State Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, has 10 bills still alive in the California Legislature as it prepares to reconvene on Monday.

Wilk’s bills cover a variety of topics, ranging from education measures to crime-stopping initiatives. But in an interview with KHTS Radio, the lawmaker discussed a pair of bills he believes will improve the quality of life for his constituents in and around the Santa Clarita Valley, as well as throughout the state.

Aerospace Research In Antelope Valley

The Santa Clarita representative believes a few of the bills he is working on will benefit the region by bringing more jobs.

One of them, Senate Bill 1356, which has already gone through some amendments, would provide half a million dollars – matching private sector contributions – to create a new Aerospace Institute at the Antelope Valley College in Lancaster.

This new school, aimed at graduate students, would join existing aerospace centers provided by the the University of California system, which has four centers that focus on programs such as IT, biotech, nanotech and telecommunications.

“Because we have all these assets out in the Antelope Valley that would cost tens of millions of dollars for somebody to replicate, that’s there, that NASA is willing to let us use,” Wilk said.  “I think it’s going to bring a lot of development, a lot of defence subcontractors to the region.”

The State Senator Wilk’s bills will benefit both the region and the nation.

Animal Abuse Owner Course: Mandatory Counseling

Another bill Wilk said he was particularly excited about is Senate Bill 1024, also known as the Animal Welfare and Violence Intervention Act of 2018.

That bill, first introduced in April, focuses on mandating counseling sessions for animal abusers.

“What’s interesting to me when we looked (at the facts),” he said. “90 percent of mass shooters, 71 percent of convicted of domestic violence, 50 percent of those convicted of rape all started with animal abuse.”

The proposed piece of legislation would require a convicted animal abuser to pay for a mental health assessment and any mental health treatments deemed necessary by the court.

“In addition to whatever fine or jail time you get, you have to have a psychological evaluation done,” Wilk said. “Because, hopefully we can redirect those people. A mass shooter is probably a sociopath and we can’t make a difference there, but, redirect those people to more positive direction.”

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.