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
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 220
My husband and I have owned our small retail business for over 25 years. The problems we encountered running that business were some of the primary reasons I first ran for public office. Since joining the Legislature, I have supported a wide range of legislation that would stimulate business formation and provide greater employment opportunities, more workforce training and greater job growth. Reducing burdensome regulations and needless bureaucracy also remains one of my... Full story
Special to Valley News Last November, 60% of California voters passed Proposition 7, aimed at eliminating the bi-annual tradition of moving clocks back in the fall and forward in the spring. Daylight saving time was first imposed as a temporary energy saving measure during World War I and was re-instated during World War II. After World War II ended, states could decide the issue, and in 1949, voters approved Proposition 12, permanently establishing daylight saving time in...
Access to a quality education is the best way to ensure our students a bright, successful future. But one size does not fit all, and not every student wants to go to a traditional college. Even so, California schools often focus on sending children to colleges and universities, with less emphasis on trades. We have a skilled worker shortage in California, and we need to make sure that high school students have the opportunity to learn technical skills that can lead to... Full story
AD-75 (R) As a member of the Select Committee on Biotechnology and co-chair of the Rare Disease Caucus, I’m always looking for innovative treatments that provide the greatest benefit for patients at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. That’s why I’m enthusiastic about Project Baby Bear, a $2 million Medi-Cal funded pilot program at several hospitals, including San Diego’s Rady Children’s Hospital, to provide rapid whole-genome sequencing to seriously ill newborns. To learn... Full story
In 2004, 67% of San Diego County voters approved a 40-year extension of TransNet, a half-cent sales tax for highway, road and transit projects. Recently, SANDAG proposed making changes to the 2004 ordinance by redirecting funds from several highway projects into mass transit. Since 2004, only 6% of the funds generated by TransNet have been used to build highways, which are used by over 95% of the people, while 66% has been used to construct public transit projects, used by... Full story
12th District The Senate Bill 1 gas tax increase promised to fix our crumbling highways and roads. That promise was short-lived. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order redirecting the state’s $5 billion annual transportation funds from highway and road repairs toward reducing congestion via “strategies designed to encourage people to shift from cars to other modes of transportation” including mass transit, walking and biking. The order also calls for $61 m... Full story
AD-75 (R) - Synchronizing traffic lights will not only reduce the time we sit at traffic lights, but will also reduce tons of emissions with benefits to business and our economy. In response to a study conducted in Salinas, California, five intersections on their main street had installed traffic signal synchronization and saved 15.8 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in one year. Not to mention the cost benefit ratio of 50:1. Studies show that synchronization projects can... Full story
AD-75 (R) The 52nd Native American Day was celebrated Sept. 27, as a time to honor and remember the contributions of California's tribal nations, to recognize their sovereignty and the tremendous challenges they have long faced, along with their remarkable resilience and achievements. San Diego County, with 18 reservations covering over 190 square miles, has more reservations than any other county in the United States – and 8 of these are within the 75th Assembly District. T... Full story
As the legislature adjourns for the year, I’m happy to report that two significant bills impacting mental health treatments in California are heading to the governor’s desk. This session I introduced Assembly Bill 1352, legislation that strengthens the voice of local mental health boards to help meet the needs of the mentally ill. The Bronzan-McCorquodale Act requires county mental health systems to provide services to those with serious emotional disturbance or mental ill... Full story
This session several important bills were blocked in the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees. While good bills died, others like allowing felons to serve on juries got support. The Renter’s Tax Credit to help low and middle income renters has not been increased in decades to keep up with the cost of living. Senate Bill 248, written by Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, would have helped millions. A major priority of the legislature is tackling high housing costs, yet r... Full story
Assisted outpatient treatment is one of the most effective tools available for treating severely mentally ill persons. Legislation known as Laura’s Law was introduced in 2001 by Assemblymember Helen Thomson, D-Davis, in an effort to make assisted outpatient treatment available throughout California. My subsequent legislation, Assembly Bill 59, extended the sunset date an additional five years. Laura’s Law allows court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment for mentally ill pat... Full story
In a big win for California homeowners, the state Supreme Court upheld lower court rulings that direct the state to return $331 million it diverted from Californian’s with mortgages hurt by negative lending practices during the economic downturn. In 2012, California received $410 million from a lawsuit involving the nation’s five largest mortgage services – Ally – formerly GMAC, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, all of which had been charged with mu... Full story
Our first responders make lots of sacrifices to protect the rest of us and this can take a toll on them, as well as their families. In a 2016 behavioral health study, roughly three-fourths of the surveyed peace officers reported having experienced a traumatic event, but less than half reported it to their agency. Even more troubling, about half of the officers reported personally knowing a peer who changed after experiencing a traumatic event, and about half reported knowing a... Full story
This region has made tremendous strides toward diversifying its water portfolio. In Riverside County, groundwater desalination is moving forward to take full advantage of all available sources of water. Plans for Water Banking, which will take Northern California water imported during wet years to restore local aquifers for use during dry years, are also progressing. Since the droughts of the early 90s, San Diego has taken some costly steps to diversify its water sources, and... Full story
People who drive Interstate 15 in southwest Riverside or northern San Diego Counties are no strangers to traffic jams. In fact, with 205,000 cars daily, the section through Temecula is considered the 10th worst congested freeway segment in the country. Fortunately, help is on the way. The city of Temecula has just been awarded a $50 million U.S. Department of Transportation Infrastructure & Rebuilding America Grant, in support of the I-15/French Valley Pkwy, Phase II Project.... Full story
The California Arts Council has established 14 state-designated Cultural Districts, including three in San Diego County. These Cultural Districts are a direct result of passage of Assembly Bill 189 in 2016, a bill I co-wrote with Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D – Santa Monica). San Diego’s three Cultural Districts include Balboa Park, home to 17 museums and the San Diego Zoo; Barrio Logan, which includes Chicano Park with 79 historic murals, and in North County, the Oce... Full story
California is no stranger to natural and man-made emergencies. The recent quakes in Kern and San Bernardino counties are another reminder that living in the Golden State has a price. The state constitution grants immense power to the governor to deal with emergencies. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, which began as the State War Council in 1943, coordinates California’s response to emergencies. A formal emergency declaration, which must include a detailed des... Full story
Fifteen of California’s 20 most destructive wildfires have occurred since 2000, with 10 occuring since 2015. Economic costs to homeowners, utilities, ratepayers, insurers and local governments resulting from the destruction of thousands of homes makes preventing fires and dealing with their costly aftermath top-priority issues in Sacramento. Proposals discussed include creating a Power Company Safety and Accountability standard requiring safety investments by utility c... Full story
The Assembly Select Committee on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities works to assist all Californians with developmental disabilities through advocacy and research, and by acting as an information resource as the Legislature develops policies impacting California’s intellectually and developmentally disabled population, estimated at just under 630,000 in 2017. As a member of this important committee, chaired by Assemblymember Jim Frazier, D-Fairfield, I am pleased t... Full story
The spotted lantern fly, a Chinese pest first detected in Pennsylvania, is headed to California. It attacks many crops, including wine grapes and avocados. To combat this major threat to the local economy, the California Department of Food and Agriculture granted the Center for Invasive Species Research at University of California Riverside, directed by Mark Hoddle, $544,000 to test how a parasitic wasp, also from China, might be used to control the fly. The wasp lays its... Full story
I joined 119 state Senators and Assemblymembers on the South Lawn of the Capitol June 5, as we participated in the fourth annual California Nonprofits Day to recognize and honor the nonprofits that do so much to improve our communities and enhance the lives of thousands of Californians. This year I was very pleased to recognize REINS Therapeutic Riding of Fallbrook as my Nonprofit of the Year. Led by Executive Director Deborah Shinner and Program Director Shauna Jopes, over... Full story
Every two days a young person in California dies from an opioid overdose. More and more opioid dependent children are treated in emergency departments than ever before – increasing by 54% over the past 10 years. While there is no single treatment or remedy for substance abuse, it is clear that early intervention programs aimed at youthful abusers are comprehensive and effective. That’s why I have joined with Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, D-Van Nuys, to co-author Assembly Bil... Full story
This year over 2,900 bills were introduced in the state Legislature, an excessive number in my opinion. All those bills had to pass by the “house of origin” deadline May 31. Any bills that failed to pass are held for now, though some will become two-year bills to be considered again next year. Several of my bills beat the deadline, including Assembly Bill 1352, which strengthens local mental health boards and oversees community mental health systems to improve care to pat... Full story
The northern San Diego County region plays a big part in making California the nation’s leading agricultural state. Locally grown crops that include avocados, citrus, strawberries, grapes and cut flowers have put San Diego in the top tier of the nation’s agricultural counties. According to the San Diego County Farm Bureau, San Diego is the 10th largest farm economy out of more than 3,000 counties nationwide. I am a big supporter of local agriculture, and last week I was pro... Full story
Gov. Gavin Newsom just released his “May Revise,” which updates the preliminary budget he released in January to serve as a discussion starter leading up to the legislative deadline for final budget approval, June 15. There’s a lot to like in the governor’s $214 billion budget proposal. First of all, raising the child tax credit to help families cope with our skyrocketing cost of living deserves support. And with California’s population expected to expand to 50 million b... Full story
