scamperwillow
08-24-2009, 12:51 PM
WIGGINS WON’T SEEK A SECOND SENATE TERM; WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR NORTH COAST THROUGH 2010
August 24, 2009
SANTA ROSA—Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) announced today that she will re-enter private life when her current term ends in November, 2010.
Wiggins, who served as a Santa Rosa City Councilmember and then in the Assembly for six years before being elected to the Senate in 2006, said that rather than seeking re-election next year, she will look for other avenues for assisting people living on the North Coast.
Wiggins has had to overcome a variety of health-related issues during her years in office, including a hearing impairment that forced her to wear a headset during committee and floor debates.
“My commitment to fight for the people of the North Coast has not diminished a bit,” Wiggins said. “But, the physical demands of representing a district that stretches from San Francisco Bay to Humboldt Bay, have become progressively more challenging for me.
“I am proud of my legislative accomplishments. I know I have made a difference with my votes and the measures I have carried for my district,” she said. “I am equally proud of the message I have been able to send to everyone who is physically-challenged.
“When I first considered running for the Assembly, some people discouraged me because of my hearing problem. But I was determined to set an example, both as a representative and as a person who refuses to let disabilities get in the way. A dozen years later I am pleased to say I believe I have succeeded on both fronts.
“However, it is also true that my years in office have taken their toll. I think it is now time to move on rather than going through one more campaign,” she said.
Wiggins said she has a lot of people to thank for their support and assistance during her time in the legislature. “This is not a one-person job. Our effectiveness can be traced to outstanding staff assistance and to the many people throughout the North Coast who have shared their time, talent and ideas.
“I look forward to working with all of them in other capacities after my term in office ends,” she said.
WIGGINS LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IN THE ASSEMBLY:
SMART GROWTH
Founded the Smart Growth Caucus in the Legislature (1/3 of all legislators became members); Prevented the Coastline of the Hearst Ranch from being subdivided; Enacted the most comprehensive state land use and infrastructure law in 30 years (AB 857, 2001)
ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION
Provided funds to fight Sudden Oak Death Syndrome (AB 52, 2001); Provided one million dollars for Russian River restoration projects; Stopped the attempt by Alaska Exports to take the water from our rivers in big bags and sell it elsewhere (AB 858, 2001)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Provided property tax exemptions for certain kinds of low and moderate income housing (AB 1559, 1999); Allowed Napa County to move some of its affordable housing into the cities (AB 2430, 2000); Allowed Napa County Grape growers to tax themselves to provide farmworker housing (AB 1550, 2001)
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Designated the trashing of an abortion clinic as a hate crime, so the clinic’s insurance couldn’t be canceled (AB 996, 2003); Established the California School-to-Career Grant Program to help those students who don’t go directly to college (AB 1873, 2000); Insured that businesses are required to protect the personal financial information that is in their possession (AB 1950, 2004); Provided an assortment of laws to protect people from identity theft.
IN THE SENATE:
HEALTHCARE
• SB 1699: Reduces construction costs for Sonoma Valley Hospital by allowing the hospital to utilize design-build construction in the development of their new hospital. As a result, the hospital would save $30 million in construction costs.
• Worked with the California Rural Caucus to acquire $22 million from the Federal Communications Commission for the California Telehealth Network to improve rural healthcare through the expansion of telemedicine technology.
ENVIRONMENT
Protecting open space
• SB 1431: Permits the Department of Parks and Recreation to purchase land easements around state parks in order to increase open space and to create buffer zones around pristine wildlife areas.
• SB 701: Provides protection to forest land by authorizing the state to use federal funds to acquire private forestland in an effort to save precious forests from development. Through this program more than 6,200 acres in Humboldt, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, and San Diego counties has been preserved.
• Saved the Williamson Act funding in the budget to protect open space and farm land from being developed. Led the effort to keep the Williamson Act funding in the state budget for two years in a row.
Protecting our water
• SB 562: Provided $5.3 million for coastal salmon and fishery restoration projects to preserve and improve their habitat.
• SB 670 (2009): Puts a moratorium on the use of gold mining equipment that destroys salmon habitat.
• SB 1690: Protects our crab fishery by creating an industry taskforce to make recommendations to the Legislature on how to best regulate the crab industry to prevent fishery depletion like that of the salmon industry.
• SB 1627: Protects our bays by providing more training and accountability for those responsible for guiding oil tankers through our waters to prevent future disasters like the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay.
• Chaired the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture and organized a special hearing with the state’s leading scientific experts on salmon declines in California. The testimony and evidence from the hearing will be used to help guide any future water bonds considered by the Legislature.
Environmental Cleanup
• Made significant progress in cleaning up the more than eighty rusting WWII ships sitting in Suisun Bay. By coordinating with various federal, state, and local agencies, ship dismantlers and environmental and civic organizations the dismantling and cleanup of the ships is now more imminent than ever before.
Food standards
• SB 634: Creates the first in the nation olive oil standards based on existing International standards and prevents olive oil manufacturers from falsely labeling and selling olive oil as “virgin olive oil” a practice being done by some unscrupulous foreign olive oil manufacturers.
SMALL BUSINESSES
Eliminating overregulation
• SB 911: Keeps the hot air balloon industry afloat by protecting operators from unnecessarily high insurance rates that would have put hot air balloon operators out of business.
• SB 773: Saves our north coast cattle industry by allowing standard cattle trailers to be used on Highway 1 and therefore allows the north coast cattle ranchers to stay competitive with cattle ranchers in other areas of the state and country.
•
Financial relief
• SJR 4: Saves our salmon industry by urging Congress to pass the salmon relief bill to provide $60 million in relief for commercial salmon fishermen and the related industries due to the failure of the 2006 salmon fishing season.
•
TRANSPORTATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public transportation
• SB 1093: Improves commuter ferry service by protecting Vallejo’s current ferry service and ferry terminal development projects and maximizes the ability to use state transportation funds to sustain and expand commuter ferry service.
Public safety
• Coordinated the multi-county effort to bring financial relief to preserve the Coast Life Support District which provides life support services on the remote Mendocino and Sonoma coast from Irish Beach to Fort Ross.
VETERANS
Improving our Yountville Veterans Home
• Requested and succeeded in having the Joint Legislative Audit Committee direct the California State Auditor to inspect the Yountville Veterans Home. Upon completion of the inspection, the auditor found the home needed to make major improvements to its health care services as well as major improvements to its compliance with the American Disability Act requirements.
August 24, 2009
SANTA ROSA—Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) announced today that she will re-enter private life when her current term ends in November, 2010.
Wiggins, who served as a Santa Rosa City Councilmember and then in the Assembly for six years before being elected to the Senate in 2006, said that rather than seeking re-election next year, she will look for other avenues for assisting people living on the North Coast.
Wiggins has had to overcome a variety of health-related issues during her years in office, including a hearing impairment that forced her to wear a headset during committee and floor debates.
“My commitment to fight for the people of the North Coast has not diminished a bit,” Wiggins said. “But, the physical demands of representing a district that stretches from San Francisco Bay to Humboldt Bay, have become progressively more challenging for me.
“I am proud of my legislative accomplishments. I know I have made a difference with my votes and the measures I have carried for my district,” she said. “I am equally proud of the message I have been able to send to everyone who is physically-challenged.
“When I first considered running for the Assembly, some people discouraged me because of my hearing problem. But I was determined to set an example, both as a representative and as a person who refuses to let disabilities get in the way. A dozen years later I am pleased to say I believe I have succeeded on both fronts.
“However, it is also true that my years in office have taken their toll. I think it is now time to move on rather than going through one more campaign,” she said.
Wiggins said she has a lot of people to thank for their support and assistance during her time in the legislature. “This is not a one-person job. Our effectiveness can be traced to outstanding staff assistance and to the many people throughout the North Coast who have shared their time, talent and ideas.
“I look forward to working with all of them in other capacities after my term in office ends,” she said.
WIGGINS LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IN THE ASSEMBLY:
SMART GROWTH
Founded the Smart Growth Caucus in the Legislature (1/3 of all legislators became members); Prevented the Coastline of the Hearst Ranch from being subdivided; Enacted the most comprehensive state land use and infrastructure law in 30 years (AB 857, 2001)
ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION
Provided funds to fight Sudden Oak Death Syndrome (AB 52, 2001); Provided one million dollars for Russian River restoration projects; Stopped the attempt by Alaska Exports to take the water from our rivers in big bags and sell it elsewhere (AB 858, 2001)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Provided property tax exemptions for certain kinds of low and moderate income housing (AB 1559, 1999); Allowed Napa County to move some of its affordable housing into the cities (AB 2430, 2000); Allowed Napa County Grape growers to tax themselves to provide farmworker housing (AB 1550, 2001)
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Designated the trashing of an abortion clinic as a hate crime, so the clinic’s insurance couldn’t be canceled (AB 996, 2003); Established the California School-to-Career Grant Program to help those students who don’t go directly to college (AB 1873, 2000); Insured that businesses are required to protect the personal financial information that is in their possession (AB 1950, 2004); Provided an assortment of laws to protect people from identity theft.
IN THE SENATE:
HEALTHCARE
• SB 1699: Reduces construction costs for Sonoma Valley Hospital by allowing the hospital to utilize design-build construction in the development of their new hospital. As a result, the hospital would save $30 million in construction costs.
• Worked with the California Rural Caucus to acquire $22 million from the Federal Communications Commission for the California Telehealth Network to improve rural healthcare through the expansion of telemedicine technology.
ENVIRONMENT
Protecting open space
• SB 1431: Permits the Department of Parks and Recreation to purchase land easements around state parks in order to increase open space and to create buffer zones around pristine wildlife areas.
• SB 701: Provides protection to forest land by authorizing the state to use federal funds to acquire private forestland in an effort to save precious forests from development. Through this program more than 6,200 acres in Humboldt, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, and San Diego counties has been preserved.
• Saved the Williamson Act funding in the budget to protect open space and farm land from being developed. Led the effort to keep the Williamson Act funding in the state budget for two years in a row.
Protecting our water
• SB 562: Provided $5.3 million for coastal salmon and fishery restoration projects to preserve and improve their habitat.
• SB 670 (2009): Puts a moratorium on the use of gold mining equipment that destroys salmon habitat.
• SB 1690: Protects our crab fishery by creating an industry taskforce to make recommendations to the Legislature on how to best regulate the crab industry to prevent fishery depletion like that of the salmon industry.
• SB 1627: Protects our bays by providing more training and accountability for those responsible for guiding oil tankers through our waters to prevent future disasters like the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay.
• Chaired the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture and organized a special hearing with the state’s leading scientific experts on salmon declines in California. The testimony and evidence from the hearing will be used to help guide any future water bonds considered by the Legislature.
Environmental Cleanup
• Made significant progress in cleaning up the more than eighty rusting WWII ships sitting in Suisun Bay. By coordinating with various federal, state, and local agencies, ship dismantlers and environmental and civic organizations the dismantling and cleanup of the ships is now more imminent than ever before.
Food standards
• SB 634: Creates the first in the nation olive oil standards based on existing International standards and prevents olive oil manufacturers from falsely labeling and selling olive oil as “virgin olive oil” a practice being done by some unscrupulous foreign olive oil manufacturers.
SMALL BUSINESSES
Eliminating overregulation
• SB 911: Keeps the hot air balloon industry afloat by protecting operators from unnecessarily high insurance rates that would have put hot air balloon operators out of business.
• SB 773: Saves our north coast cattle industry by allowing standard cattle trailers to be used on Highway 1 and therefore allows the north coast cattle ranchers to stay competitive with cattle ranchers in other areas of the state and country.
•
Financial relief
• SJR 4: Saves our salmon industry by urging Congress to pass the salmon relief bill to provide $60 million in relief for commercial salmon fishermen and the related industries due to the failure of the 2006 salmon fishing season.
•
TRANSPORTATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public transportation
• SB 1093: Improves commuter ferry service by protecting Vallejo’s current ferry service and ferry terminal development projects and maximizes the ability to use state transportation funds to sustain and expand commuter ferry service.
Public safety
• Coordinated the multi-county effort to bring financial relief to preserve the Coast Life Support District which provides life support services on the remote Mendocino and Sonoma coast from Irish Beach to Fort Ross.
VETERANS
Improving our Yountville Veterans Home
• Requested and succeeded in having the Joint Legislative Audit Committee direct the California State Auditor to inspect the Yountville Veterans Home. Upon completion of the inspection, the auditor found the home needed to make major improvements to its health care services as well as major improvements to its compliance with the American Disability Act requirements.