California faces many profound challenges related to our fiscal crisis, our large and fast-moving science and technology sectors, and our rapidly growing, multicultural population. Given the constant stream of such challenges that the state and people of California must address, developing long-term strategies for California's future has become a necessity. That's what called for and led to the creation of the Joint Committee on Preparing California for the 21st Century.

"Once we get so caught up in the immediacy of the budget and ideological crises, we can too easily miss precious opportunities," said Senator John Vasconcellos, co-chair of the Committee. "So our Joint Committee was created, and it is the only venue in the Legislature charged with looking beyond where we are in our present conflicted times, and instead searching out common destinations that we all subscribe to. It's a top assignment here in the capitol."

Senator John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara)

Senator Senator Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach)

The Committee was formed in 2000 when President Pro Tempore of the Senate, John Burton, proposed that the Legislature specially equip itself to explore emerging issues that would have potential for most profoundly impacting the future well-being of the state and people of California. Senator Burton selected Senator Vasconcellos to be the Senate co-chair of the Joint Committee, and Assembly Member Sarah Reyes was chosen to be co-chair, with altogether 18 members serving from the Senate and Assembly.

"Our challenge is to identify the most provocative, profound, pervasive developments coming our way and make ourselves experts on what's coming, and then alert our colleagues, as well as the people of California," said Vasconcellos.

The two enormous topics which the Committee set out to explore over its initial four-year period were first race and diversity, and second technology applications and implications. Consideration of the former led to a rare union of all four caucuses and near-unanimous adoption of new "Principles of Inclusion" in 2002; the Committee has similar hopes for its look at technology.

"Technology is a cross-cutting issue that you can't really look at in an isolated way because it has an incredible impact on so many areas of our society," said Senator Debra Bowen, a member of the Committee. "Technology can certainly drive solutions, but it also inadvertently contributes to many of the problems we see every day. For example, it's technology that's helped identity theft become the nation's fastest growing white collar crime, and it's technology -- whether you're talking about black box technology in cars, computer spyware at the office or face scanning cameras in shopping malls -- that causes people to be so concerned about losing their privacy."

The Committee's Technology Work Plan set forth its agenda for 2003-2004, during which time it will examine emerging applications, consider the ethical, social, economic and legal implications of new technologies, and prepare recommendations for state policymakers on biotechnology, nanotechnology, alternative energy, and digital government. The CCST project "Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges in California" will provide the research and background for the Committee's discussion of nanotechnology. CCST has also been instrumental in assisting with all the other technology hearings held by the Committee.

"The enormous role technology plays in our state, its revolutionary character and pervasive presence in our lives make technology essential for us to understand and to appreciate," said Vasconcellos. "CCST has a great track record in providing us with material conclusions and recommendations, assessing where we are and what we need, so we are grateful to have their partnership in our endeavor."

The Joint Committee will release a final report in 2004 summarizing its conclusions and recommendations in each of the four technology areas examined.

"The most fun of our endeavor is that we are plunging with open minds into the mysteries of our future, by and large beyond our ken," he added. "While we do not know where we'll end up in our technology review, we are far less likely this way to miss precious opportunities for improving our future."