Thank you to the thousands of Californians who took the time to send a letter of support for AB 1506 - a measure my colleagues and I authored to require the State to accept its own IOUs as payment for taxes and fees. Your voices were clearly heard.

It is your support that propelled this bill to victory in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Last week, the Assembly Appropriations Committee sent AB 1506 to the "suspense file" - a place where good bills typically go to die without a vote; see arc.asm.ca.gov/member/77/?p=media&sid=169&id=1755.

On Wednesday, I presented Assemblyman Kevin De León, the chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee with your 1,500 letters of support for AB 1506. (You can see the video of me delivering your letters above.) The letters were signed by taxpayers, labor unions, small businesses, charities, non-profits, local government agencies, healthcare facilities, business leaders and California State Controller John Chiang.

Assemblyman De León heard your message loud and clear. On Thursday, AB 1506 sailed through the committee unanimously!

Your letters made the difference.

Following the committee hearing, I sent Assemblyman De León a letter thanking him for taking into consideration all of the letters you sent. The unanimous vote for AB 1506 clearly demonstrates we all can work together in a bipartisan manner for the betterment of all Californians. You can read the full letter here: arc.asm.ca.gov/member/77/pdf/Anderson_DeLeonLtr2.pdf.

AB 1506 now heads to the Assembly floor. The bill has 45 bipartisan co-authors - more than a majority of the members of the Assembly.

This is a cost-saving measure that protects Californians from the heavy hand of irresponsible government. If AB 1506 had been in place in July, it could have saved the state over $18 million. Californians deserve the protection of AB 1506.

This battle is far from over, and your continued support is critical. If you have not yet done so, please take a few minutes to send in a letter of support. If you already have, help us spread the word by asking your family and friends to send a letter as well. A sample letter can be found here: arc.asm.ca.gov/member/77/pdf/AB1506samplesupportletter.pdf.