As the constitutionally mandated June 15th deadline for passing a balanced budget nears, discussions in Sacramento about spending priorities are ramping up.

Devastation from California’s wildfires has been at record levels in recent years. Last year our wildfire season resulted in over 4 million acres burned in 9,600 fires -- 31 people died. The economic costs to homeowners, utilities, ratepayers, insurers and local governments has been catastrophic.

This year I am joining Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D – Arleta) to author Assembly Joint Resolution 5 (AJR 5), to urge the federal government to place a roundup moratorium on the state’s free-roaming horses and burros.

Arbor Day is April 30th, an observance that began in 1872 when the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture adopted a resolution creating a day set aide to plant trees. The holiday spread throughout the United States and is observed in many countries around the world. California’s observance is March 7th, and coincides with the birthday of botanist Luther Burbank. Today, many communities organize tree-planting and litter-collecting events to coincide with the holiday.

The Employment Development Department (EDD) has been mired in crisis for more than a year now. The massive backlog in unemployment claim processing hasn’t really budged, millions of daily calls go unanswered, fraud is rampant -- estimated  at $11 to $31 billion, and appeals can take over three months; the failure list is long.

This year California observed AG Day on March 22nd; a day we celebrate our state's unique contributions to the nation’s food supply. It’s also an opportunity for me to remind legislators from north of the Tehachapi Mountains that our region helps make California the country’s leading agricultural state.

We all know, public safety was front and center last year, and will continue to be a big issue this year. This includes things like officer records, officer training, and oversight, to name a few. The Covid outbreak within our prison system was not handled well, with well-reported outbreaks and deaths amongst prison staff, including correctional officers, and those incarcerated.

SACRAMENTO – Yesterday Assemblymember Marie Waldron, R-Escondido, honored Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce CEO Lila MacDonald as the 2021 Woman of the Year for the 75th Assembly District. “Lila MacDonald lives and breathes the Fallbrook community,” said Waldron. “From Honorary Mayor to CEO of the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce, Lila MacDonald embodies the spirit of Fallbrook.”

As co-chair of the Assembly Rare Disease caucus, we recognize the struggle of patients and their families living with rare diseases. Among these are almost 7,000 diseases and conditions considered rare, with 80 percent of those considered ultra-rare.

Wildfires are an ever-present threat in California. Last year was the worst on record with over 4.2 million acres burned. As we can all remember, local fires such as the Cedar, Witch, Cocos, Guejito, and Lilac fires have devastated this region as well. We’ve been spending billions trying to prevent and fight wildfires, but the situation has worsened. What we’ve been doing simply hasn’t worked.