Op-Eds
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.
Adolescence is a critical period of development, which is why safety measures and guidelines are so important. The California Department of Justice has an extensive list of measures families can take to protect their children online. Their common sense recommendations… read more
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a call from the Director of State Hospitals just prior to the start of the rally announcing that the placement had been withdrawn.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.
It shouldn’t be necessary for communities to hold rallies, mount letter writing campaigns and enlist support from elected officials to prevent SVPs from being placed in residential neighborhoods where they… read more
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:
Drug testing kits must now be made available in bars to prevent date-rapes and drink spiking
Second Amendment impacts include an 11% tax on all firearms and ammunition sold in California; credit card payment networks will be required to provide a unique identifying code for merchants that sell firearms and ammunition
Landlords will no longer be allowed to ask for security deposits greater than a single month’s rent
Employers will now… read more
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.
Because of their gentle dispositions and submissive natures, nearly 96% of dogs used in research are beagles. In the US, more than 60,000 dogs and nearly 20,000 cats are being used… read more
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.
Trailers that passed last week included a bill that will establish a permanent foster care provider rate structure based on the needs of the child. Rates will follow the child, not the placement location. Legislation involving Developmental Services for the disabled will increase opportunities for regional center consumers… read more
For over 10,000 years, the Luiseño people have lived in the San Luis Rey Valley. Historically, their villages extended along the coastline, and inland along the San Luis Rey River. The largest recorded village was known as Topomai, located in what is now Camp Pendleton. Other historic villages to the east included Páume (Pauma) and Palé (Pala).
The current route of SR 76 was the main path the Luiseños used during their seasonal migrations back and forth from the ocean to the mountains. The historic and cultural significance of this transportation corridor deserves special recognition. Last… read more
Last week, the Legislature passed the Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 -2025. The Governor will have until June 30 to sign the budget, which goes into effect July 1st. Over the coming weeks/months, a series of trailer bills to fund specific programs must be passed, and since the Governor has line-item veto powers, additional programs may still be cut.
The state’s constitution mandates a balanced budget. This budget eliminates the $45 billion deficit for FY 2024-2025, along with the projected $30 billion deficit forecast for 2025-2026. Obviously, cuts are necessary.
Despite these… read more
As with so many issues involving medical research and healthcare, San Diego County is ground zero in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease.
Currently, it is estimated that 84,000 persons are living with Alzheimer’s disease in San Diego County, a number that is expected to increase to 117,000 by 2030. Another 250,000 San Diegans are caring for loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s, which is the county’s third leading cause of death. California now has over 720,000 residents living with the disease, more than any other state. That number is expected to grow by 127 percent over the next 20… read more
This year, the “House of Origin Deadline” was May 24th, the final day for bills to pass the house in which they were first introduced - either the Assembly or the Senate. Any bills that failed to pass by the 24th have died.
Bipartisan bills that benefit all Californians often receive little press attention. This year, these include my bill, AB 1819 (Waldron), authorizing the establishment of Infrastructure Financing Districts in high fire severity zones to finance heavy equipment used for brush clearance, firebreaks, undergrounding utilities and other measures that reduce the threat of… read more
California’s gas taxes are the highest in the nation, and they are set to go even higher. Most of you probably know that we have yearly, built in gas tax increases, and they are scheduled to go up by another two cents per gallon on July 1st.
But many may not know that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) plans to increase gas prices by up to 47 cents a gallon next year, and up to 52 cents in 2026. A hearing on the scheduled increases was scheduled for March, but was postponed.
After Hawaii, Californians are burdened by the nation’s highest cost of living. Unfortunately, this burden… read more