September 24, 2013 

(Artesia) -- Assemblymember Cristina Garcia encourages everyone to take part in National Voter Registration Day on September 24, 2013. This is a nonpartisan movement that recognizes the importance of participating in democracy by encouraging those eligible to register to vote.

This process is now easier and more convenient with an online application available at: http://registertovote.ca.gov.  In September 2012, the launch of this convenient process led to more than 887,000 Californians taking advantage of this site to apply to register to vote or update their voter registration record.

AB 256 moves to the Governor’s desk

(Sacramento) – Today, the Senate, in a unanimous vote, passed Assembly Bill 256 authored by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). This bill authorizes superintendents and school principals to discipline students who engage in cyber bullying, harassment by electronic means, on or off the school campus.

AB 256 passed the Senate 37-0, with bipartisan support.  Democrats and Republicans in the Assembly and the Senate agreed that current law is silent on cyber-bullying, where offending students use computers, smartphones and social media to perpetuate harassing and threatening behavior.

(Sacramento) – Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D- Bell Gardens) speaks about SB 254, a recycling bill that she is co-authoring with State Senators Loni Hancock and Lou Correa. The bill establishes a statewide mattress recycling program to be developed, implemented and administered by a mattress recycling coalition that will remove waste and create jobs in local communities.

Approximately 4.2 million mattresses and box springs, each year, reach the end of their lives in California. Many of these mattresses get dumped illegally, creating waste and costs for local government. Taxpayers pay to send mattresses landfills to be dismantled, but many times clog up equipment and are difficult to compact.

Governor signs Garcia’s First Bill into Law

(Sacramento) – Legislation authored by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) to ensure that local elections consolidated with statewide elections comply with state and federal election laws has been signed by the Governor.

AB 331, that becomes law in January 2014, will require local jurisdictions that consolidate their elections, to conduct the elections under applicable laws, including those regulating voter challenges, election contests and recounts.

(Sacramento) – On a resounding, bipartisan 68 –1 vote, the State Assembly has past Assembly Bill 256, authored by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens).

Current law defines bullying as harassment or threats that are used to intimidate students, disrupt the classroom, invade the right of the students and create a hostile educational environment.  Students in grades 4-12 who engage in such behavior can be suspended or expelled, if the bullying occurs while traveling to and from school, on campus during school hours or during or traveling to a school sponsored activity.

(Sacramento) – In order to provide a critical update to state law and close loopholes dealing with student cyber- bullying, Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) has announced that her measure, Assembly Bill 256, will be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee on May 8th.

(Sacramento) – The Assembly Judiciary Committee, on a unanimous vote, passed Assembly Bill 849, legislation that will extend provisions in state law to protect victims of elder abuse from their abusers.

The measure, authored by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D) – Bell Gardens, will allow a victim of elder abuse or dependent adult abuse to enroll in California's address confidentiality program, "Safe at Home," to shield their home address from their abusers. Currently the same protection is available only to victims of sexual abuse, domestic violence and stalking.

(Sacramento) -- In response to the multiple Guilty Verdicts found against former City of Bell Councilmembers, Oscar Hernández, Teresa Jocobo, George Cole, Victor Bello and George Mirabal, Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) has released the following statement: 

“After a long, painful ordeal that has taken its toll on the City of Bell and its residents, I am cautiously optimistic. I am happy that justice has prevailed and that these public officials must finally pay the price for their criminal activity.”

SACRAMENTO – The Legislative Women's Caucus honored eleven remarkable California women who have broken barriers in their respective fields at a floor ceremony in the Assembly Chambers on Monday afternoon.

Assemblymember Cristina Garcia along with Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva had the honor of escorting Dr. Mildred Garcia, the First Latina President of CSU Fullerton.