Dear Neighbors,
Many things happened this week in the Legislature. The big legislative news of the week, as you already know, is the advancement of the Marriage Equality Act that passed the Senate on Wednesday. The newspapers, TV, and radio stations usually only talk about legislative actions that are “big” news; this week, that was marriage equality.
While this was an important bill, we have been working on many other critical issues like the Jobs Package, education, budget, economic development and housing.
The House of Representatives has 20 committees, each focused on a specific set of issues. At any given time, five different committees may be meeting at once, each considering their own lists of legislation and hearing from members of the public.
Sometimes public-policy ideas discussed at length in those committees, and even on the floor, fly a little bit under the radar. It isn’t that these bills don’t reflect critical issues, or that they don’t have a sizeable group of folks speaking up for them. It’s just that they can get a little bit lost in the noise surrounding the budget and revenue debate or some other matters that sort of monopolize the media time.
So, believe me, there are many, many more issues being discussed in the Legislature right now than the big ones you see on TV. Work on the budget continues every day. Dozens of issues, large and small, are being carefully considered by every legislator here. I will try to keep you updated on some of those, but please feel free to contact me if you have questions about a specific one.
Credit Unions are another choice for your tax dollars
One of those “under the radar” issues passed the House this week 86-10. House Bill 1327 allows state or federally chartered credit unions to accept public deposits up to the amount insured but the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund — $250,000. “Public funds” are those moneys paid to or held for the state as well as for counties, cities, agencies, courts, boards, commissions – those types of smaller governments.
Giving credit unions the ability to accept more public deposits allows them to have more lending capacity for its members and small businesses. It also gives local governmental entities the ability to support community credit unions that support and contribute to the local economy.
This legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Connecting More Families to the Internet
Access to the internet is quickly becoming a necessity for families. Computer and internet skills are key to opportunities and jobs in today’s economy. Moving forward, reliable and quick internet will be tied to health care, public safety, job opportunities and more.
In order to bring internet to more homes with children, internet providers are developing programs to offer low-cost internet. Comcast is offering to families with a child that qualifies for free lunch, and CenturyLink is offering to households using certain benefit programs. Both programs offer basic internet for about $10 a month, a computer for around $150 and training if needed.
You can find out more information on the Comcast program at www.internetessentials.com and the CenturyLink program at www.centurylink.com/home/internetbasics/. Other providers are expected to offer similar programs in the future.
Marriage equality
In 2007, 2008 and 2009, the Legislature passed a series of domestic-partnership laws, establishing for same-sex couples registered as domestic partners the basic state rights of all married couples.
Senate Bill 6239/ HB 2516 would affirm that gay couples and their children will be recognized in law and community the same as their heterosexual counterparts.
The bill does not require any church or other religious organization to perform same-sex marriages, nor must they allow their church buildings or other facilities to be used to host same-sex ceremonies.
Gay marriage is already legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and many countries around the world.
Other bills – Prime Sponsor:
Some of my prime-sponsored bills, which are continuing to make it through the process, are:
SHB 2614: Short sales/residual debts. A beneficiary may not obtain a deficiency judgment on the obligations secured by a deed of trust against a borrower in any case when, as a consequence of or in conjunction with a sale of owner-occupied residential real property resulting in proceeds that were insufficient to pay the obligation in full, the beneficiary reports to the Internal Revenue Service that the beneficiary has canceled all or a portion of the borrower’s debt. This provision applies only when the property that was sold was occupied by the borrower as the borrower’s principal residence at the time of the sale. This bill is currently before the House Rules Committee.
HB 2482: Modifies provisions relating to criteria for designation and eligibility of funds for, an innovation partnership zone. HB 2482 is before the House Rules Committee.
ESHB 2048 is concerning low-income and homeless housing assistance surcharges. This bill has gone through many changes, and I have worked during the 2011 session and interim through this session with all stakeholders on the bill language. Currently ESHB is on the House 3rd Reading calendar. One step closer to being voted on in the House
I am honored to serve the 46th Legislative District and welcome our new constituents from Lake Forest park and Kenmore. I look forward to hearing from all of you. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with me.
Best Wishes,
Phyllis Gutiérrez Kenney State Representative 46th Legislative District