Das Williams' Bill Rewards Honest Employers

Assemblymember Williams’ Bill Creates Workplace Equity, Rewards Honest Employers

A new law authored by Assemblyman Das Williams will target unethical contractors who intentionally underreport and/or fail to report the hiring of new employees in an attempt to avoid paying full workers’ compensation premiums 

Unfortunately, many employers have minimum policies and only add an injured worker after the injury occurs. Adding an employee retroactively causes workers’ compensation premiums to increase for all employers. This system is especially unfair to employers who legitimately report employees at the correct time.

“All contractors suffer when employers aren’t honest,” said Assemblymember Das Williams. “This law will balance out the scales so that all contractors over time are paying their fair share and honest contractors don’t have to pay two-to-three times as much.”

AB 1794, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday, will authorize the Employment Development Department to provide employer or employee information to the Contractors State License Board and the State Compensation Insurance Fund for the purposes of auditing, investigating and prosecuting violations of tax and cash-pay reporting laws.

Contractors will not have to bear any additional costs or reporting responsibilities because the EDD will now be able to share the information.

By allowing the EDD to share new hire information, the new law will also help California capture a portion of the billions of dollars lost in underreported annual payroll taxes. - Santa Barbara Independent

Dedicated Funding for Higher Education Passes Assembly

A legislative proposal by Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) to create a non-tax revenue stream for the state’s higher education system cleared the Assembly floor today and advances to the State Senate.

AB 2442, creates a system to better manage some state-owned properties with the goal of increasing the value of those properties and earn revenue for the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU) and California Community College system.

“I’m pleased that my colleagues have shown their support for our state’s higher education system through this creative approach to returning an investing in the hallmark of our state’s success,” said Assemblymember Das Williams.

The California Hope Public Trust will be able to evaluate and better utilize state property with the proceeds benefitting the UC, CSU and CCC systems.

The bill’s next stop will be the Senate Rules committee.

Website for Assemblymember Das Williams: http://assembly.ca.gov/Williams

Das Williams honored as Outstanding Public Official

Over the weekend, Assemblymember Das Williams was honored by the California Teachers Association (CTA) with a “Gold Award” for being an Outstanding Public Official in his leadership and support of teachers and education in our area.

Williams, a former educator at both the junior high school and university level, was honored at a ceremony held at the Ventura Beach Marriott Friday. Several educators from the area were also honored by the Channel Islands Service Center Council of the CTA, including:

Aline Grossman, a teacher at Ventura High School: Outstanding Educator, Ventura Unified
Education Association.

Ruthann Burnell, a teacher at Serra Elementary School and retired executive board member of the Ventura Unified Education Association (VUEA).

Rae Stevens, site representative from Portola Elementary School and various VUEA committees.

Kathy Riley, with the Hueneme Education Association.

Sandra Kelble, with the Oxnard Educators Association.

Ray Bedoy, with the Ventura Classified Employees Association.

“As we are staring at fiscal Armageddon for the state, there is no group of workers that I am more honored to stand with than our teachers,” said Assemblymember Das Williams.

Website for Assemblymember Das Williams: http://assembly.ca.gov/Williams

Das Williams Goes Bald....to fight childhood cancer

Assemblyman Das Williams shaved his head on Monday at a St. Baldrick's Day event to show support and solidarity with children battling cancer.

“Everyone deserves a shot at life and happiness. That is why it is especially tragic when a child faces the prospect of a terminal illness. Instead of playing soccer, they make trips to chemotherapy; instead of school dances, they face baldness and surgery.”

“But we can help them beat it. Treatments for people who cannot afford them and research for life saving technology are expensive, so every bit helps. By shaving your head, you give them kinship. By donating, you give them hope.”

You can donate to the cause - click here.

Das Williams Wants Us To KickTheCan

Das making a point, a photo by santa barbarian on Flickr.

Assemblymember Das Williams Joins National Movement Against Sugary Drinks

After hearing the frustration of parents, teens, communities and health advocates throughout the state and across the nation about the runaway marketing of sugary drinks to youth, Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) is urging Californians to learn more about these beverages and be mindful of what we put in our bodies.

In an effort to mobilize against the most prominent factor contributing to our nation’s obesity epidemic, Williams is supporting the national, Kick The Can campaign at www.kickthecan.info, the go-to source for those who want to learn the truth about sugary drinks and how to fight back against the beverage industry and the liquid sugar that they try to pump into our bodies.

“We really want folks to realize that it’s not just carbonated soda pop, but all these sugary drinks are giving us an abundance of something we don’t need and there is research that is directly contributing to higher incidents of obesity,” said Assemblymember Williams, a member of the Assembly Committee on Health. “Many youth – even adults – don’t know the harm of these drinks. We can educate and help our community make better, more healthful choices.

“Besides, water is a much better beverage option.”

In the coming weeks, Assemblymember Williams will be introducing a piece of legislation to ban sugary sports drinks from schools and help promote healthier choices for middle and high school students.

KickTheCan.info is a project of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy and serves as a home base for a national movement challenging the power of pop. Visitors can access a variety of information and advocacy tools and even participate in the movement by posting videos, photos and comments to describe their frustration with the ubiquity of sugary drinks, showcase over-the-top advertising and highlight local campaign successes to inspire others to change the beverage world in which we live.

The California Center for Public Health Advocacy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that raises awareness about critical public health issues and mobilizes communities to promote the establishment of effective state and local health policies.

Website for Assemblymember Das Williams: http://assembly.ca.gov/Williams

DAS WILLIAMS gets perfect score from California Seniors

First term Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) received a perfect score from the California Congress of Seniors on their annual legislative report card. 

Each year the state’s leading senior citizens group analyzes and reports the voting records of California Legislators on bills affecting the lives of millions of senior citizens throughout California.

“Great leaders like Hubert Humphrey have said that the moral test of government is how it treats the aged and children. For us to be a just society we must respect and support seniors,” Assemblymember Das Williams said.

The report card is aimed to help seniors understand how their elected officials have responded to the issues facing our families and communities. The CCS works with others in the senior network to analyze bills, write letters of support or opposition and more to advocate on the behalf of California’s seniors. The report card is an analysis of lawmakers votes on several key bills identified as important for seniors.

 “Das Williams typifies the kind of legislator we as seniors should look to as an example of a lawmaker that genuinely has the interests of the seniors in California in mind,” said Hank Lacayo, State President of California Congress of Seniors.

“It was Das’ first shot at a report card and he got an A-plus from us. That is a very good beginning for a real friend of the seniors in California.”

To view the entire 2011 Legislative Report Card for the California Congress of Seniors, visit www.seniors.org

(http://www.seniors.org/godocuserfiles/2413.29837_R2_Report.pdf) 

Website for Assemblymember Das Williams: http://assembly.ca.gov/Williams

Das Williams is electrifying! And so is his new car....

a new Chevy Volt!

There was no rumble of a gas-guzzling engine when Santa Barbara's Das Williams cruised silently out of Graham Chevrolet yesterday behind the wheel of a shiny new Volt.

The Volt gets 93 miles to the gallon when in electric mode, and 37 when using only gasoline. It can run purely on electricity for 25 to 50 miles depending on traffic.

It is one of about a dozen electric vehicles expected to be on the market by 2012. As gas prices rise, eclectic vehicles are also on the upswing. The Volt costs about $40,000.

Williams is the first local elected official to drive an electric vehicle, and members of the press where invited to snap photos of the politician smiling coolly behind his fresh, environmentally friendly ride.

But despite the attention, Williams said the event went beyond mere publicity stunt.

“It’s just an opportunity to highlight and encourage alternative technologies,” Williams said. “I don’t have any illusions that me buying it will save the world any more than anybody else buying it.” - The Daily Sound