OC Politics Blog | Tag Archives: California

CA Senate Democrats kill Moorlach proposal to increase access to medical care providers

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Editor Posted in California, Democratic Party, Healthcare, John Moorlach, Orange County, State Senate 2 Comments

SACRAMENTO – The Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee today killed Senate Bills 1053 and 1054, legislation authored by Senator John M. W. Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, which would have increased access to medical care providers by allowing for multi-state licensing for nurses and physical therapists.

The two measures would have joined California into the Nurse and Physical Therapy Licensure Compacts. “I am deeply disappointed with this decision as five Democrats lack the vision to improve healthcare for Californians in need. SB 1053 would have been a huge step forward in preparing for future surges in COVID-19 and other potential emergencies,” said Moorlach. “In addition, SB 1053 and SB 1054 would have greatly eased barriers for military spouses, increased access to tele-health in underserved communities, and reduced costs in our healthcare system. I am committed to continuing this fight for mobility and flexibility in California’s healthcare system.”

Moorlach’s legislation garnered the support of a broad and diverse coalition of stakeholders, including the California Hospital Association, the California Physical Therapists Association, the California Association of Health Facilities, the United States Department of Defense, the AARP, and the California Telehealth Network. The full support list is available below. SB 1054 (Physical Therapy) did not receive any formal opposition and SB 1053 (Nursing) only received formal opposition from the California Nurses Association. Nonetheless, five Democrats on the committee voted to oppose both measures.

“I am very appreciative of my Democratic colleagues, Senator Cathleen Galgiani and Senator Bill Dodd, who put patients before union pressure and supported these proposals,” Moorlach said.

For more information on SB 1053 and SB 1054, visit https://moorlach.cssrc.us/legislation.

State Senator John M. W. Moorlach represents the 37th district of California which encompasses Costa Mesa, Irvine, Lake Forest, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, Tustin, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Huntington Beach, and Orange. Senator Moorlach is a trained Certified Financial Planner and the only trained CPA in the California Senate.

Senate Democrats spike Sen. Moorlach’s bill to suspend jobs-killer AB 5

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Editor Posted in California, Democratic Party, Employment, John Moorlach, Orange County Leave a comment

SACRAMENTO – Sen. John M. W. Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, released the following statement today after the Democrat supermajority spiked his Senate Bill 990. It would have temporarily suspended Assembly Bill 5, which kills most freelance jobs.

“It’s unreasonable not to suspend AB 5 – a flawed bill that put tens of thousands of Californians out of work,” said Moorlach. “In the midst of record unemployment, the Legislature should be doing everything in its power to help independent contractors earn a living, not kill livelihoods.”

AB 5 killed thousands of jobs and industries crucial to the Golden State recovering from the coronavirus depression. These jobs include:

• ride sharing
• food delivery
• design services
• single truck owner-operators
• interpreting/translating services
• occupational therapists
• nonprofits
• home repairs
• catering event planning
• lab technology
• hair and nail salons
• optometry
• dentistry
• social work
• behaviorist health
• pet grooming
• pool cleaning
• food/hotel franchises

SB 990 would have suspended the implementation of AB 5 until January 1, 2022. The bill was heard in the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee, where the Democrat supermajority defeated the bill on a 1 to 4 vote.

Sen. Moorlach responds to Gov. Newsom’s lackluster May budget revision

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Editor Posted in Budget Crisis, California, Gavin Newsom, John Moorlach Leave a comment

SACRAMENTO – Sen. John M. W. Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, released the following statement in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “May Revision” of the California Budget 2020-21:

There’s a lot missing from Governor Newsom’s May Revision.
It is missing real program and staffing cuts for contraction, except for “trigger cuts” pending a hope of additional federal funding (to subsidize state misspending).
Also missing is the elimination of High-Speed Rail funding, thus continuing this boondoggle, which is a sign of budget reduction insincerity.
There is no pension reform. No reform to address unfunded retiree medical liabilities.
One-fifth of the funding comes from borrowings and deferrals. And the new tax revenues penalize businesses who have incurred substantial business losses.
Opening the economy is the real answer. Keeping it closed has caused this malaise. Businesses generate tax revenues. Opening California is the right direction to go in addressing this budget crisis. The sooner the better.
Moorlach has served on the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review since he was elected to serve in the Senate in 2015.

Senate Republicans fight for millions of unemployed Californians

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Editor Posted in Orange County Leave a comment

SACRAMENTO – With 3.7 million Californians filing for unemployment insurance claims since March 15, glaring and mounting problems have surfaced with the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD) ability to process these claims, including website crashes, long hold times, long wait periods for payment, and a lack of customer service capability.

In response to those problems, Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and members of the Senate Republican Caucus recently delivered a letter to Governor Newsom urging him to quickly resolve the mounting problems from the state’s EDD website so Californians can get the relief they need. .

Leader Grove released the following statement:

“Millions of Californians have been unemployed since March because of the stay-at-home order issued by Governor Newsom and now they are unable to receive the assistance they deserve due to the failures of the EDD.

“Losing a job is stressful enough. Instead of receiving necessary financial relief, Californians are faced with the inability to receive help via the EDD hotline, callers are being disconnected after waiting hours on hold, the website continues to crash, and benefits are being denied without explanation.

“Now is not the time for government bureaucracy to get in the way of providing services. The EDD Unemployment Claims cannot turn into another government failure like the DMV or high-speed rail debacle. Californians deserve better and the governor needs to resolve these issue immediately,” said Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove.

Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove represents California’s 16th Senate District which encompasses large portions of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino counties and including the cities of Bakersfield, Barstow, California City, Exeter, Frazier Mountain, Joshua Tree, Mojave, Needles, Ridgecrest, Rosamond, Taft, Tehachapi, Twentynine Palms, Tulare, Visalia, Yucca Valley and portions of the Kern River Valley. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

The City of Huntington Beach will challenge Gov. Newsom’s beach closure order in court

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Editor Posted in Orange County Leave a comment

In response to Governor Newsom’s announcement earlier today directing the hard closure of all beaches in Orange County, the Huntington Beach City Council voted tonight to pursue a legal challenge against the State’s beach closure order.

“Governor Newsom’s mandate to close all beaches in Orange County today was a jarring decision that significantly impacts us here in Huntington Beach,” said Mayor Lyn Semeta. “Given that Orange County has among the lowest per-capita COVID-19 death rates in California, the action by the State prioritizes politics over data, in direct contradiction of the Governor’s stated goal to allow science and facts to guide our response to this horrible global pandemic.”

In response to the Governor’s Orange County beach closure order (see attached letter), the Huntington Beach City Council voted 5-2 (with Council Member Kim Carr and Council Member Barbara Delgleize dissenting) to direct the City Attorney to pursue any and all legal actions necessary to challenge the State’s beach closure directive.

Out of concern for being the only Orange County city with beaches still open, Huntington Beach will be closing all beaches starting May 1, including the City’s bike paths, boat ramps, restrooms, parking lots, and associated recreational amenities. In addition, activities such as sunbathing, walking, running, and watersports will be prohibited.

Prior to the issuance of the Governor’s directive, the City had been following the State’s Stay-at-Home Order guidelines, and had invested considerable effort and expense in order to discourage overcrowding while facilitating effective social distancing at our beaches. In this way, the City was attempting to provide the community with the ability to safely experience the physical and mental health benefits associated with accessing the Pacific Ocean. Our experience locally had been that most people were being responsible and complying with social distancing requirements.

For more information about City updates and services during the COVID-19 pandemic, please call our City Service Call Center at (714) 536-5511, or visit our HB Ready website at www.HBready.com. A comprehensive resource list to support our community during this time is available, along with other tips and tools to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Senate Republicans have set up a page that tracks coronavirus dollars in California

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Editor Posted in California, Disease, Emergencies, Orange County, Republican Party, State Senate Leave a comment

The California State Senate Republicans announced yesterday the formation of a special coronavirus committee. The oversight body will also work on how California can prepare for if COVID-19 returns later this year.

The committee – Sen. Lena Gonzalez of Long Beach will chair the committee, alongside vice-chair Sen. Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel. The committee also includes Senators Andreas Borgeas, Anna Caballero, Bill Dodd, Hannah-Beth Jackson, Brian Jones, Mike McGuire, Richard Pan, Tom Umberg and Scott Wiener.

Click here to review Senate Republicans’ website which tracks how much money Governor Newsom has spent of taxpayers’ dollars on the COVID-19 pandemic.