Re-elect Levine and Huffman

Congressman Jared Huffman and State Assemblyman Marc Levine are each completing their first two-year terms representing Petaluma residents in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, respectively, and are running for re-election Nov. 4.

Huffman is facing a token opponent, Republican Dale Mensing, an arch conservative grocery store clerk who wants to repeal Medicare, Obamacare and California’s gun control laws.

Levine, a moderate Democrat, is facing Republican Gregory Allen, a corporate recruiter who is backed by the National Rifle Association and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association.

Neither of the challengers appear to possess even the minimum requirements for service in the U. S. Congress or State Assembly, or appear to care much at all about the concerns of Petaluma residents on issues like widening Highway 101 or preventing a casino from opening its doors on the city’s southern flank.

In his first term representing the North Bay as Congressman, Huffman has impressed us as a bright, sensible center-left lawmaker who has shown the same leadership on a wide variety of political issues that he demonstrated during a successful six-year stint in the State Legislature.

In the face of significant political headwinds in a Republican-controlled House, Huffman remains firmly committed to passing legislation on immigration reform, climate change, gun control, campaign finance reform, and other issues of importance to his constituents.

Locally, Huffman has promised to seek federal transportation funding to complete the highway widening project through Petaluma and south to the county line, something local voters have been awaiting for many years. He has been a very accessible, responsive and visible representative for Petaluma, and his political views mirror those of most residents here.

Levine, similarly, has delivered on his promise to be responsive to voters, and his legislative record has generally reflected the sentiments of a majority in his district.

He’s backed a law banning unnecessary plastic bags statewide; proposed legislation to reform CALPERS, the state public employee pension program; and supported a law making electric vehicle charging stations more commonplace in new construction projects.

He’s also been responsive when constituents have come to him with concerns. When it became apparent that Caltrans, the state highway department, had badly mismanaged a Petaluma bridge reconstruction project that resulted in the unnecessary death of hundreds of migratory cliff swallows, Levine got approval of a state regulation aimed at protecting the birds, while allowing the important project to continue.

Levine took similarly swift action following the shooting death of 13-year-old Santa Rosan Andy Lopez by a sheriff’s deputy who mistook a toy replica rifle the youth was carrying for an AK47 assault rifle. Levine subsequently co-authored a bill that would ban the manufacture and sale of such dubious products statewide.

For freshmen congressional and assembly members, it takes a year or two to get oriented and forge the necessary relationships to get things done. We feel Huffman and Levine have achieved that, and will build on this foundation during their second terms.

The Argus-Courier recommends the re-election of Congressman Jared Huffman and Assemblyman Marc Levine.