Review of legislative year finds high points

BURBANK — Prescription drug reform, greenhouse emissions and identity theft were some of the key points Assemblyman Dario Frommer addressed Friday at a State of the State address to the Burbank Assn. of Realtors.

Frommer, who represents Burbank and Glendale, spoke to a crowd of about 30 about recent Assembly bills that had passed regarding these issues and other bills that he hoped would have passed but did not.

"It's important that we are abreast of everything going on in the political world," association President Larry Auzene said. "It affects [realtors] and their ability to manage property and development."

The event marked the first time Frommer has spoken at the association, which holds numerous political and charity events.

"[Recently] there has been a lot of bipartisanship and cooperation [in state government] … a lot was accomplished," Frommer said. "Most Californians expect politicians to work together and get things done."

Over the past several months, cooperation among Republicans and Democrats has permitted many bills to pass and sped up work on government tasks, he said, including an on-time state budget.

Among recent accomplishments, Frommer said he was pleased with the passage of a bill that could give needy California residents discounts on prescription drugs. The bill calls for California — which he said is the largest state purchaser of prescription drugs — to negotiate with large drug companies for lower prices.

Another successful Assembly bill Frommer labeled important addressed reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the state. The plan is to reduce the amount of emissions in the air are the same as they were in 1990 by 2020.

"This will make California the leader in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas," he said.

He also discussed a bill dealing with identity theft — a major problem in Glendale — that aims to increase the severity of punishment for the crime. The bill toughens sentencing for individuals who steal or purchase stolen personal information.

"We need to give local law enforcement the tools they need to fight this crime," Frommer said.

Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian concurred that the passage of this bill would be beneficial to the community.