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Here's Dean Florez's latest weekly report from Sacramento:

Last week in Sacramento, we continued the work of going agency by agency, commission by commission, weeding out unnecessary spending and finding overlapping functions that could be combined for a savings to taxpayers that will help protect the most critical of services during these trying economic times.

The Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee met and proposed such common sense changes as consolidating the Board of Geologists and Geophysicists with the State Mining and Geology Board, so we can protect health and education.

Last Tuesday, I led a hearing of the Senate Food and Agriculture Committee to realize similar cost-saving reforms at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. 
Among the reforms I proposed for CDFA were: abolishing marketing functions and allowing marketing commissions to re-establish themselves as private non-profit corporations; transferring pest control and fertilizer issues to the Department of Pesticide Regulation; transferring food safety functions to the Department of Public Health; and returning oversight of fairs and expositions to California’s counties.

While it was a good discussion with industry, I was very disappointed Secretary A.J. Kawamura refused to participate and defend the $100 million we spend on his agency each year. I think his silence best articulated the case for realizing cost-savings by cutting executive management who do not feel they need to take part in this critical process.

Last week I had the opportunity to honor a great mentor to Valley students, Fresno State softball coach Margie Wright, who was recently recognized for a sixth time as the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

In 24 years at Fresno State, Margie has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament every year, including 10 trips to the Women’s College World Series and a National Championship. I was proud to recognize Margie for the example she has set for young women in the Valley, and the leadership qualities she has instilled in them.

After a Father’s Day weekend that kicked off with getting to cheer my own student-athlete daughter Faith on at her swim meet, it’s back to Sacramento.

Over the next weeks, I will be working to advance my remaining bills through the Assembly to the governor’s desk, and keeping you up to date on that progress here. Here’s hoping you all enjoyed a wonderful Father’s Day.

Dean Florez, D-Shafter, is the California Senate Majority Leader. His weekly report from Sacramento appears here on Tuesdays.