Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, came to San Benito County on Monday and updated the Hollister City Council on his legislative accomplishments and other bills in the works in the capitol.
“This year has been my best legislative year,” Alejo said.
He told the council that 11 bills he sponsored have been passed by the Assembly and six have been signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
In reference to bills that relate to San Benito County, Alejo highlighted his Assembly Bill 900, which helped to offset the 10 percent Medi-Cal cuts at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital that threatened to devastate the hospital’s resources.
Alejo also spoke about his “middle class scholarship” – a new grant program he proposed that would bring down tuition at California state universities. He talked about a new formula to help reform school funding. And he said those bills would add additional funding to San Benito County K-12 schools and colleges.
The assemblyman said that several bills are still waiting for the governor’s signature, including a bill that creates a $50 million fund for economically disadvantaged communities to apply for grants to fund safe drinking water projects.
He pointed to his driver’s license bill signed by the governor last month that would give more than two million undocumented immigrants the opportunity to get licenses.
“There are a lot of agricultural workers in San Benito County” that he said could benefit from the driver’s license bill.
He spoke about the “Senior Scam Stopper” event he held last month that gave information to local seniors on how to avoid becoming victims of fraud.
Then he offered gratitude for the work of the city council, saying he hopes to “complement the work you’re doing on a local level” in Sacramento.
He also said it was “commendable” that the city presented employee service awards to local government workers on Monday night – including members of the parks and street divisions and sanitation, among others – for good work done by those individuals.
In a lighthearted moment, Alejo said San Benito County was a “special place” for him because he was married in San Juan Bautista last year.
