Senate Passes Measure Crucial to California's Economy
The State Senate took unanimous action earlier this month to pass legislation that calls upon Congress to pass and the President to sign the bi-partisan Startup Act 3.0. All of my Senate Republican colleagues are serving as joint authors of SJR 9 in a united effort to promote Startup Act 3.0, the strongest, most comprehensive jobs and high-skilled immigration reform bill on the table in Congress and the only proposal that creates the Entrepreneur Visa.
Recently re-introduced in the 113th Congress by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), along with Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Startup Act 3.0 creates the Entrepreneur's Visa for legal immigrants, so they can remain in the United States and launch businesses to create jobs.
The Startup Act means job opportunities for California families. According to a report issued by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, it has the potential to add between 500,000 and 1.6 million new jobs for Americans over the next 10 years. California has one of the worst unemployment rates in the nation. Our families need this opportunity.
The current U.S. policy of issuing H-1B visas left nearly 40,000 highly skilled immigrants out of luck after federal immigration authorities received too many applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can only issue 85,000 H-1B visas every year. The agency was recently flooded with 124,000 applications in five days, forcing a lottery system that left some skilled immigrants shut out of the country.
My resolution states, in part: "The United States economy has been enriched by the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of immigrants from around the world. Foreign nationals residing in the United States were named as inventors or co-inventors in one-quarter of all patent applications filed in 2006. Fifty-two percent of Silicon Valley startups between 1995 and 2005 were founded or cofounded by immigrants, generating $52 billion in revenues and employing 450,000 workers."
Businesses created by high-skilled immigrants have long been a source of jobs for all Californians. Unfortunately, our old and unworkable visa policies are hurting our state. In the past seven years, the national rate of startups by immigrants has dropped to 42 percent. The number of foreign nationals with advanced degrees awaiting permanent residence status in the U.S. has grown to over one million. Passage of Startup Act 3.0 will begin to resolve the problems with our broken H-1B visa system and allow these people to create companies, wealth and jobs here instead of abroad.
America's success at importing high-skilled immigrants has not been lost on other countries. According to a report issued by the National Academy of Sciences, at least seven other countries have taken action since 2011 to attract and better support entrepreneurs. Countries like Canada, Chile and the United Kingdom are aggressively courting the world's best and brightest entrepreneurs.
I'm grateful for the bipartisan support that SJR 9 has received in the Senate, and I'm hopeful for similar success as this resolution moves into the State Assembly.
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District Office Open House
We are settled into our new office and our open house was a huge success! It was wonderful to see so many people from our district in attendance. I was able to give a brief legislative update on the happenings in Sacramento, and spend some time visiting with our guests. If you were unable to attend, please feel free to visit our new location conveniently located right off the 57 freeway at 1800 E. Lambert Road, #150, Brea, CA 92821.
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High Schools in 29th Senate District Receive Gold Medal
Congratulations to Oxford Academy in Cypress, Diamond Bar High School, and Troy High School in Fullerton who recently received the Gold Medal Award in the 2013 U.S. News Best High Schools. Over 21,035 public high schools in the United States were reviewed for this year's report; The top 500 schools received Gold. Schools were awarded gold, silver, or bronze medals based on state proficiency standards, how well they prepare students for college, and other factors. The outstanding schools are in the top 10% of high schools in the state and top 3% nationwide. I am very happy to see three high schools in my district receive Gold.
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Community Spotlight: Cypress
Cypress, which is new to my recently redrawn 29th Senate District, is a city of over 48,000 residents on 6.59 square miles in northwest Orange County.
Located on the Orange/Los Angeles County border, Cypress has been consistently named one of the safest cities in Orange County, and known for its strong school system with a 92% high school graduation rate. Cypress is also the corporate home to several national and international companies.
On July 24, 1956 the city was originally incorporated under the name Dairy City due to the large number of farmers and cattle that inhabited the region. On August 6, 1957, the Dairy City name was officially changed to Cypress.
In 1981, the City of Cypress inaugurated an annual birthday celebration for the City called the Cypress Community Festival. This event is held annually on the 4th Saturday of July and is one of the largest events in Orange County. This event also features a 5k/10k run/walk and hosts some of the best food and culture this community has to offer.
The Cypress City flower is the Gold Chrysanthemum and the city tree is the Italian Cypress. Over the past 5 years, beautification projects within the city have resulted in over 5,600 trees being planted thus awarding the city with the special title of Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Cypress College is an institutional fixture in the region offering superior higher educational opportunities to students. In addition to quality courses and curriculum, the college maintains an active role in the community as an ambassador of service and goodwill to its neighbors.
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Community Resources
Please don't hesitate to contact our Brea District Office if you require assistance in any of these areas:
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Medi-Cal
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Consumer complaints
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Unemployment insurance
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Department of Motor Vehicles
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Franchise Tax Board
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Government forms and applications
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Complaints about state departments
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Small business assistance
If you have an idea for a local project, or have a problem with a state or local agency that is not getting solved, our office can also:
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Mediate between you and government agencies or offices;
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Assist you in obtaining funding for local projects, such as bikeways, parks, schools, or senior citizen programs;
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Bring state experts into your community for technical assistance or advice on local issues;
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Help communicate your concerns to state officials;
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Visit your neighborhood or group to discuss state legislation or programs.
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Anaheim/OC Job Fair and Expo – June 19
I am proud to join Anaheim City Council Member Kris Murray for the Anaheim/OC Job Fair scheduled for Wednesday, June 19 from 10am to 3pm at the Anaheim Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E, 800 W. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA. There are more than 85 employers participating with more than 1,200 job openings.
The general public is invited to attend free of charge, thanks to the partnership and coordination by the following organizations: City of Anaheim, Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, AnaheimJobs, Orange County Workforce Investment Board, Santa Ana Workforce Investment Board, Employment Development Department, Orange County Register & Monster.com, Disneyland Resort, Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, County of Orange, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim Public Utilities, Women Helping Women, Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce, Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Orange County Business Council, Popular Community Bank, and Freeman.
The Anaheim/OC Job Fair is one of the biggest Job Fairs in the area and I am happy to join Congressman Ed Royce, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Senator Lou Correa, Assemblyman Tom Daly, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson and Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer on this great event.
The Anaheim/OC Job Fair provides a great opportunity for employers to connect with talented and interested job seekers.
For more information, visit www.anaheimjobs.com.
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