Press Releases

Torrance, CA – Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and Joint Author Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D-Whittier), today announced the introduction of AB 1782, a bill which will establish surfing as California’s state sport.  California is an iconic California sport that brings in significant economic activity to the state each year.  The state is home to several surfing museums, including the Surfers’ Hall of Fame.

Both Assemblymembers are avid surfers who have spent much time surfing in the waters off the coast of Southern California. 

Torrance, CA –Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a member of the Assembly Budget Committee and Subcommittee on Education Finance, issued the following statement on Governor Edmund G. Brown’s 2018 – 2019 state budget proposal:

“Education is my top budget priority.  As a longtime advocate for our schools and our children, I am pleased to see the Governor begin budget negotiations with a proposal to fully fund his K-12 education plan, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF).  At the same time, I am working on legislation with local South Bay and state education leaders to increase the base grant portion of the LCFF, so that school districts throughout the state will have adequate funding to meet their basic operational costs.  I look forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature toward the goal of restoring California’s per pupil funding to rank among the top ten states in the nation. 

SACRAMENTO – In response to the Trump Administration’s announcement yesterday to expand offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) are reintroducing legislation to ensure that pipelines and other infrastructure cannot be built in California waters to support any new federal oil development.

Torrance, CA – Today, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi and joint author Assemblymember Bill Quirk introduced the so-called hotel maid “panic button” bill, which will require hotels to provide employees working alone in a guest room with a “panic button.”  Meant to protect employees from sexual harassment and sexual assault, the panic button, carried by the employee, can be used if the employee reasonably believes an “ongoing crime, harassment or other emergency is happening in the employee’s presence.” 

Torrance, CA – Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, released the following statement on the University of California Board of Regents report finding the UC Office of the President interfered with a state audit:

“The University of California Board of Regents’ investigation into the UC Office of the President confirmed the State Auditor’s findings from her April 2017 report.  UC President Janet Napolitano and her top aides deliberately interfered with the Legislature’s attempt to provide greater transparency and accountability as to UCOP’s finances.

Torrance, CA – On Sunday, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. signed Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s (D-Torrance) Assembly Bills (AB) 1646, 1647 and 1649. 

Torrance, CA – On Friday, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. signed Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s (D-Torrance) Assembly Bill (AB) 461, which will expand the exclusion for forgiven or canceled student loan debt from gross income in determining state tax liability.  Current federal law allows for forgiving or canceling student loan debt, but the forgiven loan debt may still be assessed as a state tax liability.

Torrance, CA – Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. signed Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s (D-Torrance) Assembly Bill (AB) 360 this week.  This new law requires the California State Bar to administer a program to coordinate free civil legal assistance to veterans and their families who otherwise cannot afford legal services.  This new law also requires the State Bar to conduct a statewide survey of programs that provide legal assistance to veterans in order to better identify whether and where their needs are the greatest.  AB 360 received unanimous, bipartisan support in the Legislature.

Torrance, CA – This week, Edmund G. Brown, Jr. signed Assembly Bill (AB) 562, the Audit Protection Act, jointly authored by Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).  This new law authorizes a civil penalty of up to $5,000 on anyone who, with intent to deceive or defraud, obstructs the California State Auditor in the performance of an audit.  

Sacramento, CA – This weekend, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. signed Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s (D-Torrance) Assembly Bill (AB) 368, a new law that allows the consolidation of child sexual assault prosecutions to protect child victims from having to relive their assault details multiple times in court.  Under AB 368, sponsored by Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, when an offender commits certain sexual crimes with a minor in multiple jurisdictions, the offenses may be joined and heard in any one of those locations.