Temecula Senator Sets 'Ambitious' Agenda for Year

By City News Service:

A Riverside County lawmaker this week announced an “ambitious legislative agenda” that seeks favorable property tax treatment for veterans and seniors, as well as changes in state law to facilitate turning renters into home buyers and to increase the number of physicians practicing medicine in California.

“Getting legislation through the process is a long and winding road, and I’ll be working hard to get my bills on the governor’s desk, where he’ll hopefully sign them,” said Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Palm Desert. “This is a way to make our state a better place to live.”

Stone introduced the bills just prior to the deadline this week for submitting proposals in the current legislative session. The senator touted one bill that would “freeze” property taxes at current levels for qualifying military veterans, and a separate bill that would essentially accomplish the same thing for residents 65 years and over.

A third bill, he said, aims to rewrite the state tax code to permit renters to deduct their lease payments on a house or apartment.

“The tax savings realized would be put in a special account similar to a 401k or health savings account,” Stone said. “This could be used as a future down payment for a home of their own.”

Another bill would lift restrictions on U.S.-based doctors who are not licensed to practice medicine in California but reside here part-time, according to Stone.

“We have a serious shortage of physicians, and there are hundreds of doctors around the country who live here part-time and would like nothing more than to contribute. We should help them,” the first-term senator said.

Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, introduced legislation last month, Senate Bill 22, that also addresses the physician deficit by establishing a state advisory panel composed of public officials and clinicians who would work to expand the number of residency programs in hospitals and other medical facilities.

According to Roth, California will need 8,000 primary care physicians in the next 15 years just to maintain current service levels.

“I have laid out an ambitious agenda this year,” Stone said. “I’ll be working with both sides of the aisle. My hope is that common sense will prevail upon the Legislature.”

The senator’s spokesman, John Hunneman, told City News Service that his bills are all undergoing refinement and have not been assigned numbers yet, but that should happen by Monday, at which time all of the bills will be listed with full-text explanations on the senator’s website: http://stone.cssrc.us/ .