This is a review of Gov. Schwarzenegger's stance on issues but it is a BIG eye opener to the outrageous laws that this racist and insane organization tries to pass. We are really lucky that Arnold was re-elected because he did pretty well. I bolded two paragraphs that were extra shocking to me.

http://www.maldef.org/news/alerts.cfm

MALDEF, the nation’s leading Latino legal organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through advocacy, litigation, community education and outreach, leadership development, and higher education scholarships. The Sacramento office works on statewide policy and legislation that affects the Latino community. Listed below are some of the bills that we identified as a high priority for California Latinos that were sent to the governor’s desk. While Governor Schwarzenegger signed six of these important bills into law, he vetoed six critical pieces of legislation that were of the utmost importance to the Latino community. We are disappointed but remain committed to advocating for significant reforms that will benefit Latinos and all Californians.
EDUCATION

This year, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed several critical pieces of legislation that would have improved access to education and quality of instruction for all California students. The governor signed one bill, however, that will help English Learners by providing schools with more resources to meet their unique needs.

VETOED -- Senate Bill 160, by Senator Gil Cedillo, the “California DREAM Act.” This bill would have provided limited financial assistance to some low-income, immigrant students who are currently ineligible for federal financial aid. With the veto of the DREAM Act, it will remain difficult for students to obtain a California college degree and improve their chances at future success. Unfortunately, the governor missed an opportunity to invest in the future of California.

VETOED -- Senate Bill 1575 by Senator Joe Dunn. This bill would have required junior and senior high school social science courses that cover human rights issues to also provide instruction on the inhumanity of the 1930s deportation program. With the veto of this civil rights bill, future generations will be deprived of the opportunity to learn about a dark chapter in our recent history when millions of Latinos, including U.S. citizens, were unlawfully deported from their country of origin.

VETOED -- Senate Bill 1769 by Senator Martha Escutia. This bill would have required that the State Board of Education adopt an Accelerated English program for English Learner students as part of the 2008 Reading/Language Arts/English Language Development Curriculum Frameworks and Criteria. The governor’s veto of this bill will keep California’s non-English speaking students at a disadvantage, diminishing their chances for success in school.

SIGNED -- Assembly Bill 2117 by Assembly Member Joe Coto. This bill establishes the English Language Acquisition Program for pupils in grades 4 to 8, which provides schools $100 for every enrolled English Learner, and a 3-year competitive grant pilot project to identify the best practices regarding curriculum, instruction, and staff development in promoting English language acquisition and development.

EMPLOYMENT

SIGNED -- Assembly Bill 1835 by Assembly Member Sally Lieber. This bill increases the minimum wage from $6.75 to $7.50 on January 1, 2007 and to $8.00 on January 1, 2008. Although the automatic indexing provision was removed, the governor’s signature marks the first time in years that California’s working-families will experience an increase in income. We applaud the governor and legislative leaders for working hard to arrive at a compromise and improve the quality of life for so many families.

IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

Although Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed a significantly watered-down version of Senator Gil Cedillo’s “driver’s license bill” for the third time, leaving California streets and highways less safe for all motorists, he signed two bills that assist and facilitate new immigrants in California who are undergoing the sometimes cumbersome process of naturalization.

SIGNED -- Assembly Bill 630 by Assembly Member Judy Chu. This bill requires persons engaged in the business or acting in the capacity of an immigration consultant to undergo criminal background checks. The governor’s signature helps to ensure that new immigrants navigating the lengthy process of naturalization will not be led astray by fraudulent consultants.

SIGNED -- Assembly Bill 2060 by Assembly Member Hector De La Torre. This bill requires the Department of Community Services to contract with community-based organizations to provide free comprehensive naturalization services and civic education courses to assist legal permanent residents in becoming citizens. The governor signed this measure into law, providing new immigrants with an important resource in becoming an effective citizen and participating in the civic process.

VETOED -- Senate Bill 1162 by Senator Gil Cedillo. This bill would have authorized driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. With the veto of this bill, the governor missed an opportunity to improve public safety for all Californians.

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Governor Schwarzenegger signed two important health care bills that will improve public health and the well-being of all California communities.

SIGNED -- Senate Bill 1245 by Senator Liz Figueroa. This bill ensures that all health care service plans provide coverage for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) test during a woman’s annual cervical cancer screening test. The governor’s signature helps promote regular and accurate screening for cervical cancer – the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women and disproportionately so among Latina women.

SIGNED -- Senate Bill 1534 by Senator Deborah Ortiz. This bill affirms that counties are within their discretion to provide critical health services to all of their residents. We applaud Governor Schwarzenegger for recognizing sound policy that improves public health for all Californians.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE

We are deeply disappointed by Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto of two important civil rights bills that would have improved access to justice for California’s Latino and non-English speaking communities. We remain committed to working with the administration to find a solution to address these two critical issues and improve access to justice for all Californians.

VETOED -- Assembly Bill 2302 by Assembly Member Dave Jones. This bill would have provided access to an interpreter for any person of limited English proficiency in a civil action or proceeding. 40% of all Californians speak a language other than English at home and many are incapable of fully participating in court proceedings conducted solely in English. Providing access to interpreters would not only help ensure that the outcomes of court proceedings are equitable, but it would improve the efficiency of the civil courts system as well. We were disappointed that Governor Schwarzenegger failed to sign this bill, which would have prioritized court interpreters for non-English speaking civil litigants. Civil courts govern critical issues that directly impact individual lives, such as in child custody or domestic violence hearings. Without interpreters, many Californians will be unable to understand proceedings or make their case to a judge.

VETOED -- Senate Bill 1765 by Senator Martha Escutia. This bill would have allowed U.S. citizens who were unconstitutionally deported during the Great Depression to seek legal redress. Throughout the 1930s, the U.S. government carried out an aggressive and illegal program to deport nearly two million Americans of Mexican descent. These unconscionable actions could have been brought to light and the victims of this reprehensible deportation program would have been allowed to seek justice. Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto denies the survivors of the unconscionable program their day in court. Many of these Americans are elderly persons who have waited a lifetime to see justice; we are disappointed that the governor deprived them of this for yet another year.

If you have any questions, then please contact us at (916) 443-7531 or rdurgin@maldef.org.