Investing in our community and our workers

After decades of extreme budget cuts, resulting in the reduction and elimination of vital services and programs, advocates asked for an ongoing 10% across-the-board increase to improve services and help fulfill the state’s promise to those with developmental disabilities.

The Legislature passed AB X2-1 to provide $307 million to fund direct care staff, regional center operations, administrative costs, transportation and other critical services. In addition, Salas fixed a long-standing funding inequity for Independent Living Centers (ILCs) resulting in the Kern Independent Living Center receiving $235,000 annually to provide services needed.

Additionally, Assemblymember Salas carried legislation to create the Kern County Hospital Authority, now known as Kern Medical and further legislation was needed to ensure the employees maintained their benefits and serve the communities urgent care needs.

Ensuring Access to Healthcare – Former Kern Medical Center (KMC) serves a community of over 650,000 residents who have no other means of obtaining medical care.  KMC was the only trauma care center between Los Angeles and Fresno.  In 2014, Assemblymember Rudy Salas introduced AB 2546 authorizing the Kern County Board of Supervisors to establish the Kern County Hospital Authority to enhance the quality of care and better serve the community.  Further, as the transfer of employees from the County to this new authority began, additional legislation was needed to ensure that employees retained their wages and retirement benefits.  Assemblymember Rudy Salas protected these employees, their jobs and maintained their retirement benefits by carrying AB 1350.

Keeping our promise to our disabled community -

• After decades of extreme budget cuts, resulting in the reduction and elimination of many vital services and programs, advocates asked for an ongoing 10% across-the-board increase to improve services and help fulfill the state’s promise to those with developmental disabilities.  The Legislature passed AB X2-1 to provide $307 million to fund direct care staff, regional center operations, administrative costs, transportation and other critical services. 
• Salas led the charge to fix a long-standing funding inequity for Independent Living Centers (ILCs) through his AB 2565 resulting in the Kern Independent Living Center receiving $235,000 annually to provide the services needed.