California state assemblyman Mike Feuer announced last week that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed two of his bills, both of which will be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The first bill was created to help ease traffic congestion in Los Angeles County, and the second to identify toxins in California products.
Bill AB 2321, authorizes a half-cent sales-tax increase that would fund up to $40 billion over 30 years for transportation projects in Los Angeles County.
Also known as Measure R, it would cost Los Angeles residents an average of $25 per year, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Agency (Metro) Web site.
The money would go toward projects like the Westside Extension, which would extend a subway rail line along Wilshire Boulevard.
“These projects would include extending the subway to Westwood, completing the Exposition light rail line from downtown to Santa Monica, creating a north-south leg of the Valley’s Orange Line, extending one light rail eastward from Pasadena, another from downtown, and dramatically improving our bus system and roads and highways,” Feuer said in a statement.
The money generated by the bill is an important part in someday gaining a subway stop in Westwood.
The stop would either be at Wilshire and Westwood Boulevard, or closer to the UCLA campus.
Rick Jager, a spokesman for Metro, said it’s up to voters to decide if they are for or against the measure.
But some state officials are in favor of it, he said.
“It’s my understanding that the mayor is setting up a campaign for it,” Jager said.
Feuer’s other bill, AB 1879, was created to let consumers know the toxicity and hazards of chemicals in California, according to a California Office of the Governor statement.
“This bill creates the structure for state department of toxic substance control to determine which chemicals are most dangerous, they can do this on a whirlwind basis,” Feuer said. “Then they analyze what substitutes of those chemical in consumer products exist and what should be done, if should they be banned altogether or what.”
He said the bill takes a science-based approach revolutionary for California.
The bill seeks to decrease the amounts of hazardous chemicals in products and the environment, he said.
The AB 1879 legislation gives California’s Department of Toxic Substance Control the authority to identify dangerous chemicals, evaluate alternatives, and potentially ban hazardous chemicals in consumer products, according to Feuer’s statement.
It was drafted after scientists issued a report last year that showed that children in the womb of mothers exposed to toxic chemicals in everyday life are pre-programmed to get cancer, diabetes and other illnesses, Feuer said.
He said he wanted to give Californians a chance to tackle important issues to them.
“This year, when there’s a tremendous budget crisis, there’s very little money for new projects. I wanted to address the most important issues in daily life from California.”
The two bills are of utmost importance to Californians, and will put them on the cutting edge, Feuer said.
The bills were drafted to give Californians a say in where their tax money goes.
“They come at a time when there are few issues as important than alleviating congestion and cleaning up the air.”