Children's Advocacy Institute

Executive Director

Robert C. Fellmeth

Council For Children

Thomas A. Papageorge

Council Chair

Martin D. Fern

Birt Harvey, M.D.

Louise Horvitz, M.S.W.,

Psy.D.

Hon. Leon S. Kaplan

Paul A. Peterson

Gary F. Redenbacher

Gary Richwald, M.D.,

M.P.H.

Blair L. Sadler

Gloria Perez Samson

Alan Shumacher, M.D.

Owen Smith

University of San Diego

School of Law

5998 Alcalá Park

San Diego, CA 92110

(619) 260-4806

(619) 260-4753 (Fax)

926 J Street

Suite 709

Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 444-3875

(916) 444-6611 (Fax)

Reply to:

□ San Diego

□ Sacramento

www.sandiego.edu/childrensissues

CONTACTS:

Robert Fellmeth (619) 260-4806

Kathy Dresslar (916) 444-3875

CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY INSTITUTE RELEASES

1999 CHILDREN'S LEGISLATIVE REPORT CARD

The Children's Advocacy Institute (CAI), a non-partisan academic center and statewide advocacy group based at the University of San Diego School of Law, today released its 1999 Children's Legislative Report Card, which presents California legislators' votes on 28 child-friendly bills considered by the Legislature in 1999. The 1999 Report Card includes a narrative description of major child-related issues considered by the Legislature (including California's child support reform legislation) and detailed descriptions of child-friendly bills in the areas of economic security, child support collection, health care, injury prevention, child care, education, and child abuse prevention and intervention. The Report Card also includes a chart documenting legislators' floor votes on these bills.

"Through their votes on important bills, legislators can make a real difference in the lives of California's children," said Robert C. Fellmeth, CAI Executive Director. "All too often in the political arena, legislators `take a walk' rather than stand up for children - and children suffer as a result. The Report Card provides a record of children's policy progress in the legislative session, and the votes that made it happen."

CAI is pleased to announce that the following 25 legislators scored a perfect 100% on the 1999 Report Card: Senators Dede Alpert, John Burton, Betty Karnette, and Hilda Solis, and Assemblymembers Elaine Alquist, Ellen Corbett, John Dutra, Marco Firebaugh, Martin Gallegos, Robert Hertzberg, Hannah-Beth Jackson, Wally Knox,Sheila Kuehl, John Longville, Alan Lowenthal, Kerry Mazzoni, Jack Scott, Kevin Shelley, Darrell Steinberg, Virginia Strom-Martin, Helen Thomson, Tom Torlakson, Antonio Villaraigosa, Edward Vincent, and Scott Wildman. An additional 29 legislators scored in the ninetieth percentile on the 1999 Report Card.

CAI is an academic center at the University of San Diego School of Law, with offices there and in Sacramento. CAI advocates for the health and well-being of children before the courts, the Legislature, and the state's regulatory agencies.