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 each application.

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 those efforts have begun to bear fruit.

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 Assembly Health Committee and a member of the Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology, I advocate for affordable and accessible life saving innovations that enhance the quality of life for millions of patients. 

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.

The July summer recess is over – we re-convened on August 5th. 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.

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.

Last week, a rally of over two hundred people opposed to 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a call from the Director of State Hospitals just prior to the start of the rally announcing that the placement had been withdrawn.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.

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 1st:

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.

The main state budget bill passed prior to the June 15th constitutional deadline, and the Governor will have until June 30th 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.