for the californians

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well sf ca us>
Subject: UPDATE #28-AB1624: *FINAL ACTION*  Burton done GOOD!; Fax Wilson NOW!
Message-Id: <93Sep7.164059pdt.14350-4 () well sf ca us>
Date:   Tue, 7 Sep 1993 16:40:51 -0700


Sep. 7, 1993


Wopeee! -*


Today, Assembly Rules Committee Chair John Burton first moved to assign 
AB1624 to his Rules Committee, and then - a few minutes later - withdrew 
his motion, leaving the bill on the Assembly's consent agenda, for 
approval-without-discussion, tomorrow!


He either realized the justice and benefits of AB1624 to the principles of 
open government and public participation in governance, and/or got our 
[numerous!] messages of support and honored them.  Either way, his 
action - as one of the most powerful people in the Legislature - was to 
SUPPORT AB1624.


In the flood of perhaps 5,000 bills per legislative session, it ain't easy to 
study each one enough to make a proper decision.  John Burton done good!


He has been a strong supporter of open government in the past - and received 
an award from the Society of Professional Journalists, this spring, for 
exactly that advocacy.  He continued that laudable effort.




LAUDABLE ACTION DESERVES OUR PRAISE (JUST AS OFFENSIVE ACTION DESERVES HOWLS)
  All of you who wrote and phoned Burton about AB1624, PLEASE - take the 
time to phone, write or fax at least a brief note of thanks.  He *does* 
deserve our thanks.
  Hon. John Burton; voice/916-445-8253;  fax/916-324-4899
    Room 3152, State Capitol, Sacramento CA 95814


*- SLIGHTLY-NERVOUS GLEE (but, then again, I could be paranoiac :-)
My glee is limited only by the possibility that some legislator *could* 
pull the bill from the consent agenda tomorrow, and start hacking 
away at it on the Assembly floor, but that appears unlikely.




FINAL TARGET!  GOV. PETE WILSON - HE HAS 12 DAYS TO ACT ON AB1624
  If AB1624 passes the Legislature, Gov. Wilson will then have 12 days 
in which to sign it, veto it, or ignore it.  If he signs it or ignores 
it (a "pocket signature"), then it becomes law.
  The only way he can kill it would be to actively veto it.


WILSON'S DEPUTY CHIEF-OF-STAFF IS EXEC. V.P. OF STATE NET
  State Net is one of the two largest electronic legislative information 
services.  I have said in the past, and I continue to believe, that State 
Net will not oppose AB1624.  However, it is certainly worthwhile to ...


FAX GOV. PETE WILSON, *NOW*, URGING HIS SUPPORT OF AB1624
  State as many reasons for supporting AB1624 as you can fit on one page.
  Include your title and company/organizational affiliation ("for 
identification purposes, only," if you need to include such disclaimers).
  If you can't get it together to fax, at least phone him.  NOW (please :-)!
    Gov. Pete Wilson;  voice/916-445-2814;  fax/916-445-4633
      Governor's Office, State Capitol, Sacramento CA 95814


Freedom says that we have a voice.  Responsibility requires that we use it.


--jim
Jim Warren, columnist for MicroTimes, Government Technology & BoardWatch
jwarren () well sf ca us  -or-  jwarren () autodesk com
345 Swett Rd., Woodside CA 94062; voice/415-851-7075; fax/415-851-2814