Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
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Red Ribbon Week – Oct. 23 to 31 delivers a strong anti-drug message to school children nationwide. I strongly support this annual program, and once again this year my office is distributing thousands of Red Ribbon certificates to students throughout the 75th Assembly District. In 2022, there were almost 11,000 overdose deaths in California, and fentanyl was a major cause. The number of overdose deaths in San Diego County fell from 1,300 in 2022 to 1,203 last year, but f... Full story
The 2023-2024 regular session of the Legislature adjourned Aug. 31. For better or worse, over the past two years, we’ve debated 4,821 bills. This year, over 1,200 bills passed both houses and were sent to the Governor. He vetoed 15.7%. And last year, 1,100 bills reached the Governor, and his veto rate was 14.9%. 3,291 of these bills originated in the Assembly, and 1,530 were Senate bills. 1,420 bills created a state mandate for a local program, in some cases without p... Full story
We’ll soon have another tool to help reduce the ongoing threat of wildfires. My bill, AB 1819, passed both houses of the Legislature without opposition, and was signed into law by the Governor Sept. 22. Since 1990, local jurisdictions have been able to create Infrastructure Financing Districts (IFDs) to pay for regional public works projects. IFDs can divert a small portion of the yearly incremental increase in property tax revenues for up to 30 years to finance highways, t... Full story
The State Legislature adjourned for the year Aug. 31, but a special session to deal with gas prices has been called. Several proposals are on the table. One proposal would require refiners to withhold fuel from the market to build up reserves and serve as a cushion against price spikes. But there are debates regarding this proposal. The California Energy Commission has reviewed the plan and warned that withholding gasoline to create the reserve may actually cause shortages... Full story
San Diego County has made great strides to safeguard itself against California’s recurring drought cycle. For example, in 1991, 95% of our water was imported by the Metropolitan Water District. By 2023, only 14% of our water was imported by the MWD. Diversification efforts included building the Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination plant in Carlsbad, increased conservation, an agreement to import water from the Imperial Irrigation District, and other measures. By 2045, it’s project... Full story
The regular legislative session ended on Aug. 31 – and a first extraordinary session was opened. The regular new legislative session will begin Dec. 2, after the November election. This session, a number of important bills impacting public health/safety came before the Assembly Health Committee, where I serve as Vice Chair. Among these are AB 1233, a bill I introduced to help deal with the epidemic of overdose deaths sweeping the state. The bill will help ensure that each t... Full story
During my term in the State Legislature, I’ve nominated schools throughout the 75th Assembly District to receive the Barona Education Grant. A $5,000 grant from the Barona Band of Mission Indians is made available to one school in each State Senate District, each State Assembly District and from each State Executive Office Holder. Though the grants are funded by the tribe, they require an endorsement letter from elected office holders, which must accompany the application. T... Full story
I am a member of the California Problem Solvers Caucus (CPSC), a bipartisan group of legislators from both houses. The Caucus promotes common sense solutions to the most pressing issues facing our state. Lately, property crime has been escalating throughout California, and the CPSC has been pressing for solutions. I’m happy to report that those efforts have begun to bear fruit. In recent weeks a package of legislation that will tighten California laws regarding prosecution a... Full story
San Diego County ranks third in the nation as a center for the Life Science industry after Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area. As Vice Chair of the Assembly Health Committee and a member of the Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology, I advocate for affordable and accessible lifesaving innovations that enhance the quality of life for millions of patients. Overall, California leads the nation in research and development (R&D) investment and labor. Wages paid to life... Full story
Summer and fall are peak fire season. Recent fires include the Nixon Fire in Riverside County, along with the Park Fire in Northern California. And most of us remember the Cedar, Witch, Cocos, Guejito, Rice and Lilac fires that devastated much of the county. Fortunately, important lessons have been learned. We now have better coordination among local, state and tribal fire-fighting agencies. SB 816, a bill I strongly supported, allows state and tribal mutual aid agreements.... Full story
The July summer recess is over – we re-convened on Aug. 5. All bills that passed the Senate before the recess will now be reviewed and approved (or not) by the Assembly, and all Assembly bills have been forwarded to the Senate for final consideration. During the July recess, the Governor signed about 80 bills that had already made it to his desk. Over 1,500 bills are still pending, so it’s likely the Governor will receive hundreds more by the time we adjourn. Any leg... Full story
Summer is here, and kids have time on their hands. That could mean hours of unsupervised internet use while parents are working. It’s been estimated that 95% of teens aged 13 to 17 use social media, and that can include younger children as well; 40% of children ages 8 to 12 report they use social media despite age restrictions. Adolescence is a critical period of development, which is why safety measures and guidelines are so important. The California Department of Justice has... Full story
Last week, a rally of over two hundred people opposing placement of a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) in a rural Poway neighborhood was held at Garden Road Park. Fortunately, Mayor Steve Vaus received a call from the Director of State Hospitals just prior to the start of the rally announcing that the placement had been withdrawn. The rally instantly turned into a victory celebration. It shouldn’t be necessary for communities to hold rallies, mount letter writing campaigns and... Full story
A number of new laws passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor have gone into effect this year. New laws that went into effect July 1: • Drug testing kits must now be made available in bars to prevent date-rapes and drink spiking • Second Amendment impacts include an 11% tax on all firearms and ammunition sold in California; credit card payment networks will be required to provide a unique identifying code for merchants that sell firearms and ammunition • L... Full story
Recently, at a ceremony in the Capitol, I was honored to recognize Shannon Keith, President and Founder of the Beagle Freedom Project, along with volunteer Melina Shirley, to recognize their tireless efforts to save the lives of countless dogs, cats and other animals in laboratories. This extraordinary organization is the world’s leading advocate for rescuing and rehoming animals used in experimental research. Because of their gentle dispositions and submissive natures, n... Full story
The main state budget bill passed prior to the June 15 constitutional deadline, and the Governor had until June 30 to sign it into law (and use his line item veto pen). But many trailer bills that fund specific state programs were still being voted on last week. Trailers that passed last week included a bill that will establish a permanent foster care provider rate structure based on the needs of the child. Rates will follow the child, not the placement location. Legislation... Full story
For over 10,000 years, the Luiseño people have lived in the San Luis Rey Valley. Historically, their villages extended along the coastline, and inland along the San Luis Rey River. The largest recorded village was known as Topomai, located in what is now U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Other historic villages to the east included Páume (Pauma) and Palé (Pala). The current route of Highway 76 was the main path the Luiseños used during their seasonal migrations back and f... Full story
Last week, the Legislature passed the Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 -2025. The Governor will have until June 30 to sign the budget, which goes into effect July 1. Over the coming weeks/months, a series of trailer bills to fund specific programs must be passed, and since the Governor has line-item veto powers, additional programs may still be cut. The state’s constitution mandates a balanced budget. This budget eliminates the $45 billion deficit for FY 2024-2025, along w... Full story
As with so many issues involving medical research and healthcare, San Diego County is ground zero in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, it is estimated that 84,000 persons are living with Alzheimer’s disease in San Diego County, a number that is expected to increase to 117,000 by 2030. Another 250,000 San Diegans are caring for loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s, which is the county’s third leading cause of death. California now has over 720,000 residen... Full story
This year, the “House of Origin Deadline” was May 24, the final day for bills to pass the house in which they were first introduced – either the Assembly or the Senate. Any bills that failed to pass by the 24th have died. Bipartisan bills that benefit all Californians often receive little press attention. This year, these include my bill, AB 1819 (Waldron), authorizing the establishment of Infrastructure Financing Districts in high fire severity zones to finance heavy equip... Full story
California’s gas taxes are the highest in the nation, and they are set to go even higher. Most of you probably know that we have yearly, built in gas tax increases, and they are scheduled to go up by another two cents per gallon Monday, July 1. But many may not know that the California Air Resources Board plans to increase gas prices by up to 47 cents a gallon next year, and up to 52 cents in 2026. A hearing on the scheduled increases was scheduled for March, but was p... Full story
Last week, the Governor released his “May Revise,” which is based on revenues received since January when the preliminary $291.5 billion budget proposal ($208.7 General Fund) was released. The Revise now estimates a $27 billion budget deficit, even though a report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office forecasts a much higher deficit of $55 billion. The new budget proposal is aimed at creating a balanced budget over two years. Expanding some programs will be paused tempo... Full story
Encouraging young women to fulfill their life’s potential by taking full advantage of available educational opportunities is one of my passions. As a member of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, I am happy to spread the word about the Minerva Scholarship program, established by the Women in California Leadership Foundation to educate, support and empower young women and girls. The foundation is committed to providing select young women of good character and demonstrated accomplis... Full story
As many of you know, I have served on the Assembly Health Committee for most of my term in the State Legislature, and I am now the committee’s Vice Chair. The committee’s jurisdiction includes healthcare, behavioral and mental health, medical insurance, Medi-Cal and other public healthcare programs, and long-term care licensing. The lives of millions of Californians are impacted by legislation that comes before this committee. For example, several important health-related bil... Full story
As you know, the placement of Sexually Violent Predators in rural areas of California, including San Diego County, has been an ongoing problem. SVPs have been placed in Jacumba Hot Springs, Campo, Boulevard, Borrego Springs and other locations, often near homes, parks and schools. Currently, the Department of State Hospitals oversees placement and contracts with Liberty Healthcare, which then seeks court approval. Courts sometimes intervene to deny inappropriate placements,... Full story
