Roger Niello for California State Senate

Roger's Issues

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Fighting for Budget Reform

Cap State Spending to Prevent Future Deficits Authored measure to cap state spending to ensure California never again sees such a severe fiscal crisis.  Source: ACA 3x 1, ACA 37

Reformed Welfare to Save Half a Billion in Tax Dollars Supported welfare reform that saved more than a half of billion in tax dollars while protecting programs for children, elderly and the disabled. Source: SB 6XXX, 2009 and SB 8XXXX

Performance Based Budgeting Fought to enact "Performance based budgeting" that requires state government to establish goals and set benchmarks for achieving these goals.  This would give lawmakers the information they need to know what programs are performing and what programs are not meeting their targets. Source: AB 1382

Outlawed Pay Raises for Politicians During Budget Deficits. Backed a new law to outlaw pay increases for state politicians when the state has a budget deficit. Source: SCA 8

Voted to Sell Surplus State Property Supported legislation selling surplus state property to reduce the deficit. Source: AB4x 22

Demand Competitive Bidding Supported legislation, to require state departments to contract out to the lowest responsible bidder. Source: AB4x 21

Eliminate Unnecessary Boards and Commissions Supported legislation to save millions of tax dollars by eliminating boards and commissions.  Source: AB 4x 20

Improving Government, Fighting Government Waste/Fraud

Roger cut his own pay by 10% and is one of a few legislators who does not take a state car or accept a daily living allowance.

Fighting Pension Fraud Authored legislation that would make it a crime for a person to make false claims to get a larger state pension. Makes it a crime for a person to knowingly accept a payment from the state pension system to which he was not entitled. Source: AB 36, 2007

Authored legislation to ensure that a disability retirement is legitimate. Source: AB 1624

Welfare Reform Authored legislation to enable counties to offer more employment opportunities for welfare recipients to increase work participation rates and help more families move toward self-sufficiency through employment. Source: AB 98

Improving Government Efficiency Authored legislation that helps stop the government confiscation of unclaimed property and helps return private property that has already been claimed by the government to its rightful owner. Source: AB 1291, AB 2117

Eliminating Workers' Compensation for Inmates Authored legislation to eliminate temporary disability for city, county, or city and county inmate. Source: AB 516, AB 2247

Reduce Waste, Duplication, and Inefficiency in Government Co-authored legislation that would create the Joint Sunset Review Committee to cut waste and reduce inefficiency in government agencies. Source: AB 1659

Fighting Higher Taxes

Earned a 100% Ratings from the California Taxpayers Association Roger's opposition to measures to raise income, payroll, and gas taxes earned him 100% ratings from the California Taxpayers Association.

Earned A's from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Roger's strong support for Proposition 13 earned him "A's" from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

Opposed $5 Billion in Higher Payroll Taxes Opposed levy of a $5.04 billion on over 550,000 employers. Source: AB 8

Opposed an 18-cent-Per Gallon Tax Hike on Gasoline.  Source: AB3x 40

Opposed Higher Property Taxes Opposed measure to increase property taxes by allowing local governments to impose higher property taxes, without voter approval, in order to finance pension obligations. Source: AB 926

Opposed Higher Income Taxes Source: AB 6

Opposed Efforts To Weaken Prop13 Would have eliminated the voter approval requirement for bonds issued by infrastructure financing districts. Source: AB 1836

Opposed a $2500 SUV Tax Opposed a new car tax, as high as $2,500, on Californians who purchase certain trucks and SUVs. Source: AB 493

Opposed Raising Internet Taxes Source: AB 1840

Standing Against Illegal Immigration

Make Washington Pay the Cost of Keeping Illegal Immigrant Criminals Co-authored a measure to bill the federal government for the state’s cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants. Source: SB 125

Opposed College Aid for Illegal Immigrants Opposed a bill allowing illegal immigrant students to get financial aid at public colleges and universities. Source: SB 160

Opposed Drivers' Licenses for illegal immigrants.  Source: SB 60

Opposed Taxpayer-Financed Attorneys for Illegal Immigrants  Opposed providing immigration attorneys to assist illegal immigrants to determine whether they should be retained in the U.S. or otherwise deported.  Source: AB 1338

Keep Illegal Immigrants from Voting Requires voter ID at the polls Source: SB 226

Keeping Communities Safe

Endorsed by Sheriff John McGuiness, District Attorney Jan Scully, and the author of Chelsea’s Law, Nathan Fletcher, Roger is committed to keeping our communities safe from crime and drugs.

Opposed Measure to Release Dangerous Felons Opposed legislation to release 27,000 prisoners before they had completed their terms.  Source: SB3x 18

Cracking Down on Sexual Predators.  Supported Legislation that gives prosecutors and parents tools to go after pedophiles who post specific personal information about children on the Internet. Source: AB 534

Co-Authored Chelsea's Law Chelsea's Law increases penalties for those who commit sexual crimes against minors and increases monitoring of dangerous parolees including GPS monitoring for life. Source: AB 1844

Demanding Excellence in Education

Enacting Reforms to Help our Students Compete Pushed for education reforms that would have allowed California to compete for $700 million in new federal school funds.  Reforms will provide greater parental choice and give students in failing schools better access to a quality education. Source: SB5x 1 and SB5x 4

Helping Parents Get their Children out of Failing Schools Authored legislation to provide parents of children in failing schools a choice of where to send their child to school.  Offered a tax credit for parents of children in failing schools to allow their child to attend a private school. Source: AB 2561

Career Tech Programs Supported greater resources for career technical education programs at middle schools, high schools, community colleges and regional occupational centers. Source: SB 70

Helping Protect Students Co-authored legislation, requiring a report from schools in the school accountability report on the number of incidents of criminal activities.  Source: AB 2566

Working to increase teacher training Supported improving training in math and reading for teachers as well as classroom aides to enhance their instructional skills.   Source: SB 414

Supported on-Line classrooms Supported permanently establishing the Online Classroom Program which monitors and evaluates pupil participation in on-line asynchronous interactive instructional programs conducted over the Internet. Source: AB 1985

Up-to Date Teaching Materials Supported legislation ensuring that classroom teachers, students and schools have access to the state of the art technology-based materials. Source: AB 1398

Promoting Education Savings Accounts Authored legislation that allows people to set up an educational savings account for qualified educational expenses for dependents.  The interest and distributions would be tax-free. Source: AB 757

Improving Health Care

Protect IHSS Services for the Elderly & Disabled Helped protect in-home health care services for the elderly and disabled by making non-essential targeted cuts and adding fraud prevention measures. Source: AB4x 19

Supported Measure to Increase HealthCare Access in Rural Areas Would allow rural hospitals to directly hire physicians. Increases access to healthcare for rural areas.  Source: SB 726

Supported Direct Access to Health Care Supported legislation that would allow direct access to physical therapists. Source: AB 721

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