In This Issue

Books Not Bars
Legislator of the Year
This Week In Radio
Honoring 51 Sheroes

This Week In Radio With
Assemblymembers Price and  de Leon
[English || Spanish]

Listen In English

::: California?s Role in Selecting Presidential Nominees Discussed in Democratic Weekly Radio Address :::

In this week?s Democratic weekly radio address Assemblymember Curren Price, Chair of the Assembly Elections Committee and Assemblymember Kevin de Leon talk about SB 113, the bill to move California?s presidential primary to February 5, 2008 and the impacts it will have.

Hello, this is Assemblymember Curren Price, Chairman of the Assembly Elections Committee.

Earlier this week, the Assembly voted to ensure that Californians will play a real role in selecting the nation?s next presidential candidates.

It is a role we deserve.

We deserve it because of our size:

16 million voters ought to get a first bite at the apple, not other states? electoral leftovers.

We deserve it because of our diversity:

None of the early states in the presidential sweepstakes come anywhere close to offering our diversity.

Most importantly, we deserve it because of our issues:

California is a world leader on the environment. We should have the right to press candidates early on where they stand on climate change and coastal protection.

Immigration impacts California more than other states. We should have the right to press candidates early on their views on immigration reform.  California is home to three of the ten largest cities in the country. We should have the right to press candidates on how they would prioritize efforts to protect those cities? homeland security and help prevent crimes that plague our urban centers

Last weekend neighbors in the Bay Area gathered to add new crosses to a hillside memorial for men and women killed in Iraq.

Those neighbors should have the right to look candidates in the eye when they ask about their positions on the war.

In my high school civics class, I was taught that that every vote counts in this country.

But the reality is that Californians -- residents of the most populous and diverse state in the union -- haven?t had a real say in a presidential primary in decades.

This allows our issues to be ignored while our federal tax dollars go to other states.

Californians get back only 79 cents for every dollar we give to the federal government, while South Carolina, a state with a heavily contested primary, gets $1.35 for every dollar they give to the federal government.

But with this presidential primary, California will no longer be an ATM with a voiceless electorate.

In 2008, your vote counts and your issues matter -- and every presidential candidate knows it.

Thanks for listening.  Assemblyman Curren Price

[Spanish Transcript & Audio Stream]