Schools have always been a safe haven, where parents can drop their children off and trust they are in a protected environment.  A teacher is the last person in the world we would think would harm them. But like all parents, I am outraged upon learning of the charges made against two veteran teachers at Los Angeles’ Miramonte Elementary School, who are accused of committing outrageous sexual offenses against students in their classroom.

While Los Angeles Unified has finally removed these teachers from their classrooms, we have learned that they should have been removed MUCH earlier given that alleged misconduct transpired years before.  According to news reports and district officials, cumbersome state laws and union contracts may have tied the hands of the district from getting these dangerous teachers out of the classroom sooner.

That is why Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa and L.A. Unified recently asked Governor Brown and the Legislature to make it easier for schools to remove teachers suspected of serious misconduct.  They have proposed ideas to streamline the current teacher removal process.  My Republican colleagues and I agree with the Mayor and L.A. Unified on the need for reform, and have introduced many of their ideas as legislation.

Currently, it is extremely difficult for districts to fire a teacher, even in cases of serious misconduct.  The process of teacher removal can involve years of investigation, union grievances, administrative appeals, court challenges and re-hearings.  It is no surprise that the average dismissal proceeding can cost districts $300,000 per case and that most administrators do not even try to fire teachers suspected of wrongdoing. This reality has led to districts paying accused teachers to do nothing while their cases were being heard.  According to a 2009 news report, 160 reassigned L.A. Unified teachers earned $10 million a year to stay away from their classrooms while awaiting judgment.  Even if a teacher is found guilty, full retirement benefits are still given to the offender.

To end this nonsense, we seek to end unnecessary delays in the dismissal process that can hold up cases for years.  For example, as of now suspension or dismissal notices of teachers cannot be initiated between May 15th and September 15th, the summer months of the school year. That makes no sense as justice should never take holidays.

Another reform we are championing is to allow evidence of past accusations of wrongdoing to be held in files longer than the current four year date by which evidence must be removed.  Several complaints were filed against one of the accused Miramonte teachers over the years, but none resulted in action and was removed from the teacher’s file after four years as stipulated by union contract provisions.  Removing this provision would help establish a paper trail to better protect students in the future.

Finally, we also want to strip pension and retiree benefits from teachers who are convicted of a felony related to their job.

It is clear that the existing system needs change.  Republicans and Democrats recognize that the reputations of truly innocent teachers need protecting, but it should not take heaven and earth to purge a teacher accused of serious offenses.  I will work with my colleagues over the coming weeks to ensure the safety of all students kindergarten through 12th grade.

Like Americans around the world, I will never forget the horrific images of a plane smashing into the second tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

This was no accident, I thought to myself as I sat glued to the TV that day.  America was under attack and would be forever changed.

Ten years later, Americans nationwide will gather and pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims that were murdered in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  Of these victims, 403 were New York City firefighters and police officers.  We will also pay tribute to the brave military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice in ensuring that those responsible for the attacks would be brought to justice and that similar attacks would never happen again.

This year is especially poignant for us because of the killing of the mastermind of those attacks, Osama bin Laden.  His demise marked a substantial victory against those that want to destroy Western Civilization values.  But we know his death is not the end of terrorism or even the beginning of the end.

Our world is much different today than it was on September 11, 2001.  We can feel it at the airport standing in security lines.  We can hear it on the radio, where the latest bombing in the Middle East or Europe seems to get lost in the jumble of sports and updates on the latest celebrity wedding. We can see it on the news, where almost every other story is about America’s staggering unemployment, political gridlock and financial turmoil.

How did our parents and grandparents get through momentous events like the Great Depression and World War II?  I believe the great American ideals of perseverance, faith, and a love of freedom played a major role.  It was these values that were reinvigorated ten years ago.  I remember seeing the Stars and Stripes being proudly displayed everywhere, neighbors volunteering their time and resources to help the victims, and a people roused with a righteous passion to defeat terrorism no matter the cost.

It was this type of response that led to the Allied victory of World War II, and it is this type of “Greatest Generation” response we need if we are to ultimately triumph over freedom’s enemies.  As a nation we can individually respond by participating in the “September 11 Fly the Flag Campaign” where every home, office, and store displays an American flag, no matter how small.  We can also wear a flag pin on our clothing and display one on our cars.  Not only would this simple act of patriotism honor our country, it would also recall the days immediately after September 11 where we came together not as a member of a race, class or political party, but as Americans.

We must tell our children what September 11 meant to us and how they can help make our country stronger.  As Ronald Reagan once said,

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same…”

My desire is for each American to attend a “9-11″ event in their community. Let us honor the victims, pray for the continued safety of our troops on the battlefield, and recommit ourselves to defending liberty.  As a nation conceived on the idea that all are created equal, we cannot afford to do any less.

During one of the worst economic slumps in California’s history, you would think the state would not want to make it more expensive for families to buy things they need and at the same time put thousands of Californians out of business. But Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative Democrats did that, further enforcing their convoluted belief that higher costs will improve our economy.

As part of the Democrat budget deal passed in the middle of the night in June, the Legislature passed the “Amazon Tax,” which targets Internet retailers such as Amazon. Under previous law, only so-called “brick and mortar” retailers with an actual physical presence in the state are required to charge sales tax. When we, as consumers, purchase from an on-line retailer we are to pay the sales tax on our income tax form.

This new law forces the out-of-state retailers to collect California sales tax on items sold online, even if the company has no physical presence in California and the only connection it has to our state is a “live link” or “click-thru” to another business’ website located in California.

I voted against the Amazon Tax because it will increase costs for millions of Californians who make Internet purchases and hurt efforts to bring back jobs to our state. In fact, California is already suffering the consequences. Right after Gov. Brown signed the bill into law, Amazon severed its ties with 10,000 affiliates based in our state who are paid commissions to steer buyers to Amazon’s website through links on their own sites.

Ironically, the Amazon Tax could very well lead to less tax revenue for the state. That is because the tens of thousands of California-based affiliates are small businesses that employ Californians and generate vital economic activity for our communities. According to one estimate, California web-based companies that earn income from ads placed on their websites paid $151 million in state income taxes. But now, thanks to the Amazon Tax, we could lose this revenue because out-of-state retailers will partner with out-of state website companies to access California’s market in response to this new law.

While the decisions of Amazon and other companies to drop their California affiliates are regrettable, who can blame them?

Sacramento already imposes on Californians one of the highest tax and regulatory burdens in the nation, all of which make economic success here much tougher than in lower- taxed states. As if the Amazon Tax was not enough, Democrats tried to raise the income, sales and car taxes even further. Thankfully, my Republican colleagues and I were able to block those tax increases.

Last year the Legislature considered similar legislation. At that time the state Board of Equalization estimated that the state might receive zero revenue from the Amazon Tax because of lost business. While it remains to be seen what the overall effect will be, California stands to lose tens of millions of tax dollars annually because of the severed relationships between online retailers and California affiliates.

Forcing families to pay more for the things they need will leave them with less money for other priorities, which will hurt their pocketbooks even more. The Amazon Tax may make some Democrats feel good, but it will be our economy that will be left holding the bag.

Given the state’s multi-billion dollar deficit and our schools receiving a “C” in a recent national education survey, there should be no higher priority than addressing both problems. You would think the legislature would be laser-focused on coming up with innovative solutions to promote student achievement and to reform government. Unfortunately that isn’t the case in Sacramento.

Let’s take a look at one bill, currently passed by the Senate along party lines and now on the floor of the Assembly. “Political correctness” in our children’s history lessons must now be taught if we follow the logic of the Democrats that control the legislature. Right now, the State Assembly is considering Senate Bill 48, legislation authored by San Francisco lawmaker Leno, which would add lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to the list of groups that schools must teach about in social studies classes.  SB 48 would also require local school districts to use textbooks and other materials that cover their contributions in a politically correct manner.

The real motivation behind this bill is for liberal activists to force local schools to teach controversial subject matter in a way that benefits their ideology.  This bill will sexualize the teaching of history to elementary-age school children. These activists know that if they can successfully shape the school curriculum into their worldview, they can influence the opinions of students as they mature into adulthood.

When it comes to teaching controversial issues such as gay history, PARENTS should make that choice, not state lawmakers.  Given California’s diversity, imposing a one-size-fits-all curriculum makes no sense.  Instead of diverting its resources on deciding what should be in our history textbooks, the legislature should focus on issues of far greater importance such as the state’s budget deficit, high unemployment, and protecting classroom funding.  These are the issues that I am working hard to address this year and it’s time we deliver real solutions for the people we represent.

Parents must be brought back into the education equation.  It has been said that schools may teach skills but that it is the parents that truly educate a child.  Controversial topics of sexuality are best discussed at the dinner table, not in the classroom. If the parents of students in San Francisco’s public schools want gay history to be taught, then they have every right to petition their school board.  Parents in other communities such as Chino Hills and Yorba Linda should also have the right to decide through their local school boards.

At a time when our schools are grappling with tough budget cuts, introducing more political correctness is never the answer.