Ramona Lawmaker's Bills Sent to Governor's Desk

SANTEE, CA — Two bills authored by state Assemblyman Brian Jones, R-Santee, were passed by the state Legislature late last month and are awaiting the signature of California Gov. Jerry Brown.

Assembly Bill 2172 will allow home brew clubs to conduct meetings and competitions in licensed establishments and share their own home-brewed beer amongst themselves.

Existing law only allows them to consume their own brew on their own premises. A brew-tasting event under current law would be more like a progressive dinner where the group travels from house to house of each club member, taste the brew at each house, and then move on to the next, Jones explained.

AB 2712 was sent to the governor's desk on Aug. 31 after garnering unanimous approval from the state Assembly on Aug. 24 and almost the same level of support from the state Senate on Aug. 18.

“I am thrilled that this bill has gone through the legislative process with bi-partisan support for our local homebrewers and their club members,” Jones said. “Homebrewers are tremendous advocates of small, local breweries which in turn support our local communities. Homebrewers who contribute to their local brewers also encourage their friends and family members to support local breweries.”

Jones' other piece of legislation, Assembly Bill 873, will require the Bureau of Automotive Repair, within the Department of Consumer Affairs, to update its regulations about which types of automotive services should be considered minor and which need greater oversight.

Current law does not adequately address the current market realities regarding services provided by automotive repair businesses. Certain services, such as replacing spark plugs, replacing fan belts, or replacing batteries, do not require oversight by the Bureau because existing law specifically exempts them from regulation.

The state Senate unanimously passed AB 873 on Aug. 24 and the state Assembly passed it on Aug. 30 with 79 yes votes, with one person abstaining from the vote. The bill was sent to the governor's desk on Thursday, Sept. 8.

“This bill updates long running gaps in the regulation of various automobile repair services created by some very outdated, more than 40-year-old, statutory language,” Jones said.“Through many stakeholder meetings with leaders of the automotive industry, we were able to come together in a bi-partisan fashion and pass a bill that not only helps clarify the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Automotive Repair, but also gives Californians peace of mind regarding efficiency in state agencies.”

Jones, who previously served as a Santee city councilman, represents the 71st Assembly District, which includes the communities of eastern San Diego County, including Alpine, Borrego Springs, Casa de Oro, Mount Helix, El Cajon, Lakeside, Jamul, Ramona, Rancho San Diego, Santee and Spring Valley; and southern Riverside County, including Anza, Aguanga, Idyllwild, Pine Cove, Lake Riverside and Mountain Center.

Image via Assemblyman Brian Jones, Facebook