(Photo from file: California State Senator Lou Correa presenting legislative measure in the Senate Floor)

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: February 23, 2010

Senator­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ ­Lou Correa, 34th Senate District

Contact: John Scribner (916) 651-4034

Correa Jobs Package Introduced in State Senate

SACRAMENTO, CA – State Senator Lou Correa (Orange County) today announced a comprehensive bipartisan legislative jobs package that contains bills separately sponsored by the Senate Democratic Caucus, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and members of the Orange County legislative delegation.

Declaring that “We need to get Californians back to work”, Senator Correa introduced Senate Bill 1010 in the regular session, Senate Bill 967, Senate Bill 42, in the eighth special session, Senate Bill 1 in the sixth special session, and jointly introduced Senate Bills 965 and 968 in the regular session.

The package’s positive impact is both statewide and focused on Orange County job retention and development, each impacting a targeted challenge.

SB 1010 and SBX8-42 would allow twenty-five (ten of which have to be in Southern California) public and private projects to apply for a “safe haven” from time consuming litigation if they have completed the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process after public hearings are held in the region that the project is proposed and, upon approval of the Secretary of Business Transportation and Housing Agency.

According to the Senator, the criteria in selecting these projects shall consider the following determinants: the number and quality of jobs that will be created by the project; the amount of capital investment made by the project; and, striking a balance between projects sponsored by public and private entities.

The Orange County Senator continued by adding that the measure would not exempt the projects from the CEQA but rather helps to reduce the lengthy litigation while respecting our environmental responsibilities.

Continuing with the package’s description, Senator Correa went on to describe Senate Bill 967, a measure dubbed “California First!” which will provide employers with a five percent bid preference in exchange for ensuring that ninety percent of their workers on that contract will be California residents and taxpayers.

Senator Correa added that the measure begins to provide a level playing field with other states that provide the same incentives, and provides greater opportunities for Californians to have good paying jobs that keep tax dollars here in California.

Continuing the discussion of jobs development, the Orange County Senator who also sits on the Senate’s Business and Professions committee, jointly introduced Senate Bill 968, with Senator Negrete McLeod, (Chino) a measure which helps streamline the current process used in retraining unemployed workers to receive skills in emerging or expanding technologies and industries, while ensuring the unemployed worker continues to coordinate their unemployment funds into a seamless process. In highlighting the proposal, Senator Correa stated that “in this challenging environment, our state must be vigilant in ensuring that the labor force be prepared with the skills necessary to take this state out of this deep recession”.

Senator Correa closed out his package with a duo of bills directly impacting Orange County; Senate Bills SB 1 in the 6th special session and SB 965 in the regular session. If enacted, SB 1 would complement central Orange County’s supportive jobs development climate by further adding an additional Enterprise Zone for Orange County in Anaheim. The bill would provide for the California Department of Housing and Community Development to establish such a zone to encourage and stimulate job growth, development, and investment in the community. According to Senator Correa, the measure would provide taxpayers who invest, operate, or locate a trade or business in the targeted area with the ability to receive special tax incentives. This measure is sponsored in part by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and the Orange County Business Council.

The Orange County Senator went on to state that, “While the latest jobs report is encouraging, we still have nearly one in every ten adults unemployed in Orange County. It’s our job to do all we can to help grow opportunities for more and better jobs here in Orange County.”

The series of Correa employment measures will begin to be considered this week.

Senator Lou Correa represents the 34th District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster.

###