The Toni Times | September 2022
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With the days getting shorter and summer nearing its close, September can often be a pretty melancholy time of year. This year feels different to me, though. First of all, as you read this, the Senate will have adjourned the 2022 legislative session, and I am so excited about all the good work we achieved this year, I don’t think I could feel gloomy if I tried.
Secondly, there is so much work still to do here at home, throughout our state, and across the country, that I don’t think we have the luxury of melancholy. We need movement. The days may be getting shorter, but we have a big job ahead keeping the momentum up and making sure California’s powerful light continues to be a beacon.
I want to start September off right by sending a huge thank you and all respect to the working people who continue to make California a global titan. Happy Labor Day! The rights, safety, and economic well-being of working people must always be a priority. 2022 showed major gains in worker protections, and, with an increase in the minimum wage effective January 1, we continue toward a more realistic, impactful, and equitable wage. Let’s keep rolling!
While this newsletter will go to print before all the final victories can be included, we have clearly made historic gains on climate goals, reproductive rights, and affordable housing. And that’s on top of the bills and the budget we passed earlier this year that are bringing relief, hope, and opportunity to so many Californians. When the dust clears and my eyes reopen, we will be sending out a more detailed account of what the Legislature achieved in the final days of session. Keep an eye on your inbox for that!
September has traditionally meant the official start of election season, but it seems like that season runs 24/7 all year long these days. That said, there are elections coming up all over the country that will determine whether our rights are protected and whether our experiment in representative Democracy succeeds. So please make sure you and everyone you know are registered and vote.
This being an election year also means that we will be losing several Senators due to term limits, including my friend and district neighbor Senator Ben Hueso. Ben has been such a force for San Diego in every position he has had. I will miss him in the Senate, but I am positive our paths will cross anytime there is good work to do for our community!
That’s another reason I’m having trouble feeling melancholy this September. With session adjourned, I will have more time to attend community events. I’m excited about the opportunity to talk with people who love our community, and love our state, and want to make things even better so we can keep that beacon burning.
Hope to see you there!
I’m pleased to share that the following pieces of legislation that I led or co-authored this session have been sent to Governor Newsom to be signed into law.
SB 1375 – Expanding Reproductive Health Services
Abortion is health care—period. And like other medical decisions, it is a private conversation between patients and their health care providers. By allowing trained and qualified nurse practitioners to perform first trimester abortions without the supervision of a physician, SB 1375 would give more people the ability to get the timely, essential care they need from a provider they know and trust—something that is already allowed in nine other states. We need to do everything we can to ensure abortion care is not only protected, but expanded in California. This bill is one important way are doing that.
SB 1041 – Supporting Navy, Marine Families Across California
Coming from a military family, I know the financial sacrifices our service members make in addition to the sacrifices they make for our country. SB 1041 would make permanent the sales tax exemption for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS), so that they can continue to provide financial, educational, and other assistance to more than 14,000 California-based service members, veterans, and military family members.
SB 1027 – Enhancing the San Diego River Conservancy
SB 1027 aims to expand the jurisdictional boundary of the San Diego River Conservancy to include the entire watershed of the San Diego River. The bill would also expand the Conservancy’s governing board to include a member of the El Cajon City Council and amends the definition of tribal nation to directly reference the Kumeyaay Bands associated with the area.
SB 1183 – Creating a Legacy of Children’s Literacy…with help from Dolly!
A deep appreciation of reading is one of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave me. I hope to carry on their legacy by bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to California through SB 1183, which would ensure that our youngest readers can add to their home library every month for free, regardless of how much their parents make or where they live. Dolly said it best when she said, “You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children.”
SB 1311 – Strengthening Consumer Protections for Service Members
I collaborated with Senator Susan Eggman and Attorney General Rob Bonta to serve as a joint author on SB 1311, which will extend additional legal and financial protections for active duty and reserve component service members and their families. They make sacrifices for our country every day and deserve the strongest consumer protections.
SB 1020 and other climate efforts
My colleagues and I also worked hard over the last two years to allocate more than $50 billion to enhance the state’s ability to meet the urgent challenges of climate change, adaptation, and resiliency. That historic investment includes more than $20 billion in additional budget funding, known as a budget trailer bill, that we passed just hours ago for climate and energy funding. I’m looking forward to sharing more on this with you in the coming days!
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Congratulations to Payco Specialties, who I was proud to recognize as the 2022 Small Business of the Year for Senate District 39! Their president, Rebecca Llewellyn, has led the company for nearly 40 years, serving as a mentor to many women in the construction industry.
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In 2015, after more than a century of shared history, San Diego and Panama City officially became Sister Cities. This August, I was thrilled to join the Consul General of Panama, Gilda García Lopez, and others to celebrate our close relationship and open the doors to the House of Panama in Balboa Park.
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The grand opening of the House of Chamorros in Balboa Park was a joyous celebration of the Chamorro people, the Indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, including Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.
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HRC San Diego’s Gala was a fantastic celebration of our LGBTQ+ community and all the work we’re doing in our continued fight for equality. A special congratulations to Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition, who was honored with the Equality Award; and Leo Sheng, who was honored with the Visibility Award!
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It was a pleasure to meet with Rear Admiral Brad Rosen, the new Commander of Navy Region Southwest. I’m certain that with him at the helm, the strong partnership between the Navy and San Diego will continue to grow.
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Team Toni attended Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest’s Summer Sessions program where work inspired by the importance of bodily autonomy was on display from 17 California artists.
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Progress is underway at the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Neurosciences Center, which will become the first San Diego hospital singularly dedicated to caring for patients who need advanced brain and spinal care at one location.
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Two new signs on I-805 now mark the Convoy Asian Cultural District — an historic recognition for the commercial and cultural heart of San Diego’s 433,000+ member Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
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On August 2, neighbors, first responders, and law enforcement got together for National Night Out, an event created to continue fostering positive relationships amongst the community.
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In its 17th year, ArtWalk @ Liberty Station returned to showcase a robust collection of fine art and celebrate the talent of more than 150 artists.
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CityFest returned to Hillcrest last month, filling the streets with music and art, while uplifting the small businesses that bring so much character to the neighborhood.
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