Sacramento, CA - AB 513 by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) that increases funding to cities and counties for transportation projects that utilize environmentally friendly Rubberized Asphalt Concrete passed the Senate Environmental Quality Committee with bipartisan support. The bill also increases grant funding to local governmental agencies, such as regional park districts that include access for people with disabilities and bike trails.

Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC) is a road paving material that combines waste tires and asphalt binder to create a strong and durable product that successfully recycles tires. RAC not only benefits the environment by reducing the number of tires that are landfilled or burned each year,  but it also provides more durability than regular asphalt and reduces road noise by around five decibels.

Sacramento, CA -  On Wednesday July 3rd, students, faculty, college representatives, and consumer groups testified before the Senate Banking Committee in support of AB 1162 (Frazier), a bill to protect college students from high fees and poor consumer protections associated with the disbursement of their financial aid through credit balance refunds using debit cards. The legislation failed on a vote of 2 Yes votes, 3 No votes and 4 Non-recorded votes.

Student after student explained that fees and poor consumer protections associated with these contracts resulted in students bearing some costs directly, including per-swipe fees, inactivity fees, PIN based fees, ATM fees and more. It was also noted some of the contracted banks used aggressive marketing strategies to sway students to choose debit cards as their financial aid disbursement choice, with some of those debit cards containing weaker consumer protections.

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) has named Jeffrey Jewell of Vacaville as his “2013 Veteran of the Year” for the 11th Assembly District.

“Mr. Jewell’s contributions to the welfare and improvement of the veterans’ community are invaluable,” said Assemblymember Frazier. “His exemplary record serves as an excellent model for all public-spirited people of the state, and we are grateful for all of his selfless contributions and sacrifices.”

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) gave the following statement regarding new research which proves that voice-activated in-car texting is more distracting and dangerous than talking on a cell phone:

This new in-depth study, performed for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety by researchers at the University of Utah, confirms what previous studies have shown -- that voice-activated in-car texting is deadly.  My bill, AB 313, would have banned this dangerous practice, but unfortunately the automobile manufacturers were successful in killing the bill by claiming that voice-activated texting is safe.  I hope this study will change the misconceptions that some of my colleagues have so we can reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities by passing AB 313.

Sacramento, CA – Statement from Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) on the Legislature’s approval today of the 2013-2014 budget:

After several years of very tough cuts, there’s a lot of good news for California in this budget. Reinvestment in funding to our schools was a priority, including K-12, UC’s, community colleges, and special needs programs. I am proud that an investment has been made in California’s future – the Middle Class Scholarship program will provide grants to help families send kids to college.

I am very pleased that we were able to substantially increase funding to our County Veterans Service Offices, which will assist in better serving our state’s veteran population. Paying down the debt, maintaining a substantial reserve to ensure California’s future economic stability and providing additional assistance to veterans are big wins in my budget book.

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) recognized Pinky’s Klassy Kar Wash of Antioch as the “Small Business of the Year” for the 11th Assembly District in a ceremony at the Sacramento Convention Center today.

Each year, the California State Assembly recognizes the contributions of small businesses in each Assembly district and their important role in the creation of jobs and growth for the California economy. The day began with workshops coordinated by the California Small Business Association, followed by a Salute to Small Businesses awards luncheon.

Sacramento, CA – Today Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) honored musician Chuck Billy of Antioch on the State Assembly floor for the positive influence he has made in the Native American community and on the general public.

On January 14, 2013, Chuck Billy earned the distinction as the first Native American entertainer to be permanently featured in the memorabilia display at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chuck was also among those recognized in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s exhibit, Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture.

Rio Vista, CA – Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) has named Jeanne McCormack of Rio Vista as his 2013 Woman of the Year for the 11th Assembly District.

After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, McCormack honorably served two years in the Peace Corps in Malawi as a public health worker. She later earned a master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and went on to work for various organizations in under-developed countries, primarily in Africa, to help implement rural development and micro-enterprise programs for women.

AB 1113 Will Help Prevent Future Automobile Accidents, Injuries and Fatalities

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Assembly gave final approval to Assembly Bill 1113, introduced by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D–Oakley), which will add restrictions on California’s provisional licensing law.

The provisional licensing program was designed to protect young, inexperienced drivers by giving them more time to gain driving experience prior to full licensure. The program has been effective in reducing novice driver accidents, deaths, and injuries; however, a significant safety problem still remains for teenage drivers.