The Legislature will open on December 7th with the swearing in of all members and start the 2021-2022 session. Though a few bills are likely to introduced, the day is largely ceremonial, and the new session will begin in earnest on January 6th. Next year my priorities will continue to be on the needs of […]
The Legislature recently passed legislation to help prevent wildfires and deal with their aftermath. Two years ago, I supported a bi-partisan plan with then Governor Jerry Brown to increase vegetation clearance funding, and to empower CalFire and the California Department of Forestry to strategically and scientifically thin forest overgrowth, while holding utility companies more accountable […]
Budget Update When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, state revenues began to plummet, while spending on unemployment insurance and social programs increased exponentially. The result — our $21 billion surplus suddenly transformed into a $54.3 billion deficit. The budget that passed on June 15th was the beginning of discussions between the Governor and the Legislature over […]
Governor Newsom’s May Revise budget projection for the coming Fiscal Year shows that the $21 billion surplus we had has become a $54 billion deficit in our state budget! The economic activity that generates tax revenues supporting state programs has collapsed because of Covid-19. We are now in a serious recession, with unemployment levels greater […]
One regulation involves a 55 gallon per day indoor water use limit. Contrary to some news reports, this is not an individual mandate. No one will be told they can’t take a shower or do laundry on the same day. The 55-gallon mandate requires water suppliers to meet that standard over the entire agency. Penalties […]
I recently gave the keynote speech at the State of Reform Health Policy Conference in San Diego, one of the largest, most diverse gatherings of health care executives and policy makers in California. Health care is one of my passions, and as a member of the Assembly Health Committee, I was thrilled to be invited. […]
The Senate Bill 1 gas tax increase promised to fix our crumbling highways and roads. That promise was short-lived. Last month, Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order redirecting the state’s $5 billion annual transportation funds from highway/road repairs toward reducing congestion via “strategies designed to encourage people to shift from cars to other modes of […]
Fortunately, help is on the way. The City of Temecula has just been awarded a $50 million U.S. Department of Transportation Infrastructure & Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant, in support of the Interstate 15/French Valley Pkwy, Phase II Project. The city had already secured $60 million of the total $110 million cost of Phase II. The […]
Auto-related wildfires are a major problem in California. In 2016 and 2017, almost 25% of local wildfires were vehicle-related. The seventh most destructive fire in state history, last year’s Carr Fire in Northern California, killed eight people, burned over 229,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,500 structures. The fire started when sparks caused by a […]
