California Professional Firefighters

2010 Priority Oppose Bills

The following are the bills that CPF opposes, as of April 19, 2010

AB 1669 (Jeffries, R-Riverside) - Requires CAL FIRE to take on the expensive bureaucratic program of conducting a state and federal level criminal offender record information search that does not prove, in itself, necessary. Also, unfairly forces seasonal firefighters to pay the cost of record information only to be paid back after they have been employed 24-months accumulatively. For seasonals, who make barely more than minimum wage, the payback would take between two-and-a-half to four years.

AB 1700 (Gaines, R-Roseville) - Repeals the pending modest Vehicle License Fee (VLF) increase and in doing so, adversely impacts critically needed funding for local public safety programs.

AB 1833 (Logue, R-Chico) - Undermines worker safety by creating additional hurdles to the enactment of Cal/OSHA regulations, including the completion of an economic impact analysis of any proposed regulation -- a proposed requirement that is duplicative of existing law and not a wise use of scarce taxpayer dollars.

AB 1990 (Anderson, R-La Mesa) - Allows an income tax credit equal to 100% of the costs paid or incurred for specified contributions made toward child care and in doing so, would result in significant revenue losses that could ultimately impact revenues otherwise made available for critical firefighting and public safety services.

AB 2041 (Villines, R-Clovis) - Allows a specified income tax deduction in connection with health savings accounts (HSAs), which, aside from negatively impacting revenues otherwise made available for public safety services, does nothing to reduce the number of uninsured. HSA-compatible plans still have high premiums so these accounts really only benefit high wage earners and do nothing to make health care more affordable for the uninsured and low-income earners.

AB 2126 (Garrick, R-Carlsbad) - Reduces the existing minimum franchise tax of $800 paid by corporations, partnerships and other companies for the first 10 years they are in business and in doing so, would result in a significant loss of critical revenue to the General Fund that could otherwise be earmarked for vital firefighting and other public safety services.

AB 2539 (Smyth, R-Santa Clarita) - Similar to AB 2041, this bill allows a specified income tax deduction in connection with health savings accounts (HSAs) without demonstrating any specific economic benefits for California.

SB 1180 (Dutton, R-Inland Empire) - Depresses wages and working conditions for California workers by turning the state into a so-called "right to work" state where workers are entitled to all of the benefits of union membership, but cannot be compelled to pay their fair share for that representation, thereby weakening California unions and making it impossible for them to bargain good contracts.

SB 1262 (Aanestad, R-Grass Valley) - Requires the CalPERS' Board of Administration to offer a high deductible health plan and a Health Savings Account option under PEMHCA to public employee and annuitant members. Similar to AB 2041 and AB 2539, this bill also allows a HSA-related income tax deduction, without demonstrating any specific economic benefits.