Change Coming to State GOP Leadership

With his term in the California State Senate winding down, Rep. Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) is preparing to pass on the role of Senate Minority Leader.

According to a news release issued by his office, the Republican Caucus will hold the vote for a new leader when the members return to Sacramento in early January.

Dutton represents Loma Linda, Redlands, Calimesa, Highland, Grand Terrace, Yucaipa and Mentone.

“I have had the last several weeks to begin focusing on my legislative priorities for my final year in the California State Senate in 2012, and it became clear that now is the right and logical time for the Senate Republican Caucus to choose a new leader,” Dutton said through the news release.

The senator listed some of his priorities to the Loma Linda leadership and the business community on Dec. 19 during the annual State of the Community Luncheon, presented by the Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce. Among them was easing what he called the heavy regulatory burden placed on small business.

He plans to reintroduce legislation amending the American Disability Act to keep people from abusing the law, Dutton said.

People are taking advantage of the law and are preying on the small business community, he said.

Some businesses have been threatened with lawsuits for having minor ADA violations, he said. Those threats are followed by an offer to settle in order to avoid litigation, he added.

“It amounts to extortion,” he said. Dutton is proposing legislation that business owners be allowed 120 days to fix the problem before litigation can proceed, he said.

Dutton is also working to bring the Ontario Airport, or LA/Ontario International Airport back under local control, “by forming a joint powers authority.” The bill has made it out of the assembly, he said.

Much of the focus for the new leader will be the multi-billion dollar budget deficit in 2012. That focus will begin early when the governor gives his annual State-of-the-State address and releases his 2012-13 budget in January, according to the news release.

“It makes sense that we have a new leader in place before the governor announces the new budget, so he or she can begin to negotiate immediately with the majority party on a budget solution that ends California’s fiscal crisis and the state’s economic uncertainty,” he said through a statement.