The regular legislative session ended on August 31st – and a first extraordinary session was opened. The regular new legislative session will begin December 2nd, after the November election. This session a number of important bills impacting public health/safety came before the Assembly Health Committee, where I serve as Vice Chair. Among these are AB 1233, a bill I introduced to help deal with the epidemic of overdose deaths sweeping the state. The bill will help ensure that each tribal nation in California has naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist available to prevent… read more

During my term in the State Legislature, I’ve nominated schools throughout the 75th Assembly District to receive the Barona Education Grant. A $5,000 grant from the Barona Band of Mission Indians is made available to one school in each State Senate District, each State Assembly District and from each State Executive Office Holder. Though the grants are funded by the tribe, they require an endorsement letter from elected office holders, which must accompany each application. The grants, normally due by July 1st of each year, are available to accredited public and private K-12 schools, and can… read more

I am a member of the California Problem Solvers Caucus (CPSC), a bipartisan group of legislators from both houses. The Caucus promotes common sense solutions to the most pressing issues facing our state. Lately, property crime has been escalating throughout California, and the CPSC has been pressing for solutions. I’m happy to report those efforts have begun to bear fruit. In recent weeks a package of legislation that will tighten California laws regarding prosecution and enhanced sentences for criminals passed both houses of the Legislature and has now been signed into law by the Governor… read more

San Diego County ranks third in the nation as a center for the Life Science industry after Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area.  As Vice Chair of Assembly Health Committee and a member of the Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology, I advocate for affordable and accessible life saving innovations that enhance the quality of life for millions of patients.  Overall, California leads the nation in research and development (R&D) investment and labor. Wages paid to life sciences employees in 2023 were $57 billion, with 441,770 directly employed life science workers in the state’s 18,078… read more

Summer and fall are peak fire season. Recent fires include the Nixon Fire in Riverside County, along with the Park Fire in Northern California. And most of us remember the Cedar, Witch, Cocos, Guejito, Rice and Lilac fires that devastated much of the county. Fortunately, important lessons have been learned. We now have better coordination among local, state and tribal fire-fighting agencies. SB 816, a bill I strongly supported, allows state and tribal mutual aid agreements. Last year, the Pala Tribe, the bill’s sponsor, joined with the Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to create the… read more

The July summer recess is over – we re-convened on August 5th. All bills that passed the Senate before the recess will now be reviewed and approved (or not) by the Assembly, and all Assembly bills have been forwarded to the Senate for final consideration. During the July recess, the Governor signed about 80 bills that had already made it to his desk. Over 1,500 bills are still pending, so it’s likely the Governor will receive hundreds more by the time we adjourn. Any legislation with a significant financial impact on the state budget must pass each house’s Appropriations Committee, and that… read more

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