California has long been recognized for its unfriendly business climate. During the pandemic, a bad situation got worse when the state forced thousands of mostly small businesses to shut down, driving many companies into bankruptcy and forcing layoffs for thousands of workers. The last thing we need now are more laws imposing greater burdens on the businesses that survived, and in many cases are still trying to recover.
On March 28th, the Native American Caucus held a hearing in Sacramento to discuss fentanyl’s impact on tribal communities and to raise awareness along with identifying solutions to the crisis. As a member of the Caucus, I was extremely honored to take part in this eye-opening discussion.
Ensuring the well-being of our pets and wildlife is one of my big priorities in Sacramento. I am a trained Project Wildlife Native Songbird Rehabilitator, and my experience raising orphaned and injured songbirds and returning them to the wild has guided me in legislation I introduce and support. I’m happy to report that most of that legislation has been signed into law.
There are over 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the United States. About 5,100 babies are born with Down syndrome each year, about one in every 772 births, making it the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition.
California is the country’s leading agricultural state, followed by Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Kansas. This year, March 21st was declared AG Day in the State Capitol to help recognize the vital contributions of agriculture to the state’s economy.
California’s high-speed rail project keeps chugging along, despite cost overruns, construction delays, and forgotten promises.
Gas prices are rising again and some are predicting $7 gas by this summer. We can’t let that happen. The Governor has called a Special Joint Legislative Session to deal with the problem, but the proposals on the table would make matters worse.
Gas prices are rising again and Californians need relief. Completely eliminating our highest-in-the-nation gas tax would be an important step, but that’s a non-starter as far as the Sacramento majority is concerned. But, with the Governor’s approval, other steps can be taken immediately.
San Diego County has more tribal governments than any other county in the nation. Since these communities are all located within the 75th Assembly District, tribal issues are very important to me, especially regarding their safety and prosperity.
For years California has had the nation’s highest energy costs. Recent price increases for natural gas have added to the misery, and have led to renewed interest in the California Public Utilities Commission, which has held hearings on the price increases under its authority to regulate and oversee utilities.