Dear Friends,
We recently wrapped up the 2016 legislative session and I am pleased to report that we accomplished so much this year, including getting 10 of my bills signed into law. Throughout the year, we made historic gains that will provide a better quality of life for all Californians.
At the start of the year, we passed a package of major health care reform bills to secure federal funding for Medi-Cal and increase funding for developmental disability services by over $300 million. Later, we passed a historic minimum wage law, increasing California's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2023. These were major victories for families across the state struggling to make ends meet.
In the final days of session, we passed two climate bills to further reduce our emissions and make sure our largest reduction programs are held accountable. We also agreed to an aggressive and responsible cap-and-trade spending plan that will provide ongoing funding for transit and housing programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help Californians obtain clean fuel vehicles and access renewable energy.
As for my legislative accomplishments this year, I'm proud to report that two of our victories came directly from folks like you in the district! Assembly Bill 2442 (AB 2442) was signed into law and will give local governments the ability to provide housing developers density bonuses if the housing development sets aside ten percent for former foster youth, disabled veterans, or formerly homeless individuals. Additionally, Assembly Bill 2552 (AB 2552), which provided additional financial support for relative caregivers of foster youth, was adopted into our state budget and implemented immediately. You can see the full update on my legislation here.
The successful year was not limited to Sacramento. Just last week in Los Angeles, as chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Regional Transportation and Interconnectivity Solutions, I hosted an oversight hearing, "Funding Transportation: Meeting the Challenge," to discuss and address timely transportation issues for the region and state.
Earlier in the year we partnered with The Education Trust-West to host an informational briefing, "Black Minds Matter," to discuss educational disparities facing California's nearly one million black youth; worked with the California Contractors State License Board to host "Senior Scam Stoppers" seminars; and teamed up with the California Board of Equalization to provide families with free tax preparation services.
While the legislative session has ended, there is still much more work to be done at the Capitol and in the district. I look forward to keeping you up to date on our progress, and I hope to see you at our upcoming Living with Urban Wildlife Community Meeting on October 18.
Sincerely,

Chris Holden
41st State Assembly