DOWNLOAD 2004-05 OUGHTA CONTEST APPLICATIONS

2004-05 Oughta Contest Application - English (PDF)
2004-05 Oughta Contest Application - English (Word doc)
2004-05 Oughta Contest Application - Espanol (PDF)
2004-05 Oughta Contest Application - Espanol (Word doc)

Palo Alto - Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) kicked off his fourth annual "There Oughta Be A Law" contest today, following the news that Governor Schwarzenegger signed one of this year's "There Oughta Be A Law" bills.

The new "Oughta" law requires motorists to turn on their headlights during bad weather, and is designed to increase visibility and decrease automobile accidents. The bill was proposed by two different constituents, Mary Lou Lyon of Cupertino and Evelyn Berk of Menlo Park, who had the same idea to promote driver safety. The headlight proposal was just one of 231 entries in the 2003-04 contest. "We had a record number of entries for the last contest. I hope this year we'll see even more great ideas," said Simitian.

Beginning today, Simitian is accepting 2004-05 "There Oughta Be A Law" contest proposals from area residents. The winner (or winners) will have their bill ideas introduced as legislation, be invited to the State Capitol to have lunch with Simitian, and also have the opportunity to testify at a committee hearing on their bill. Winners will also be given a California State flag that has been flown over the Capitol. "But most importantly," said Simitian, "winners stand a good chance of seeing their ideas become law."

Evelyn Berk and Mary Lou Lyon's headlight bill is the sixth "There Oughta Be A Law" proposal to become California law in the past three years. Prior laws that have been signed include:

• AB 1301 of 2003. Proposed by San Carlos resident Donna Lera, a substance abuse counselor. Holds parents liable for underage teen drinking and driving when the parent knowingly permits his or her child to use alcohol in the home, if that use then leads the minor to cause a driving accident.
• AB 1303 of 2003. Proposed by Chuck Williams of Cupertino and Williams' daughter Molly, who has cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair. Provides that drivers with disabilities will not be violation of State law when their rear license plate is obscured by a wheelchair lift if they display a replica of the license on the rear window.
• AB 2472 of 2002. Proposed by David Coale, Cindy Russell, and David Smernoff of Acterra, a Palo Alto-based environmental group. Requires the State Department of General Services to implement a demonstration project designed to reduce the amount of pesticides and herbicides used on the State Capitol grounds and surrounding buildings.
• AB 2473 of 2002. Proposed by Andrea Leiderman of Mountain View. Requires businesses that have issued gift certificates to continue honoring those gift certificates even if they have filed for bankruptcy.
• AB 2474 of 2002. Proposed by Lauren Ward of Cupertino. Requires antifreeze sold in California to include a bittering agent to prevent accidental poisonings of children, pets and wildlife.

Since the contest began, it has inspired more than four hundred ideas for new legislation. While only a few can be selected in any given year, Simitian says he personally reads every proposal submitted.

"Not every winning entry will make it through the Legislature," Simitian warned. This year, a bill submitted by two Palo Alto police officers to protect teenagers from abusing over-the-counter cough medicines stalled in the Assembly due to heavy lobbying by retailers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. AB 1853 would have required minors to get a prescription before purchasing items containing dextromethorphan (DXM), a powerful drug found in many over-the-counter cold remedies.

"Worthy ideas don’t always become law right away. That's the reality of the legislative process," said Simitian. "But with more education, we can better inform legislators and the public about issues and problems -- and possible solutions. We'll try again," Simitian said. Simitian plans to reintroduce DXM legislation again next year.

Application forms for this year's contest may be downloaded below. The public may also call the Assemblyman's office at 650-688-6330 to request a form. Deadline for all entries is October 22, 2004, at 5:00 p.m.

"Some of the best ideas I hear for new legislation come directly from the folks in my District. If you've ever said to yourself, "hey, there oughta be a law about this or that," now is your chance to be heard," Simitian said.