On August 28, California Assemblymember Chris Holden advised Meow Meow Foundation principals of his support for their forthcoming bill to license state day camps.

Foundation principals Doug Forbes and Elena Matyas said they were thrilled that the Asm. had expressed great enthusiasm for the legislation and said it was long overdue.

Holden said his staff would avail itself beginning in October for the purposes of collectively crafting bill strategies and language that will finally overcome a spate of prior legislative obstruction. Since such time Senator Anthony Portantino, with whom Forbes and Matyas first met, said he would like to serve as primary author with Asms. Holden and Maienschein as co-authors.

Portantino is Chair of the Appropriations Committee. He said the bill has a better chance to pass through him, because prior legislative attempts were thwarted due to a lack of funding support.

The other lack of support has come from County health official lobbying groups that have waged a decade’s worth of successful opposition to a day camp oversight bill. According to prior opposition letters, these officials do not want to add to their core job duties.

Former Governor Jerry Brown also vetoed a prior bill because he said it did not accomplish its objective in the most effective possible way.

Holden brings to the legislature a lifetime of experience in public service and business garnered during his many years on the Pasadena City Council and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. He was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2012 and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

While in office, Holden has authored legislation to save developmental disability services, protect public health and preserve civil rights. He supports legislation that grows our economy, protects our environments, strengthens our infrastructure and supports working families.

Prior to his election to the Assembly, Holden served 24 years as a Pasadena councilmember and mayor. He was the city’s youngest councilmember at age 28 and only the second African American to serve as mayor.

Go here for more on past day camp legislative efforts.