Press Releases

Boerner Horvath's Bill to Enhance Boat Safety Passes Key Committee

Thursday, April 8, 2021

SACRAMENTO — Today, AB 335, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s bill to keep boat owners and renters safe by providing boat manufacturers the option to contact buyers if they need to do a recall, passed the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on a unanimous bipartisan 11-0 vote.

In 2019, the landmark California Consumer Privacy Act passed, allowing consumers greater ability to protect their personal contact information from being shared.  Certain exceptions allowed under later legislation gave car dealers the ability to share that information so consumers could receive important safety recall and warranty information for their vehicles.  AB 335 simply extends that same exception to watercraft dealers so people get the information they need to keep themselves and their families safe while on the water.  
 
“California is and should remain a national leader when it comes to empowering people to take charge of their personal data, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t important exceptions,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “Just like car dealers, watercraft dealers want to ensure owners get timely recall and safety information without running afoul of privacy protections. This bill will enable sellers to contact consumers and will keeps folks out of harm’s way while they’re enjoying our oceans, lakes, and waterways.”

Boerner Horvath’s Bill to Restore Fairness to UC Admissions Passes the Assembly Higher Education Committee

Thursday, April 8, 2021
   

 

SACRAMENTO — Today, AB 233, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s bill to reform UC Admissions practices to restore fairness and prevent influence by the wealthy and well-connected, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee on a unanimous, bipartisan 12-0 vote.

In May of 2019, while the news of the FBI’s Varsity Blues investigation was breaking, implicating several UC campuses, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath requested a state-level audit of the system’s admissions practices. After the State Auditor’s Office released a report detailing the inappropriate admissions of 64 wealthy applicants and a lack of consistent decision criteria, Boerner Horvath and Assemblymember Kevin McCarthy introduced AB 233 and AB 1215, joint-authored tandem bills that capture the Auditor’s key recommendations.

“As a proud UC Berkeley graduate, I’ve witnessed first-hand the value of a public higher education” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “These abuses shouldn’t be acceptable at any institution, let alone our taxpayer-supported system. The Auditor’s findings demonstrate flaws extending beyond the now famous examples of privileged manipulation — they reveal how inconsistent practices deny worthy applicants the opportunities to get ahead that they deserve. This bill gets to the core of what’s gone wrong to ensure equitable access to higher education for all Californians.”

Boerner Horvath’s Sexual Assault Victims’ Social Media Privacy Bill Passes Assembly

Thursday, April 8, 2021

SACRAMENTO — Today, AB 341, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s bill to strengthen a sexual assault victim’s right to privacy by requiring social media content to go through the same process as other evidence in these types of trials, passed out of the Assembly with an overwhelmingly bipartisan 72-0 vote.

Increasingly in sexual assault cases, decades of social media activity is being mined and admitted into evidence that is irrelevant to the case at hand, but has the result of embarrassing, shaming, or humiliating a victim, sometimes to the point of discouraging their testimony. AB 341 simply requires that social media content go through the same submission of evidence procedures as other types of evidence covered under existing Rape Shield Laws.

“Rape Shield Laws need to be updated to account for the widespread use of social media so that victims seeking justice for their attackers won’t have their entire online lives on display for public scrutiny,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “I am proud to see this initiative moving forward, especially with such significant, bipartisan support.”

Boerner Horvath's Bill to Incentivize Electric Bicycle Purchases Passes the Assembly Transportation Committee

Monday, April 5, 2021
   

SACRAMENTO — Today, AB 117, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath’s bill establishing an electric bicycle purchase incentive program to help more people switch to sustainable commuting options, passed the Assembly Transportation Committee on a 11-0 bipartisan vote.

Despite their convenience of use and potential to promote healthy living, e-bikes remain unaffordable for most Californians. A good quality e-bike can cost between $600 and $10,000. These steep costs prevent many lower income Californians from switching to this low-maintenance, zero-emission alternative for short trips.

“While we continue to invest in electrifying transportation, we can’t leave e-bikes out of the conversation,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “For folks living in multifamily apartments with garages that lack EV plug-ins, electric cars simply aren’t yet workable. With this rebate program in place, we’ll get more Californians out of their cars and cut emissions from thousands of daily trips, supercharging our state’s progress toward our 2030 climate goals.”

Boerner Horvath Announces Jaqueline “Kiki” Bispo as 2021 Woman of the Year for Assembly District 76

Tuesday, March 30, 2021


 

   


SACRAMENTO — As part of Women’s History Month, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath honors Jacqueline “Kiki” Bispo as the 2021 Woman of the Year for Assembly District 76. In the month of March, State Legislators select a woman in their district whose contributions to her community deserve to be celebrated to be given this annual honor.

Bispo is a lifelong educator currently serving as the Family and Community Engagement Lead for Vista Unified School District. The Family and Community Engagement Network (F.A.C.E), a program concept that Bispo created, is an internationally recognized approach to student success that focuses on the role of the family, home life, and learning conditions in determining classroom outcomes for struggling students — a departure from the historically unsuccessful focus on academic performance alone.

“We know that kids who have both parents engaged in their kid’s learning and in touch with their teachers do better in school and have more opportunities later in life,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “We also know that for many working families from underserved communities, providing a struggling kid with the necessary at-home support can be near impossible. Kiki’s innovative approach brings parents into the conversation, bridging that gap and resulting in better outcomes for struggling kids. Her work empowers families and makes Vista a more equitable place for kids to learn and grow. She is truly a hero for so many parents and she deserve to be celebrated.”

Boerner Horvath’s Bill to Fund Research into Bluff Collapse Early Warning System Passes Assembly Natural Resources Committee

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

SACRAMENTO — Today, AB 66, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s bill to allocate $2.5 million to accelerate the science behind bluff failures and start the development of an early warning notification system for California’s coastal bluff collapses, passed the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on an 8-1 vote.

With fatalities, injuries, and millions of dollars in property damage just in the last few years, bluff failures are a constant threat to beachgoers and coastal neighborhoods throughout California. The worst impacts of these collapses, especially the loss of life, could be avoided with a bluff collapse early warning notification system. AB 66 would task the Scripps Institution of Oceanography with creating the science on when and why bluffs fail, as well as develop how to better predict bluff failures to increase public safety.

“What happened to the three women in 2019 in Leucadia and, tragically, to other valued members of our communities up and down the state, is unacceptable and we must use science and data-driven innovation to keep our communities safer,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “Fortunately, we have a great partner in our backyard with Scripps and while AB 66 focuses on the area from Torrey Pines to Oceanside, the information we will gather will be invaluable for our state.”

Boerner Horvath's Sexual Assault Victims’ Social Media Privacy Bill Passes Assembly Public Safety Committee

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

SACRAMENTO — Today, AB 341, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s bill to strengthen a sexual assault victim’s right to privacy by requiring social media content to go through the same process as other evidence in these types of trials, passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a unanimous, bipartisan vote.

Increasingly in sexual assault cases, decades of social media activity is being mined and admitted into evidence that is irrelevant to the case at hand, but has the result of embarrassing, shaming, or humiliating a victim, sometimes to the point of discouraging their testimony. AB 341 simply requires that social media content go through the same submission of evidence procedures as other types of evidence covered under existing Rape Shield Laws.
 
“We already have laws on the books to help ensure victims seeking justice for their attackers won’t have their entire lives subjected to public scrutiny, and those protections should be extended to their social media activity as well” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “Character assassination and the rehashing of a victim’s sexual history are largely ruled irrelevant in assault cases, but Rape Shield Laws need to be updated to account for the realities of our online lives so that sexual assault victims can seek justice and keep their dignity intact.”