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.... — Updated 7/9/2024

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 inc... — Updated 6/21/2024

This year, the “House of Origin Deadline” was May 24, 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 receiv... — Updated 6/10/2024

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 1. But many may not know that the California... — Updated 6/5/2024

Last week, the Governor released his “May Revise,” which is based on revenues received since January when the preliminary $291.5 billion budget proposal ($208.7 General Fund) was released. The Revise now estimates a $27 billion budget deficit, even though a report from the Leg... — Updated 5/29/2024

Encouraging young women to fulfill their life’s potential by taking full advantage of available educational opportunities is one of my passions. As a member of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, I am happy to spread the word about the Minerva Scholarship program, established by the W... — Updated 5/23/2024

As you know, the placement of Sexually Violent Predators (SVPs) in rural areas of California, including San Diego County, has been an ongoing problem. SVPs have been placed in Jacumba Hot Springs, Campo, Boulevard, Borrego Springs and other locations, often near homes, parks and... — Updated 5/13/2024

Millions of children and young adults throughout the nation are active social media users. Last week two bills dealing with social media’s impact on child and adolescent mental health passed the Assembly Health Committee. Worldwide, there are 34 social media platforms, with at l... — Updated 4/25/2024

There are 99 legislative chambers throughout the 50 states. Of these, 16 states have enacted term limits, including California. Other term limited states include Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, Arizona, Kansas and Nevada. Proposition 28, which was approved by 61% of... — Updated 4/11/2024

California is the country’s leading agricultural state. In recognition of the importance of agriculture to our economy, ceremonies recognizing Ag Day were held at the State Capitol March 19. California has over 83,000 farms and ranches, 4 percent of the nation’s total. But we pro... — Updated 3/30/2024

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. Cal... — Updated 3/29/2024

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 was... — Updated 3/17/2024

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 annua... — Updated 3/4/2024

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 – S... — Updated 3/4/2024

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 hom... — Updated 2/22/2024

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 t... — Updated 2/15/2024

I recently joined several legislators to tour the site of the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire disaster in 100 years, which struck 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,... — Updated 2/15/2024

I have operated my own small business for 30 years, and eliminating burdensome regulations that get in the way of business formation and success were major reasons I first ran for public office. These efforts have continued throughout my time in the Legislature, and I am very... — Updated 2/15/2024

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 sta... — Updated 2/15/2024

Bills passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor usually go into effect January 1st of the following year. Here are just a few: Business-related laws California’s hourly minimum wage will increase to $16 for most workers on January 1st and to $20 for fast food workers i... — Updated 2/15/2024

Two years ago, California had a surplus of almost $100 billion – no state in history had ever amassed such a huge surplus. But we spent that money on things like high speed rail, billions to solve homelessness that only got worse, and at least $30 billion in fraudulent u... — Updated 2/15/2024

A study by the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission shows that 35 billion gallons of toxic waste water has flowed across the border through the Tijuana River this year; and more than 100 billion gallons since 2018. Local beaches were forced to close and local... — Updated 2/15/2024

California has almost one-third of the nation’s homeless population despite having only 12% of the U.S. population. In recent years, we have thrown $20 billion at the problem, yet homelessness is growing. In fact, it’s gotten so much worse that we have become a national emb... — Updated 2/15/2024

The Legislature adjourned September 14th, and the Governor had until October 14th to sign or veto all legislation. Of the 2,668 bills introduced, 1,046 made it to his desk. He signed 890 and vetoed 156. Many of the bills he signed will have significant impacts, though they... — Updated 11/21/2023