Jul 29, 2009
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Blog Learn more about Joe's legislation to increase the renewable energy standard. Under current law, electric utilities are required to provide 20% of their electricity from renewable resources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal by December 31, 2010. SB 14 would require that 33% of a utility’s electricity come from a renewable energy source by December 31, 2020.
Click here to watch Joe talk about the details of SB 14
Read to read an op-ed in the San Jose Mercury News on SB 14
Jul 22, 2009
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Joe on the Job
Some states have overcome opposition to pass restrictions. Joe Simitian, a state senator in California, managed to get his hands-free legislation, an effort he began in 2001, passed in 2006. He argued, based on data collected by the California Highway Patrol, that drivers using cellphones caused more fatalities than all the drivers distracted by eating, children, pets or personal hygiene.
In each previous year, the bill was killed — after lobbying by cellphone carriers, including Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile. Mr. Simitian said that in the first two years, he would visit the offices of his colleagues on the Transportation Committee on the day of the vote and “find three cellphone industry lobbyists sitting in the legislator’s office,” Mr. Simitian said. “They’d just smile.”
He said they fought him even though their brochures said that distracted driving was dangerous. The exception was Verizon Wireless, which supported his efforts from the start.
Opposition gradually eased, and his bill requiring use of headsets while driving took effect in July 2008. In the first six months the California law was in effect, a preliminary California Highway Patrol estimate showed that fatalities dropped 12.5 percent — saving 200 lives. Mr. Simitian said it was too soon to determine whether the law or other factors caused the drop.
Mr. Simitian said one reason political opposition eased was that fellow legislators saw the dangers firsthand. “They’d come to me and say: ‘You may be bringing me around. I almost got creamed at the corner,’ ” he recalled.
Mr. Simitian believes that a ban on talking on cellphones while driving would save even more lives. But he hasn’t proposed one, and has no plans to. “It’s a political nonstarter,” he said. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before people give up their phones altogether in cars.”
Read the whole article here.
Jul 22, 2009
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Blog On Saturday, July 25, I'll be joining Congresswoman Anna Eshoo for a town hall meeting on California’s high-speed rail project. If you'd like to learn more or get a question answered, I hope you'll attend.
Over the past several months, I've received a number of calls from folks concerned about how this project is moving forward... and from those concerned about potential delays. This town hall will be an opportunity for everyone to get accurate information on where the project stands, and to be heard.
Saturday's event will be webcast live on Congresswoman Eshoo's website, and a video will be available soon afterwards at
www.SenatorSimitian.com. I look forward to hearing your questions.
WHAT: Town Hall Meeting on High-Speed Rail hosted by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
WHEN: Saturday, July 25 at 2:00 PM
WHERE: Menlo Park City Council Chambers, 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, CA (
map)
This town hall is open to the public, and no RSVP is necessary. For more information, call (650) 688-6384 or (408) 277-9460.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, Congresswoman Eshoo had to be in Washington, D.C. to vote, and had to reschedule this town hall. Stay tuned...