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 151 - 175 of 220
Small business drives our local and state economies, a fact recognized by Gov. Gavin Newsom recently when he issued a proclamation declaring May 2019 Small Business Month in California. California’s small businesses employ over 7 million people, and most have less than 100 employees. According to recent studies, small businesses make up over 95% of all businesses in this region, with businesses employing four or less employees comprising 65% of the total. Over the past two yea... Full story
May is National Military Appreciation Month, and includes several national observances honoring our veterans and their families. These include Victory in Europe Day May 8, Military Spouse Appreciation Day May 10, Armed Forces Day May 18 and Memorial Day May 27. But supporting our veterans involves more than holidays or national commemorations. This session I have joined with Assemblyman William Brough, R-Dana Point, to co-author Assembly Bill 427. The bill would exclude milita... Full story
Mental health and drug addiction are often co-occurring disorders, with a big impact. I have been working on common sense, bipartisan solutions to these problems since my days on the city council. As a member of the Mental Health Caucus, I serve on several committees that deal directly with these issues, including Assembly Health Committee and the Select Committee on Health Care Delivery and Universal Coverage. I am also a member of the Stanford Five-Year Initiative on... Full story
Over the past few years, the Ceder, Witch, Cocos, Guejito, Paradise and Lilac fires have taught us a lot. The need to be proactive is critical. That’s why I introduced Assembly Bill 19, for fire prevention and roadway vegetation management. Auto-related wildfires are a major problem in California. In 2016 and 2017, almost 25% of local wildfires were vehicle-related. The seventh most destructive fire in state history, last year’s Carr Fire in Northern California, killed eig... Full story
California is the world’s tech capitol. Some of the most technologically advanced companies like Uber, Facebook and Apple were born in Silicon Valley. While our private sector can master startups and see them flourish, almost every IT project the state tries to implement is over budget, past due and outdated. We should be able to access our government, increase public transparency for legislation and government documents, create efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars. Even d... Full story
California could be holding some of your money. According to State Controller Betty Yee, California is sitting on unclaimed properties valued at $9.3 billion! But there’s great news – you can get it back. I encourage you to visit claimit.ca.gov to see if any of these unclaimed funds belong to you. How did this huge pot accumulate? Under California’s Unclaimed Property Law, businesses like banks and insurance companies are required to transfer property to the Controller’s offic... Full story
This week a solemn ceremony took place in Escondido unveiling the big green signs to designate a portion of Interstate 15 in Escondido, as “Cal Fire Firefighter Cory Iverson Memorial Highway.” It was an honor and privilege to carry Assembly Concurrent Resolution 205 and to create this designation recognizing, along with firefighters and other first responders from across California, a hometown hero who made the supreme sacrifice. Cory Iverson, an Escondido native, was 32 yea... Full story
Are you a real estate agent, salon worker, trucker or lawyer? Do you work in or own a small business? Last year’s California Supreme Court ruling involving independent contractors may affect you. The Court changed the definition of employees and contractors, impacting businesses, the economy and the employment of thousands. In its “Dynamex” ruling, the Court presumed that all workers are company employees and places stringent limitations on the definition of independent contra... Full story
California’s opioid and heroin use disorder has become a major threat to public health, especially among the young. Drug overdose, mostly from opioids, is the leading cause of death among those under 50, with nearly 2,000 Californians dying from opioid overdoses in 2016 alone. California has a severe lack of certified providers to treat the condition, however. That’s why I have written Assembly Bill 319 along with Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, which will go a lo... Full story
We have some of the best medical care in the world, but accessing that care can be difficult for millions of Californians. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough doctors and nurses, and the situation is likely to get much worse in the near future. According to the California Future Health Workforce Commission, we don’t have enough health care professionals practicing in the right places to meet the needs of the growing and aging population. Many rural areas, including parts of... Full story
California lawmakers recognized water as a basic human right in 2012. Since then, voters have approved over $10 billion in bonds to fund statewide water projects, yet for some Californians, clean and safe drinking water is still unavailable. So why is this? And why are residents being asked to pay a tax every time they turn on the faucet? According to a recent study, 360,000 people living in mostly rural and agricultural regions of the state are served by water systems that... Full story
Last month I introduced House Resolution 7 (HR 7), which is jointly authored with Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D – San Bernardino). HR 7 declares January Human Trafficking Awareness Month in California, part of a nationwide effort to combat this growing menace. A form of modern slavery, human trafficking has grown 842 percent in the United States since 2007. Unfortunately California and Nevada have become the primary location for human trafficking in the western Un... Full story
California appears to be flush with cash. Last November, the Legislative Analyst’s office reported a $14.8 billion surplus for the fiscal year beginning July 1. That was later updated to a projected $20.6 billion, while Governor Newsom’s finance department is predicting a surplus of $21.4 billion. Unfortunately, that surplus can quickly disappear. During the Great Recession, California faced annual budget deficits over $20 billion, a situation that could be repeated when ano... Full story
As most people know, Proposition 13 limits annual property tax increases to a maximum of 2 percent each year and continues to save California homeowners money ever since it was overwhelmingly passed by voters in 1978. Unfortunately, proposals to weaken Proposition 13 protections are on the table this year. Under the “split roll” proposal, Proposition 13 would remain in place for homeowners but would be eliminated for many commercial properties, allowing their property taxes to... Full story
The California Capitol saw 120 California legislators assemble Jan. 7, to begin the 2019-2020 session. Almost 3,000 bills will probably be introduced over the next few weeks. Some will be controversial, though I’m hoping that many important issues that face the state, regardless of party, including disaster preparedness, water infrastructure, healthcare, transportation, education and many more, will generate bipartisan solutions. Proposals for new legislation must be s...
As the mother of a high school senior who just completed his college applications, I realize the importance of encouraging academic success. That’s why I’m so happy to support programs that challenge our students to study hard and do their best. These programs, many of which were the brainchild of local entrepreneur Sally Myers, include Student of the Month in Temecula, where the event is supported by the chamber of commerce; in Fallbrook, supported by the high school and a v... Full story
Holiday celebrations began in the state Capitol in 1869 when the building first opened. Past governors decorated the Capitol with wreaths and their offices with trees, but in 1931, the tree was moved from the governor's office to the rotunda and later to a spot near the lieutenant governor's office, where it remained until 1984. Concerns about fire safety voiced by Joint Rules Committee Chair Louis Papan resulted in the tree being moved outside, where it has remained ever...
When you’re out shopping for that last minute gift, or for someone hard to please, don’t forget to take a look at some of the offerings from our locally-owned businesses. From Main Avenue Fallbrook and Old Town Temecula to historic downtown Escondido, San Marcos, Vista and the communities that surround them, North San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties are full of one-of-kind shops that offer crafts, antiques, art, and unusual gifts that often simply can’t be found any p... Full story
Last week we returned to the Capitol where I joined Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to welcome our colleagues for a brief and mostly ceremonial session to begin the 2019-2020 legislative session. We have now adjourned for the holidays, but will return Jan. 7 when the new session really begins. The previous day, Governor Brown held a reception at the old Leland Stanford Mansion for new and returning members. Since his historic last term will soon be ending, I’d like to take t... Full story
Last week the Assembly Select Committee on Wine and also the Governmental Organization Committee met in San Diego to discuss issues facing California’s wine industry. The bipartisan committees heard from local vintners, the San Diego County Vintners Association, the Wine Institute, the Association of African-American Vintners and the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control. Discussions ranged from complex interstate commerce issues, legal matters, regulations and enf... Full story
The holidays are here, the elections are behind us and the Legislature is out of session. But if the need arises, my office is here to help. Since joining the Legislature six years ago, my district and capitol offices have assisted constituents dealing with a vast array of situations that can arise when people interact with the state. We have direct access to legislative liaisons throughout California’s extensive bureaucracy, and often a quick phone call can cut through the b... Full story
The Legislature will convene Dec. 3 for one day to swear in new members and start the 2019-2020 two-year session that will begin in earnest Jan. 7. Big changes are coming to Sacramento. First of all, Gavin Newsom will be our new Governor, with a partisan balance in the Legislature that has shifted more heavily toward the Democrats, who will have a two-thirds super-majority in both houses. Politics aside, this region will have unprecedented clout in the new session. Senator... Full story
Over the past year I have been honored to recognize dozens of organizations and individuals that protect and serve the public, assist those in need, educate our youth and help keep our local economy humming. Following are just a few examples of what makes this such a special place. Charity for Charity in Temecula, my “Nonprofit of the Year,” reaches out to individuals suffering from life-threatening illness or serious injury to offer support, fulfill dreams and to provide hop... Full story
As a member of the bipartisan Assembly Select Committee on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, chaired by Assemblyman Jim Frazier (D – Fairfield), I invite you to complete a brief survey about the services offered by the state’s 21 Regional Centers. We are currently undertaking this survey for clients and parents/caregivers about California’s Regional Centers to help ensure that members of the state’s I/DD community receive the care they deserve and the state provide...
The Department of Motor Vehicles has been in the news a lot recently. Problems have included long wait times, computer crashes, and voter registration errors. The DMV is just one of many state agencies in need of modernization. This session I introduced legislation that would require all state agencies, the DMV and the legislature included, to adopt innovative new technologies aimed at increasing efficiency, enhancing cyber security and providing better public service and tran...
