• Select Committee Chairmanship and Senate Appointments
• Where you can find me in the District:  Sidewalk Office Hours
• Legislative Update
• 11th Senate District Woman of the Year:  Linda Williams
• Regional Announcements

I would like to give you an update regarding the committees which I chair and of which I am a member.  In addition to the Committee information that I shared in January, I chair a number of select committees, listed below.

• Chair, Select Committee on California’s Master Plan for Education

• Chair, Select Committee on Coastal Protection and Watershed Conservation

• Chair, Select Committee on Privacy

This year I was also appointed by the Senate as a representative to the State Allocation Board, which oversees the distribution of billions of dollars for the construction and modernization of local public school facilities, and to the Coastal Conservancy which partners with local entities to protect and restore access to California’s coastal resources.

One of the ways I stay in touch with my constituents is to hold “Sidewalk Office Hours.” They are a wonderfully relaxed way to stay in touch, connecting my staff and me with folks throughout the district. It gives us an opportunity to listen and to respond directly to community concerns. I invite you to visit with me at any or all of the following sidewalk office hours.  For additional information, please contact my district office at (650) 688-6384.

Redwood City
Saturday, June 2
9:30-11:00 a.m.
Redwood City Kiwanis Farmers Market

San Carlos
Thursday, June 7
5:00-6:30 p.m.
Hot Harvest Nights

Palo Alto
Saturday, June 9
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Farmer’s Market

Menlo Park
Sunday, June 10
10-11:30 a.m.
Farmer’s Market

Redwood City

Saturday, August 25

9:30-11 a.m.

Redwood City Kiwanis Farmers Market

Campbell
Sunday, August 26
9:30-11 a.m.
Farmer’s Market

I always want you to be aware of bills that I have introduced that might be relevant to your work.  To get the full text of these bills, please call my office or visit the Senate website at http://www.senate.ca.gov.

I told you last year about a bill I had introduced which would have brought ethnic and racial data collection practices of the State into conformity with current Federal Standards.  The bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee. I have reintroduced the bill as SB 26. The bill ensures that a State agency or entity provide multiracial Californians with the option of selecting one or more ethnic or racial designations on their forms. The bill also mandates reporting 1) the number or percentage of the respondents who identify with multiple ethnic or racial designations and 2) within each ethnic or racial designation, the number who also identify with another designation. This bill will not only provide folks the opportunity to accurately reflect their heritage, but will also give the State more accurate information.  Such information could be of significant interest to the nonprofit community.  For example, accurate information about multiracial patients’ ethnicity is vital for health-care practitioners to provide culturally appropriate and medically relevant information.

I have also introduced a bill that would place a $4 billion General Obligation Bond measure on the 2008 statewide primary election ballot to fund library construction and renovation.  SB 156 recognizes the essential role libraries play in promoting literacy and democracy and contributing to California’s quality of life while promoting healthy lifestyles, creating stronger and safer neighborhoods, and increasing local property values. The State Library recently found that there is a current need of over $4 billion for our libraries as virtually all of the $350 million authorized by Proposition 14 in 2000 has been spent.  Library construction is not currently keeping pace with the growth of quickly expanding communities.  Some libraries are too old even to be wired for essential technological advances. SB 156 ensures that our libraries continue to provide access and opportunities for education, self-help and lifelong learning.

Finally, I thought you might be interested in one of the winning ideas of my annual “There Oughta be a Law” contest which invites ideas for new state legislation.  Concerned about families that find themselves in overwhelming debt, Richard Engfer, a San Jose resident, proposed that credit card companies and other lenders be prohibited from assessing interest rates, fees and other penalties based on past debt to another company. We know that folks in debt are often caught in a vicious cycle.  They are nowhere near resolving past debts when they find themselves in new financial arrangements that capitalize on their vulnerability.  We need a system that is fair and encourages people to regain financial stability instead of propelling them further into debt. SB 968 prohibits the inclusion of a “universal default” provision in California contracts, including credit card contracts. “Universal default” is a condition in which a fee, financial penalty, a change in terms, or damage is automatically assessed on a new contract based on past behavior with another creditor.

Linda Williams, the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, is my choice for the 11th Senate District Woman of the Year.  Each Senator has the annual privilege of naming one honoree to receive this recognition. Linda’s work to ensure equal access to family planning services makes her a standout for this honor.  She is President and CEO of the largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the United States, serving over 350,000 people each year in 40 counties in mid-California and Northern Nevada.  The 44 clinics and more than 35 satellite sites that she oversees provide a range of reproductive and general health services including birth control, prenatal care, pregnancy testing, STD screening and treatment, sterilization, abortion, pediatrics and adult primary health care.

There are so many remarkable women doing good work in my district that it is always a challenge to single out just one for recognition.  But Linda’s commitment to providing essential services to underserved women and families has been extraordinary.  She also lends her expertise on the boards of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, Kids in Common, and Silicon Valley Women’s Alliance, among others.  Linda received the John W. Gardner Leadership Award from the American Leadership Forum – Silicon Valley in 2002.

The Woman of the Year Ceremony at the California State Senate was held March 5, with a presentation of honorees on the floor of the Senate, followed by Capitol Museum tours and receptions hosted by the Lt. Governor and by the Senate and Assembly Women’s Caucus.  All honorees received a general resolution from the Senate, and I further recognized Linda with a personal Senate resolution.

• To champion community engagement, Avenidas is presenting a conference “Help Shape the Future” on Saturday, April 14, 2007, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. in conjunction with the Palo Alto Community Fund.  The $15 fee covers a continental breakfast, lunch and a choice of sessions with practical suggestions for getting involved in local politics, volunteering, or employment in the nonprofit sector.  Keynote speakers are Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss, and Jan Masaoka, former executive director of CompassPoint.  To register or for information on setting up a table with information about your nonprofit, call (650) 289-5412 or visit http://www.avenidas.org.

• The California Association of Nonprofits (CAN) will offer a Nonprofit Accounting Boot Camp on Wednesday, April 18, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.  Alan Strand, CAN’s Director of Finance and Financial Services, will discuss such fundamentals as creating or refining a chart of accounts, avoiding common mistakes on the 990, meeting federal and state reporting requirements and more.  Registration is $50 for CAN members, $75 for non-members.  Call (213) 347-2070, ext. 205 to register.  (On-site registration, if available, is $110.)

• Consultants from BoardSource, the nationally acknowledged expert resource on nonprofit boards, will present an all-day “2007 Silicon Valley Nonprofit Governance Institute” on Thursday, May 17, under the auspices of the Center for Excellence in Nonprofits (CEN).  (The location had not been determined at publication time.  It will be posted on the CEN website, see below.)  You are strongly encouraged to take your entire executive and board leadership team to this program.  The charge is $95 for CEN members and $145 for non-members.  Register at http://www.cen.org/site/cen/section php?id=9595 or call (408) 945-4500 before noon on May 16.

• Now available:  the Spring 2007 calendar of free training sessions for nonprofits presented by Burr Pilger Mayer (BPM) and its co-sponsoring firms.  Sessions began in mid-March and continue until mid-June in San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto and a few other Bay Area locations.  (Some sessions are also available via video conference.)  Sample topics geared to the needs of the nonprofit sector include accounting, online fundraising, employment law, major donor relationships, legal compliance, assessing financial performance, trust and estate bequests and more.  While sessions are free, seating is limited so registration is necessary.  A full schedule with registration information can be viewed on http://www.bpmllp.com or call (415) 421-5757 for a hard-copy brochure.

• A new survey issued by the University of San Francisco’s Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management shows that foundations in California believe strongly in supporting nonprofits with their general operating expenses, contrary to conventional wisdom that more foundations will only make restricted grants. The report, General Operating Support: Research on Grantmaker Policies and Practices, is based on a statewide survey of foundation executive directors, focus groups, and interviews.  Reasons for making such unrestricted grants differ (e.g., partnering with a nonprofit to advance a long-term agenda or giving a multi-year grant to permit a recipient to take risks.)  The report is on their website at http://www.usfea.edu/inom.

• The Santa Cruz County Community Assessment Project of the United Way of Santa Cruz is capsulated in a 16-page Summary Report 2006, boiling down hundreds of pages of data and survey results from county residents to find out what was on their minds in terms of education, the economy, natural environment, public safety and social environment.  For example, the section “Bridging the Gap between High School and a College Education” refers to Cabrillo College’s Digital Bridge Academy (DBA), which uses a two-step process to first help young underachievers visualize themselves succeeding, and then to launch an accelerated, intensive study program – just one semester in length – to prepare them for college.  The free report is available at http://www.appliedsurveyresearch.org or by calling (831) 479-5466.

• Projections 2007 – Becoming a Network of Neighborhoods was recently released by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). Issued biannually, it is a realistic projection of growth in the San Francisco Bay Area to the year 2035.  This edition anticipates an improvement in the regional jobs-housing balance by about 25 percent compared with the year 2000, with production of some 20,000-25,000 housing units annually and the addition of some 1.75 million jobs.  The publication is available at http://store.abage.ca.gov/projections.asp or by calling (510) 464-7900.

• A Citizen’s Guide to Preventing & Reporting Elder Abuse is available from the California Department of Justice.  Published in English, Spanish and Chinese, the guide defines various issues related to elder abuse, describes warning signs and ways to protect oneself or others from victimization.  Categories covered include physical and emotional abuse, financial abuse, and abuse in long-term care facilities.  (The latter includes suggestions for selecting a facility and a partial “Residents’ Bill of Rights” guaranteed under federal and state law.)  One chapter shares contact information for Adult Protective Services agencies, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs and District Attorney offices (which often have Elder Abuse units) in each county for.  The 40-page guide is free and available on-line (go to http://ag.ca.gov/bmfea/publications.php) or by writing the Office of the Attorney General, 1300 I Street, Suite 1150, Sacramento, CA 95814.

• Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) and the Stanford Graduate School of Business Alumni Consulting Team (ACT) have teamed up to answer your questions about managing nonprofits.  ACT has been providing pro bono management consulting to Bay Area nonprofits for almost 20 years.  Now seven ACT consultants are offering their expertise and experience to the public through the SSIR website.  To pose a question or browse previous Q&As, visit the website at http://www.ssireview.org and click at the bottom on Ask ACT.  Topics include developing organizational strategy, managing people and more.

• Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is a nonprofit that preaches rehabilitation over punishment for juveniles in the justice system, by exposing them to legal education.  Serving both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, FLY has mentoring and leadership programs for at-risk teens taught by volunteers from local universities and law schools.  Programs are free and open to all teens, but most participants are referred by police officers, probation officers and judges.  Law programs target probation, high-risk high-school students, prevention for middle-school students, and juvenile drug-treatment mentors for young people from the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court, among others.  A year-long Leadership Training Program (for those who have completed a Law or Mentor program) emphasizes social responsibility.  For more information about referrals to programs in the location you serve, contact Aila Malik, Director of Law Programs at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).