In the News

Vista newborn inspires bill to help children

June 08, 2012

Sacramento — Caleb Peltier may still be small, but he could make a big difference in many lives.

Caleb’s story has sparked legislation that would require hospitals to gradually start performing a $3 screening for congenital heart diseases on newborn babies.

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Assemblyman Marty Block: Legislature should require simple, life-saving heart screening for infants

June 01, 2012

Caleb Peltier is a fighter. At 3 days old and at home, he began to have breathing problems, and his worried parents sought medical care. After being rushed to the emergency room, he was first misdiagnosed as having meningitis. Fortunately, a pediatric cardiologist was also on call in the emergency room. The cardiologist diagnosed heart disease, and Caleb was taken by aircraft from Vista in northern San Diego County to Children's Hospital in San Diego. Caleb's organs were shutting down, and he was in a battle for his life.

East County Magazine: Bills Focused On Improving Student Success In College Clear Senate Hurdle

June 30, 2011

Last week, the Senate Education Committee approved three bills authored by Assembly Higher Education Chair Marty Block (AD-78) aimed at improving the student experience at California’s public colleges and universities. This series of bills includes AB 620 aimed at creating safe college campus environments for LGBT students,AB 670 to establish clear appeals procedures for California State University (CSU) admissions decisions, and AB 743that creates a system-wide assessment tool to better place community college students.

San Diego Union Tribune: Senate Panel OKs Secret School Safety Plans

June 30, 2011

Every California campus has a school safety plan that lays out emergency strategies on how to surreptitiously communicate with police and which escape routes should be used if the unthinkable occurs, from a Columbine repeat to a terrorist attack. But anyone — from a revenge-seeking student to a bitter divorced parent determined to kidnap their own child — is legally entitled to view and copy those plans under California’s Public Records Act.

San Diego Union Tribune: Clemency Reform Tied To SDSU Killing Advances

June 29, 2011

A measure to provide victims and prosecutors with a 10-day warning when a governor is weighing clemency appeals continued its unanimous advance through the Legislature. The Senate Public Safety Committee Tuesday approved the legislation, which was introduced in response to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s surprise decision to cut by more than half the sentence handed down to the son of a political ally involved in a fatal brawl at San Diego State two years ago.

San Diego Channel 6 (CW-TV): State Bill Forged From Criticism of Nunez Commutation Moves Forward

June 23, 2011

A bill that grew out of criticism over then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger halving a sentence for a son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez was amended to require the governor to notify local law enforcement authorities within 10 days of a commutation, instead of 30, a legislative aide said Wednesday. AB 648, co-authored by Assemblymen Marty Block, D-Bonita, and Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, was changed Monday to conform with rules regarding pardons, which require a 10-day notice.

San Diego Union Tribune: Nunez Commutation Bill Amended Before Key Vote

June 23, 2011

Hoping to lockup the governor’s support, Assemblyman Marty Block has made a small but significant change to his legislation growing out of a highly publicized slaying at San Diego State that later raised accusations of political favoritism when one of those involved had his sentence cut by more than half. The San Diego Democrat’s legislation aims to give prosecutors, victims and their families notice when a prisoner has filed a clemency appeal with a governor. Assembly Bill 648 faces its first Senate committee test Tuesday after sailing through the Assembly.

Assembly Approves Block Bill to Streamline Assessments for Community College Admissions

June 06, 2011

(Sacramento) -- The method for assessing skills of incoming community college students will become more efficient and less costly to taxpayers under a bill approved by the California State Assembly. AB 743 by local Demcratic Assemblyman Marty Block (AD-78), chair of the Higher Education Committee, establishes a standardized assessment system at the California Community Colleges for the purpose of placing and advising students, and promoting uniform assessment across all campuses.

When The California State Assembly Finally Agreed On Something

June 06, 2011

SACRAMENTO—It took a Holocaust video to compel the California State Assembly to a moral consensus.

It was during one of our more recent visits to the state capitol that members of the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice—a multi-cultural panel of activist clergy—discovered a genuine poignancy in the midst of the mendacity of California state politics. While we have a long way to go to get the legislature to pass a "Moral Budget," yet we don’t look in vain for traces of morality "on the hill."

Assembly Approves Bill To Protect Gays From Bullying

June 03, 2011

Sacramento — The Assembly has approved legislation that would require colleges and universities to adopt clear policies to address the problem of bullying and harassment of gays, lesbians and transgender people on campus.

The legislation also requires campuses to collect demographic data on students, staff and faculty who identify themselves as gay, lesbian or transgender.

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