Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, August 26, 2005
Contact: Lerna Kayserian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
STATE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES FAVOR EXTENSION OF CALIFORNIA-ARMENIA TRADE
OFFICE DEADLINE
— ANCA-WR Testifies Before Key Committee to Extend Sunset Date to 2008
SACRAMENTO, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western
Region (ANCA-WR) announced that the International Trade and Investment
Office: Yerevan bill (SB 897) introduced by California State Senator
Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) passed through the second of two State
Assembly committees on Thursday, August 25, 2005. ANCA-WR Government
Relations Director Armen Carapetian joined Sen. Scott to testify
before the California State Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic
Development and the Economy earlier in the week.
“The Armenian National Committee is pleased that both the Jobs and now
the Appropriations committees unanimously passed SB 897,” said
Carapetian. “This is a commonsense measure aimed to allow the State of
California to properly operate its trade office in Armenia.”
SB 897 aims to extend the sunset date for the creation and operation
of the California International Trade and Investment Office in
Yerevan, Armenia which was established by state statue in 2002. The
current sunset date for the trade office is set for January 1, 2006,
however, the bill would extend this deadline to 2008. SB 897 is
expected to be up on the Assembly floor early next week and, if
passed, will need to be taken up by the Senate for concurrence
thereafter. SB 897 enjoys popular, bi-partisan support, having been
introduced by Sen. Scott, with principal coauthors Senators Chuck
Poochigian (R-Fresno) and Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo), Assemblymembers
Juan Arambula (D-Fresno) and Dario Frommer (D-Glendale), as well as
coauthors Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), and Assemblymembers Greg
Aghazarian (R-Stockton) and Carol Liu (D-Pasadena).
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a
broad range of issues.
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