailed agreements with Brown that shaved about $1 billion off the original proposal.

Brown called the compromise “a sound, well thought-out budget” but noted that work on some items is still unfinished. He’s called two special sessions of the Legislature to find funds to fix California’s roads and bridges and to support healthcare programs for low-income people and community based services for the developmentally disabled.

The budget gives a record-high $68 billion to public schools, from kindergarten to community college. Money also is available to pay for 15,000 new students at California State University and University of California campuses. Another 13,000 slots will go to child care and pre-school education.

The budget, while substantially increasing spending on key programs, is prudent. It sets aside $3.5 billion for a rainy day fund and another $1.9 billion to retire debt.

Click on this link for more information about the budget for 2015-16.

Legislative Update

Most of the bills I introduced this session have been approved by the Senate and are being heard in Assembly committees.

In the meantime, the Legislature met its constitutional deadline and passed a $115 billion state budget after holding intense negotiations with the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown. For the next month, I’ll be concentrating on advancing my bills before lawmakers take a summer break in mid-July.

The proposals I’m working on would preserve our underground drinking water supplies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, protect victims from sexually violent predators, and help state parks to operate more efficiently.

Here’s an update on a few of them.

Senate Bill 32, Reducing climate pollution: Extends my landmark 2006 law, AB 32, from 2020 to 2050 and requires that greenhouse gas emissions be cut to 80% below 1990 levels. The bill also puts into law an interim goal of lowering emissions by 40% by 2020.

Senate Bill 204, State park reform: Requires administrators to better plan and prioritize projects. Makes it easier for nonprofit organizations to provide needed services and allows for solicitation of endowment funds.

Senate Bill 248, Better regulation of underground injection wells: Seeks to spur reform at the state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources to keep subterranean drinking water supplies from being contaminated by oil field waste. Closes legal loopholes that prevent state regulators from getting information needed to oversee oil drilling operations and the production of chemical-laden waste water. The bill would mandate regular review of existing rules.

Senate Bill 471, Global warming, water-energy connection: Establishes a program to allow water projects to qualify for funding from the state Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, provided these projects reduce emissions and further climate goals. Project types include, but are not limited to, precision agriculture, local water solutions that reduce energy-intensive water imports, clean energy generation at wastewater treatment facilities, leak detection, and water appliance efficiency.

Senate Bill 507, Sexually violent predators, medical records: Addresses the need for fair hearings when violators receive commitment hearings at state hospitals. Bill provides equal access to medical records for both prosecution and defense lawyers. The bill would strengthen public safety by preventing releases of dangerous sexual offenders to communities.

Topanga Creek Bicycles Named 27th Senate District’s
Small Business of the Year

Topanga Creek Bicycles is the 27th Senate District Small Business of the Year. Sen. Pavley visited the shop for a tour and presented owner Chris Kelly (Center) with a Senate resolution. Sen. Pavley was greeted by employees and customers during the shop visit.	L to R: Jay Barre, Topanga Creek Bicycles; Kara Seward, Pavley staff member; Chris Kelly, Owner, Topanga Creek Bicycles; and Sen. Pavley in Sacramento for the California Small Business Association’s Small Business of the Year.

I was pleased to recognize Topanga Creek Bicycles as the 27th Senate District’s Small Business of the Year in a ceremony in Sacramento this month. Hosted by the California Small Business Association, this event honored 82 small businesses in legislative districts throughout California.

Topanga Creek Bicycles is a bicycle shop located in the community of Topanga and focuses primarily on mountain and touring bicycles. The business relocated from Hollywood to Topanga in 2008, which provides an ideal location for mountain bike trail connections in neighboring Topanga State Park. Topanga Creek Bicycles was recognized with the BRAINy Award for The Top Mountain Bike Pro Shop in the USA in 2012 by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.

Topanga Creek Bicycle owner, Christopher Kelly, accepted the award. “It is an honor to be recognized with the Small Business of the Year award from Senator Pavley,” said Kelly. “This acknowledges the hard work and dedication of our staff members and those in the bicycling community who support us.”

There has been tremendous growth in bicycling within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and on our canyon roads. Topanga Creek Bicycles outfits bicyclists for the terrain, encourages safety through education and partnerships with law enforcement, and inspires enthusiasm for recreational enjoyment of our unique landscapes.

Statewide, small businesses account for 75% of gross state product and more than half of private sector jobs. The small businesses honored at the Sacramento luncheon were a diverse group of enterprises such as restaurants, breweries, and communications companies.

Applications Now Open for the Governor’s Environmental and
Economic Leadership Awards

Are you an individual, organization, or business striving to protect California’s natural resources and environment? If yes, I encourage you to apply for the state’s most prestigious environmental achievement award, the 2015 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA).

The GEELA program recognizes those individuals, organizations, and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership for voluntary achievements in conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, building public-private partnerships, and strengthening the state’s economy. California consumers are environmentally conscious and actively seek products and services that protect our state’s natural resources. The GEELA program allows all sectors to raise public awareness of their green mission, goals and products.

This year, GEELA recipients will be chosen from five different categories and one subcategory, which include:

• Environmental Education
• Ecosystem and Land Use Stewardship
• Climate Change
  • Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Dealers
• Sustainable Practices, Communities or Facilities
• Waste Reduction

The online application period to apply for the environmental achievement award is now open. Applications for the 2015 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards (GEELA) program are available at http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Awards/GEELA/. Applications are due Friday, July 24, 2015.

Established in 1993, the GEELA program is administered by the California Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the Natural Resources Agency; the Department of Food and Agriculture; the State Transportation Agency; the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency; the Labor and Workforce Development Agency; the Health and Human Services Agency; and the Governor’s Office.

Saying Farewell

The District Staff and Andy Pavley presented Kara with a Senate Resolution on her departure.

Kara Seward, District Director of my office in Calabasas, is leaving California after serving my constituents in the 27th Senate District for more than five years.

Kara is returning to her home town of Indianapolis, Ind., to be closer to her family.

During her time in the district, Kara and her staff helped hundreds of residents of Ventura and Los Angeles counties with concerns and problems, big and small.
She’s worked closely with local, state, and federal government agencies as well as community and charitable groups. Her goal always has been to make state government programs and benefits understandable and available to the nearly one million people I represent.

She’s provided valuable expertise and support for numerous important projects, including the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Corridor, the PCH Taskforce, the Los Angeles River Restoration, and the Topanga Canyon Scenic Highway Designation. Kara has been an invaluable asset to my office.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to represent Senator Pavley and work for the constituents of Senate District 27,” said Kara. “Thank you to all of the community members and colleagues that have aided in implementing critical projects and bettering the community.”

Kara holds a Master of Communication Management from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Indiana University. Her last day in my office was June 26.

She is being succeeded by Lauren Gallant, who most recently was the Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations for the City of Hope in Los Angeles and previously served as a San Fernando Valley Field Representative with Senator Alex Padilla.

Sustainability Award

Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society members (L to R) Cheryl White, David Le, Ralph Massey, Roxie Esterle, and Danielle Duboff accept the June Sustainability Award.

Each month I recognize a business, person, or organization in my district dedicated to preserving and sustaining our environment. This month, I am pleased to recognize the Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society (LACSS) for their commitment to educating the community on drought-tolerant gardening. This month LACSS hosted the 15th Annual Drought Tolerant Festival with exhibits and workshops to help homeowners incorporate drought tolerant plants into their gardens providing year-round color and cutting water usage.

LACSS has helped gardeners understand the benefits of utilizing native plants and appreciating their beauty. These actions help the community and individuals directly reduce their outdoor water consumption. Natives and drought tolerant plants are increasingly important to this region, not just because they are water efficient, but because they are the foundations of our habitats and ecosystems. Using native, drought tolerant plants for everything from backyard gardens to wide scale re-vegetation is a positive practice benefitting our regional environment.

The Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society has been active since 1935, which means for more than 80 years members have shared their passion for native flora. LACSS continues to meet on the first Thursday of the month at the Sepulveda Garden Center at 16633 Magnolia Boulevard in Encino. Their meetings are open to all interested in learning more.

Volunteer of the Month

LAPD Devonshire Division with Special Olympics Torch Bearer, Al Wales, on their way to their final stop of the day at Cal State Northridge.

In the next couple of weeks, Los Angeles will open its doors to the World Special Olympics hosting more than 7,000 athletes from 170 countries. The Special Olympics games have empowered individuals with developmental disabilities through sporting competition since their inception in 1968. The games would not be as successful without their dedicated volunteers from across the region. The communities across my Senate District have stepped up to open their doors to the delegations as host towns, welcoming the athletes for three days of recreation, entertainment, and cultural exchange.

It is my pleasure to recognize the volunteers of all the host towns in Senate District 27 as my Volunteers of the Month, including Calabasas, Chatsworth, Northridge, Reseda, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks. These communities will host delegations from a variety of nations, such as Great Britain, Serbia, Malawi, Malta, Philippines, El Salvador, and Zambia that will be enriched by this experience.

The volunteers in each host town are dedicating time to fundraise and coordinate activities to honor and celebrate the spirit of the Special Olympic Games. Leading up to the Games the volunteers and local law enforcement are running with the torch, everyday bringing it closer and closer to its final destination at the historic Los Angeles Coliseum.

LAPD Devonshire Division and its local volunteers held one of the first torch runs with Special Olympics Basketball Star Al Wales. The torch was flanked by a LAPD detail with LAPD Devonshire police officers, cadets, and Monroe High School Police Academy students for a six mile run from Northridge Fashion Center, stopping at Darby Elementary School, and concluding at California State University Northridge.

The torch and competitions will be coming to a community near you. If you would like to attend an event or sporting competition, please follow the link to find your nearest host town’s planning committee, venues, and schedules at: http://www.la2015.org/schedule. The games begin July 25, 2015, with the Opening Ceremony.

If you would like to nominate a Volunteer of the Month, please e-mail your recommendation to me at senator.pavley@sen.ca.gov.

Drought Heroes

Outdoor irrigation represents 50 to 80 percent of all water use for some communities in the state. I am showcasing examples of lawn and turf removals in Senate District 27.

Before and After

The Baker family, in Thousand Oaks, has replaced their lawn with Mexican sage plants and plans to remove the parkway strip and use landscape gravel and pavers to allow for rainwater infiltration.

Send photos of your lawn conversion from grass to drought-tolerant, native landscaping tosenator.pavley@sen.ca.gov. Keep an eye on this space and @SenatorPavley to see your photos featured!

Connecting with Constituents

Staff from the Mountains Restoration Trust recognized former Co-Director, Jo Kitz (seated far left). A phenomenal advocate for the Santa Monica Mountains, Jo has left her fingerprints in the SMM through securing grants, removing invasive plants, and bringing young people to the mountains. Sen. Pavley recognized Jo’s efforts in the Assembly when she named her Woman of the Year.

Sen. Pavley speaks with Ontario Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Glen Murray. The Minister joined Governor Brown to sign a historic agreement with international leaders from 11 other states and provinces to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius, the warming threshold at which scientists say there will likely be catastrophic climate disruptions. The dozen-state agreement, called the “Under 2 MOU,” provides a template for the world’s nations to follow as work continues toward an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ahead of this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

Incoming Chatsworth Community Coordinating Council President Jelena Csanyi Recognizes Youth of the Year, Reeyan Reyes.

Fourth graders and Rabbi Noah Farkas from the Valley Beth Shalom Harold M. Schulweis Day School in Encino visited Sen. Pavley in Sacramento.

Sen. Pavley joined fellow coastal lawmakers on Tuesday, June 9, in the Capitol to support new legislation designed to prevent oil spills such as the Refugio Beach pipeline accident that despoiled beaches from Santa Barbara and south, including Malibu.	The Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce celebrated the career of their CEO Leigh Nixon (L) upon her retirement. Nixon is pictured with Marybeth Jacobsen (R), the chamber’s government relations manager.

The Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley College Bound program celebrated its graduating senior class at CSUN’s Grand Salon. This year’s class won an unprecedented $30,000 worth of scholarships donated through community organizations and board members.

United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley celebrated this year’s San Fernando Valley Small Businesses of the Year.	The Conejo Valley Unified School District celebrated the career of Superintendent Dr. Jeff Baarstad at a reception. Best wishes in retirement!

The Academy of Music for the Blind entertained guests and residents at the Therapeutic Living Center for the Blind’s 40th Anniversary Open House Celebration.

Meril May, PCH Taskforce member and City of Malibu Public Safety Commissioner, filmed the changeable message signs purchased by the PCH Taskforce Safety Corridor Grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Three signs will be continually deployed on PCH with key safety reminders for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Celebrating the Natural Beauty of SD 27

The hills of the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve challenge bicyclists on the upside, but reward them wonderfully going down! Photo by Sarah Tamor.

California State Senator Fran Pavley – District 27
Web site: http://sd27.senate.ca.gov/ Contact: Senator Fran Pavley
Capitol Office State Capitol, Room 5108 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4027 Fax: (916) 651-4927	Calabasas District Office 5016 N. Parkway Calabasas, Suite 222, Calabasas, CA 91302 Phone: (818) 876-3352 Phone: (805) 815-3917 Phone: (661) 263-2628 Phone: (310) 830-1961 Fax: (818) 876-0802

(c) 2015 California State Senate