Governor Signs Morrell Legislation to Protect Funding for Senior Advocacy Group

The following was submitted for publication by the Office of Senator Mike Morrell:

Senator Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga) announced today that Governor Brown has signed Senate Bill 997, legislation to continue allowing taxpayers to donate to the California Senior Legislature through their filed state income tax forms. The new law is designed to secure needed funding for the senior advocacy organization.

“SB 997 recognizes the important role that the California Senior Legislature plays in the state’s lawmaking process,” said Morrell. “Their input on issues impacting seniors is crucial to the work my colleagues and I do every day. I’m optimistic that SB 997 will preserve the funding this group needs to continue its advocacy.”

The measure replaces the existing “California Fund for Senior Citizens” currently on the state income tax form with the more specific “California Senior Legislature Fund.” The fund is one of several on a list of “tax check-offs” that provides Californians with the ability to easily donate to nonprofit organizations.

Voluntary contributions made through the state income tax form are the California Senior Legislature’s primary source of funding. Without SB 997, the California Senior Legislature would risk not meeting the minimum annual contribution threshold of $250,000 required to remain on the form. This measure clearly identifies the California Senior Legislature as the beneficiary.

“SB 997 gives our organization an opportunity to continue raising the funds we need to advocate on behalf of seniors throughout California,” said Senior Senator Alice Loh of San Luis Obispo, Chair of the California Senior Legislature Joint Rules Committee. “We’re grateful to Senator Mike Morrell for his leadership on this issue and to Governor Jerry Brown for signing the bill into law. This action ensures the California Senior Legislature will have a strong presence in Sacramento for years to come.”

The California Senior Legislature is a volunteer body, established in state statute, whose primary mission is to gather ideas for legislation at the state and federal levels, craft the ideas into formal proposals, present them to members of the Legislature or Congress, and advocate for their implementation. The first session of the California Senior Legislature convened in 1981. More information on the California Senior Legislature can be found online at http://4csl.org/.

Senate Bill 997 takes effect in time for the 2015 tax season.

Morell represents the following communities: Banning, Beaumont, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Cedar Glen, Calimesa, Cherry Valley, Crestline, Homeland, Hemet, Highland, Lake Arrowhead, Loma Linda, Menifee, Mentone, Nuevo, Phelan, Pinon Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, Wrightwood, and Yucaipa.

Note: In 2011, the Senate District boundary lines were redrawn by the Citizens’ Redistricting Commission. As a result, some communities, known as deferred areas, were left without a representative until the 2014 election. Until that time, the Senate Rules Committee has assigned a Senator to provide constituent services to each deferred area. The 23rd District serves the following communities in the deferred area: Anza, Bermuda Dunes, Desert Center, Desert Hot Springs, Homeland, Idyllwild, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Mountain Center, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Valle Vista, and Winchester. You can view the map of the deferred area here.

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