February 2018 Newsletter
California’s economy continues to be strong, and that’s reflected in the 2018-19 state budget that Governor Jerry Brown proposed on January 10th. The Governor’s finance team estimates that the budget will benefit from a surplus of $6.1 billion this year.
However, I know all too well how quickly a surplus can turn into a deficit, so we must proceed carefully.
The day before the Governor proposed his budget, my colleagues in the Senate’s Democratic Caucus officially selected me to be the next Senate President pro Tempore. I am scheduled to be sworn into office on March 21, meaning I’ll be in position to represent the Senate in budget negotiations later in the spring before the budget is finalized in June.
With Governor Jerry Brown
For now, the Governor is proposing a $131.7-billion General Fund budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2018. From his perspective, the top highlight is the ability to add $5 billion to the Rainy Day Fund that voters created in 2014, bringing that fund to $13.5 billion and our total reserves to $15.8 billion. Adding significantly to the Rainy Day Fund to help protect vital state programs in the event of another economic downturn is the right course.
And there’s a lot to like about the proposed budget in addition to the large amount of money we can save for later. Here are a few highlights:
- Nearly $4 billion more will be sent to our K-12 public schools to invest in our children’s education, bringing the total to $78.3 billion. Last year’s increase was $3.1 billion.
- The budget includes more than $277 million for special education, including $167 million to expand access to preschool for children with special needs and $100 million to recruit special-education teachers.
- Community colleges would receive $570 million more, including $120 million for online education – for members of our workforce seeking to improve their prospects with additional education.
- The budget extends for five years our California Competes Tax Credit program, which has awarded $622 million in credits to 865 companies to create 83,000 jobs, including nearly 150 San Diego County businesses. The program would be able to award $180 million in credits each year, and San Diego always does well.
- We saw again this year how devastating wildfire can be. Our ability to protect people and homes would benefit from an additional $760 million.
- Our court system would receive an increase of $150 million, which it badly needs, and $131 million would be spent improving conditions in our correctional facilities.
- The budget includes $4.6 billion for transportation infrastructure from passage of SB 1. Combined with $2.8 billion in the current budget, that’s $7.4 billion for local roads, highways and transit by June 2019. Already, more than $243 million in repair work has been approved for San Diego County alone.
- If voters pass a $4-billion parks-and-water bond in June and a $4-billion affordable-housing bond in November, we’ll have $1 billion for parks and water, and $280 million for affordable housing to allocate in the next fiscal year alone.
The Governor’s proposal is the first step in a six-month budget process. In the months ahead, the Senate and Assembly will hold detailed hearings covering all aspects of state revenues and expenditures, the Governor will present a revised budget based on changes in economic conditions and legislative priorities, and then a final budget will be passed, reflecting negotiations between the Governor and legislative leaders.
Some of the final numbers will differ from the Governor’s early proposal, but I am confident that this will be another in a string of annual budgets that will have positive impacts in San Diego and California.
In January, I began introducing pieces of my 2018 legislative package, and I started with two ideas that I pushed for in recent years – I am not giving up on them.
The first one ensures that low-income women in California who suffer from breast or cervical cancer, and are uninsured or underinsured, receive the treatment they need for their cancer.
In 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown signed my bill AB 1795, which expanded cancer treatment by lowering the minimum eligibility age for symptomatic women to receive breast-cancer screening, and by providing treatment for women who experience a recurrence of cancer regardless of whether or not it appears in the same part of the body as the first occurrence.
Announcing AB 1795 in 2016
There was originally a third piece of AB 1795 that wasn’t in the final version of the bill that passed the Legislature – repealing arbitrary time limits in the state’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program. Currently, the program stops treatment after 18 months for breast cancer and 24 months for cervical cancer, regardless of medical need. There’s no rational reason for that. Some patients need treatment for longer periods, and we should provide it.
The second bill I’ve introduced is similar to one I authored last year that was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee. It requires all hotels and motels in California to train their employees how to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report them to law enforcement.
Sex and labor trafficking are forms of slavery, and traffickers are hiding in plain sight. The more people on the front lines we can teach to spot human trafficking, the more we can stop it from happening.
In February, I’ll be introducing several additional bills. Watch for details in the next edition of The Toni Times.
Last year, California was extremely fortunate to have received a large amount of essential rainfall in the winter and spring. According to the San Diego County Water Authority, by the beginning of January 2018, both the San Vicente and Olivenhain reservoirs that serve as local sources of our water supply were measured at 75% capacity.
Our region has worked hard to conserve water during the last few years, and we have been very successful in protecting our local resources. While we have also diversified our water sources, it’s important for us to remain mindful of the implications of climate change and the unpredictability of our weather patterns.
It’s up to us to stay vigilant and continue conserving as we head into a time of inconsistent rainfall and temperature. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, Southern California – especially San Diego – has been abnormally dry this winter (www.drought.gov/drought/states/california).
For more information about how to conserve and what you can do to help, please visit the San Diego County Water Authority’s “Live WaterSmart” program at http://livewatersmart.sdcwa.org/. There you will find information about landscape design and maintenance, water-efficient plants, finding and fixing leaks, tips on plumbing fixtures, and drought survival for gardens. In addition, you can also learn about rebate incentives.
In January, the state Department of Motor Vehicles began issuing driver’s licenses that comply with new federal aviation security regulations. The new license is called a REAL ID, and it’s the only driver’s license that, in a couple of years from now, will allow you to board a domestic flight.
But don’t worry, you have plenty of time. You may use your current driver’s license to board an airplane, as long as it hasn’t expired, until October 1st, 2020. And if you never get a REAL ID, you’ll be able to board a plane with a valid passport.
In order to be issued a REAL ID, you’ll need to go to the DMV in person and bring documents that prove you are who you say you are. The DMV has a checklist of acceptable documents and more information at www.dmv.ca.gov.
If your driver’s license expires before October 2020, a good time to get a REAL ID is just before your current license is set to expire. If it’s set to expire before October 2020, and you plan to fly after October 2020, you’ll need to get a REAL ID before then. The DMV would like to avoid mass rushes right now and right before the deadline in 2020, so you should wait, but until the last minute.
San Diego doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves for its cultural offerings. Our theater scene is world-class, and our museums are wonderful. And February brings special opportunities to experience what some of our most thought-provoking arts organizations are doing.
Seeing Escape to Margaritaville with my spouse, Jennifer
It’s such a special experience when I’m able to take in a play, such as when I saw the amazing Escape to Margaritaville last year at the La Jolla Playhouse. And I feel so lucky to live near Balboa Park, home to 17 museums and cultural institutions.
San Diego Theater Week, organized by the San Diego Performing Arts League, runs from February 15th through 25th, providing a unique chance to see live plays produced by companies ranging from the renowned La Jolla Playhouse and The Old Globe, to smaller, edgier companies like MOXIE Theatre and Diversionary Theatre, to plucky community groups like OB Playhouse and Coronado Playhouse – and everything in between.
More than a dozen local companies are taking part with specially priced shows. Visit http://www.sandiegotheatreweek.com for details.
And February is Museum Month in San Diego. Organized by the San Diego Museum Council, the promotion offers half-price admission to 45 different museums and other cultural institutions throughout the months. Go to https://www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org for all the information.
Enrich yourself in February!
In recognition of Black History Month in February, we celebrate the outstanding contributions African-Americans have made in our nation. The rich history of our African-American community, from those names that we know well to those that we will never hear, continues to be a significant piece of the fabric of our society.
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I rise.”
— Maya Angelou, 1928 - 2014
My district staff is always available to help constituents navigate a complex web of state agencies.
Back in November, a community group in the 39th Senate District applied to become a charitable trust, and they had the opportunity to seek a grant for their projects. However, they needed to be a bona-fide nonprofit in order to qualify. The deadline for the grant was looming, yet they still didn’t have approval on their nonprofit status.
They approached my office, asking if we could get the application expedited. We contacted the Registry of Charitable Trusts within the Department of Justice. Registry officials asked the group to send an explanation and the name of grant they were seeking, and within a week, the Registry was able to process the group’s application, qualifying them for the grant.
If you’re having trouble working out an issue with any state agency, please call my office at 619-645-3133, and my staff will do everything in their power to help.
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My District Staff |
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My district office is located at 1350 Front St., Room 4061, San Diego, CA 92101.
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