Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries: A Profile
By Gloria Karlak
Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries is a man of commitment and contrasts.
A resident of Lake Elsinore, Jeffries was elected four years ago to represent the expansive 66th Assembly District in the State Legislature. The District includes Murrieta and Temecula and extends north of Lake Elsinore.
Jeffries has recently introduced a series of bills and constitutional amendments to reform the way California state government conducts its business.
“All of these bills are serious challenges to the status quo in Sacramento, but I believe these ideas can increase public involvement and accountability.” Jeffries advocates returning power to local government and away from a state government that has “. . . proven itself incapable of governing in an open and deliberative manner.”
“How can we possibly arrive at the right solutions for our state when the process itself is so badly broken?” he said.
Jeffries advocates local governance, budgetary restraint at the state level, and increased transparency in legislative matters.
One bill Jeffries has proposed (ACA 8) would eliminate the practice of dumping complicated bills on the desks of legislators moments before a vote is taken. “We need to allow legislators and the general public an opportunity to review the language of a proposed bill before votes are taken on legislation that can significantly impact the lives of Californians.”
Jeffries acknowledged that the proposal has received wide-spread support from Chambers of Commerce across the state as well as from media and government agencies. However, he remains frustrated that the legislation has yet to be presented to the Assembly.
He has also advocated a statewide two-year budget system in which the first (odd) year of a session would be entirely devoted to passing a budget and reviewing all spending priorities. The second (even) year would provide time for a systematic review of policies, programs and oversight of agencies.
“This would allow more thoughtful review of how the taxpayer’s money is being spent, and also create more stability for schools, local governments and private companies that do business with the state and who currently must wait every year for Sacramento to pass a budget in order to develop their own,” he said.
In the Assembly, Jeffries is Vice-Chairman of the Transportation Committee and sits on a number of important working committees as well as serving as Chairman of the Rural Fire Protection Working Group. He served as a Volunteer Firefighter for 29 years.
Chief of Staff Jeff Greene notes that Jeffries has a long history of working for fiscally conservative, pro-taxpayer and pro-business values in an area that has been adversely affected by the recent economic downturn. “Simply put,” said Greene, “Kevin Jeffries fights to protect working families.”
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