Op-Eds

Summer is fast approaching, for many a time to take out the boat and head for the ocean, the nearest lake, or over to The River. But there’s more to boating than just recreation. The industry supports thousands of jobs, and has a major impact on our state’s overall economy.   California is one of the top ten boating states in the nation. Recreational boating has a $13 billion annual economic impact on California’s economy, supports over 41,000 jobs and over 2,800 businesses statewide. More than 700,000 boats are registered in California, and contrary to what many may think, boating is not… read more
March is Women’s History Month, and it serves as an important reminder of the progress we’ve made in the past 100 years. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified granting women the right to vote nationally. California had granted women the right to vote in 1911, but it wasn’t until 1918 that the first four women were elected to the Legislature. Women’s Suffrage was not a partisan issue. When the 19th Amendment passed Congress, over 80% of Republicans and 50% of Democrats supported the measure in both houses. Nor was it a male vs. female issue. In some states, including Colorado and Oklahoma… read more
I am a strong advocate for expanded access to healthcare, including mental health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatments.  These issues frequently come before the Assembly Health Committee, where I serve as Vice Chair. This session I introduced Assembly Bill 1944, which seeks to create a safe pathway for patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases seeking investigational treatments designed just for them, despite the usual costly and extremely time-consuming FDA approval process.  I also supported SB 496, which requires health insurers including Medi-Cal to cover biomarker testing that… read more
The placement of Sexually Violent Predators (SVPs) in rural areas of California, including San Diego County, is an ongoing problem. Since the 75th Assembly District covers most of rural northern and eastern San Diego County, I am very pleased to join Senator Brian Jones (R – San Diego) as co-author of Senate Bill 1074. In San Diego County, SVPs have been placed in Jacumba Hot Springs, Campo, Boulevard, Borrego Springs and other locations, often in residential neighborhoods or near parks and schools .Currently, the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) oversees placement and contracts with… read more
San Diego County’s tribal communities are all located within the 75th Assembly District – we have more sovereign tribal governments than any county in the nation. Their safety, security and prosperity are very important to me, and for our region. That’s why the second annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) summit, which took place in Sacramento February 12th and 13th, was so important. The event was sponsored by the Yurok Tribe and the Wilton Rancheria from Northern California. Participants included state legislators, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, U.S. Senator Alex… read more
Surveys indicate that 70% of Californians see homelessness as a big problem. That’s understandable since almost one half of all unsheltered homeless persons live in California, though we have only about 12% of the nation’s total population. Over the past three years, our homeless population increased by over 22,000 persons, to almost 174,000. In San Diego County, the homeless population increased by 10% in the last year alone. California spent $20 billion on the problem in recent years, but homelessness has only gotten worse. Immediate action must be taken. That’s why I joined Senator Brian… read more
February is American Heart Month, and this year February 2nd was National Wear Red for Women Day, which encourages people to wear red to help raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases. This year the Legislative Women’s Caucus has again supported a Senate Concurrent Resolution to recognize women’s heart health in the month of February.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that cardiovascular diseases are the nation’s leading cause of death for men and women. 44% of women are living with some type of heart disease, but only about 56% recognize heart disease as… read more
In 1967, many state hospitals serving persons with mental illnesses were closed, but local programs to address their needs were inadequate. In 1991, oversight of mental healthcare was placed under county control, but by 2004 it was evident that this realignment hadn’t improved the situation. In 2004 voters approved Proposition 63, the California Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). The MHSA focuses on developing programs aimed at prevention and early intervention, housing, supported employment, as well as training mental health professionals, along with technology and infrastructure for… read more
I recently joined several legislators to tour the site of the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire disaster in 100 years, which stuck much of Butte County in 2018. The fire resulted in 85 deaths, covered almost 240 square miles, and almost totally destroyed the towns of Paradise, Concow and other communities. Sadly, this tragic death toll was surpassed in 2023 by fires that engulfed Maui, with almost 100 dead and many still missing. Our region is no stranger to wildfires. Most of us remember the Cedar, Witch, Cocos, Guejito, Rice and Lilac fires which devastated much of San Diego County. In the… read more
I introduced AB 1031 in 2017 to establish the Native California Wildlife Rehabilitation Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund. The legislation allows taxpayers filing their returns to voluntarily ‘check off’ a specified amount to fund wildlife rescue organizations throughout the state. However, since the program expires this year, last week I introduced AB 1828 so that the voluntary wildlife rehab fund can continue until 2032.  Since 2018, taxpayers have contributed $2 million through the fund to help support California’s non-profit animal rehabilitation organizations, many of which receive… read more