Op-Eds
As you know, we had an election on November 5th, and due to term limits, I will be leaving office. Carl DeMaio will be your new Assemblyman, and when he officially takes the oath on December 2nd, my 12 years in the Assembly will come to an end.
Going forward, a lot remains to be done. Since most of our state’s legislators come from the big metropolitan areas – Los Angeles and the Bay Area – making sure they pay attention to the rest of California is a must.
We need to enhance public safety by reducing drug abuse and taking criminals off the street. We also must treat mental illness which… read more
Proposition 28, approved by 61% of California’s voters in 2012, established our current term limit system. California legislators may serve a total of twelve years -- Senate terms are 4 years and Assembly terms are two. I’m now finishing my 6th Assembly term – my 12th and final year. Prior to 2012, legislators could serve a total of 14 years, but only three terms in either house.
There are 99 legislative chambers throughout the 50 states. Of these, 16 states have enacted term limits, including California. According to a report by Ballotpedia, 77 state senators and 102 state assemblymembers… read more
A legislator’s duties in Sacramento include introducing and voting on legislation and state budgets that impact the lives of millions. Though this gets the most attention, another major responsibility involves assisting constituents who need help dealing with the state’s massive, and at times, very inefficient bureaucracy. That responsibility falls to the District Office (DO).
I’m very proud that over the past 12 years my DO handled over 20,000 cases that have been submitted to us by constituents. These involve problems with multiple state agencies including the Department of Motor Vehicles… read more
It’s been my honor to serve the people of the 75th Assembly District for the past 12 years. With extensive agricultural areas, deserts and mountains, including all 18 of San Diego County’s sovereign Indian tribal nations, we are one of the most diverse regions in California.
My legislation has been a reflection of the district’s unique character. For example, much of this region is considered a high or very high fire hazard severity zone. During the Lilac Fire in December, 2017, the Rancho Monserate community in Fallbrook was devastated. Due to archaic state laws that didn’t recognize… read more
The legislative special session called to rein in high gas prices has adjourned. A bill that supporters claim will help prevent gasoline price spikes by increasing reserves, AB X2-1, passed on a party-line vote. Unfortunately the bill, along with other measures that could be implemented soon, may have the opposite effect.
The measure is aimed at preventing price spikes when refineries temporarily shut down for maintenance, creating fuel shortages and driving up prices. However, the California Energy Commission studied the issue and determined that creating/maintaining the reserves could… read more
Red Ribbon Week -- October 23rd to 31st, delivers a strong anti-drug message to school children nationwide. I strongly support this annual program, and once again this year my office is distributing thousands of Red Ribbon certificates to students throughout the 75th Assembly District.
In 2022, there were almost 11,000 overdose deaths in California, and Fentanyl was a major cause. The number of overdose deaths in San Diego County fell from 1,300 in 2022 to 1,203 last year, but Fentanyl overdoses still caused 749 deaths last year. According to San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan… read more
The 2023-2024 regular session of the Legislature adjourned August 31st. For better or worse, over the past two years we’ve debated 4,821 bills. This year, over 1,200 bills passed both houses and were sent to the Governor. He vetoed 15.7%. And last year, 1,100 bills reached the Governor, and his veto rate was 14.9%.
3,291 of these bills originated in the Assembly, and 1,530 were Senate bills. 1,420 bills created a state mandate for a local program, in some cases without providing state reimbursement. As a former city council member and supporter of local control, I am not a fan of… read more
We’ll soon have another tool to help reduce the ongoing threat of wildfires. My bill, AB 1819, passed both houses of the Legislature without opposition, and was signed into law by the Governor September 22nd.
Since 1990, local jurisdictions have been able to create Infrastructure Financing Districts (IFDs) to pay for regional public works projects. IFDs can divert a small portion of the yearly incremental increase in property tax revenues for up to 30 years to finance highways, transit, water and sewer systems, and other projects. Until now, IFDs have not been available to fund local… read more
The State Legislature adjourned for the year August 31st, but a special session to deal with gas prices has been called. Several proposals are on the table.
One proposal would require refiners to withhold fuel from the market to build up reserves and serve as a cushion against price spikes. But there are debates regarding this proposal. The California Energy Commission has reviewed the plan and warned that withholding gasoline to create the reserve may actually cause shortages and drive up costs.
California is the nation’s 7th largest oil producing state. The oil we use is either produced… read more
San Diego County has made great strides to safeguard itself against California’s recurring drought cycle. For example, in 1991, 95% of our water was imported by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). By 2023, only 14% of our water was imported by the MWD. Diversification efforts included building the Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination plant in Carlsbad, increased conservation, an agreement to import water from the Imperial Irrigation District, and other measures. By 2045, it’s projected that only 8% of our water will be imported by the MWD.
But it’s a different story statewide. Most of our… read more