The Toni Times | August 2024
It’s August! That means we’re starting the last full month of summer, and I hope you are still able to enjoy all that this time of year has to offer. Parks After Dark is one great summer event that runs through August 17, so there’s still time for some summer fun.
August starts the homestretch of the legislative session in Sacramento. All remaining bills have to be passed by August 31. Then the Governor will have until September 30 to make his decision to sign or veto the final bills he receives.
The Senate and Assembly already passed two of the biggest bills of the year in July—education and water bond ballot measures that will be decided by voters in November.
These bond measures focus on bringing our state’s classrooms and campuses into the 21st Century and investing in wildfire prevention and recovery, clean water, and addressing the impacts of climate change. There’s more about ballot measures later in the newsletter.
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since voters approved the historic water bond I led as Speaker of the Assembly. It’s gratifying that every region of the state has benefitted from the funding and projects from the 2014 bond. But the need for clean, reliable water for 40 million Californians is always going to be a priority.
When I cast my last vote at the end of session on August 31, it will be the final time I vote as a member of the Legislature (assuming there is no emergency session—knock on wood). It will be a bittersweet time. In many ways, each vote will be a reminder of other challenges—how far we’ve come on some issues, and how far we still have to go on others.
If anyone had told me when I first ran for the Legislature 14 years ago that I would end up serving as either Speaker of the Assembly or President pro Tem of the Senate , let alone both, I probably would have said “tell me another one.”
But all things come to an end, and—like summer—I intend to make the most of every moment up to the very end and beyond. Happy summer, and here’s to all the good things that lie ahead!
Toni
Before the Legislature left for our summer recess, we finalized the propositions that the Senate and Assembly have added to the November ballot. These propositions include:
- Prop 2, a bond measure supporting school facility modernization, repair, and safety.
- Prop 3, which would amend the California Constitution to protect marriage equality.
- Prop 4, a bond measure supporting California’s climate programs.
- Prop 5, which would amend the California Constitution to allow a city, county, or special district, to incur bond indebtedness or impose specified special taxes to fund public infrastructure, affordable housing, and supportive housing projects with 55% voter approval.
- Prop 6, which would amend the California Constitution to ban slavery in any form and remove the exception that allows involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
To learn more about these measures and other propositions voters will be able to weigh in on in November, visit the California Secretary of State’s website.
In just a few days, we will return from our summer recess to continue working to pass important pieces of legislation before our August 31st deadline. My colleagues and I are working hard to address the issues facing California – though there will be some late nights and difficult negotiations ahead, I have faith that we will accomplish a lot of good for our great state.
I am continuing to work on several pieces of legislation that are currently in the Assembly. My SB 1213 and SB 1342 are awaiting hearing by the Assembly Appropriations committee. SB 1213 would expand eligibility for programs that provide free breast and cervical cancer screenings and treatment to lower income Californians. SB 1342 would streamline two energy and water projects in the San Diego region. My SB 450, which awaits a vote on the Assembly floor, addresses challenges with SB 9 implementation to give homeowners the tools to build intergenerational wealth and increase California’s housing supply.
California, along with the rest of the country, has experienced record high temperatures this year. We have already had numerous wildfires throughout the state, and the risk of more dangerous wildfires will continue to increase as we move into the peak of California’s wildfire season.
Living near California’s natural areas means facing a higher chance of wildfires. Knowing how to prepare is key to keeping your home and family safe.
In a wildfire disaster, homes are ignited by embers, flames and/or radiant heat. Embers pose the greatest threat as wind can carry them ahead of a fire front, igniting spot fires in and around residential areas. Embers can spread up to five miles, and 90% of all wildfire home damage is caused by traveling embers.
CAL FIRE stresses a three-pronged approach to protecting your property:
- Home hardening involves taking proactive steps to prevent the spread of a wildfire and minimize any fire impact. This includes assessing roofs, chimneys, windows, vents, gutters, eaves, patios, decks, garages, fences, walls and siding.
- Creating defensible spaces, consisting of three zones. In each zone, the intensity of vegetation management increases as you get closer to your home. The goal is to start at your house and work outward, reaching up to 100 feet or your property line.
- Developing a fire-smart landscape goes beyond just maintaining a neat yard. It involves choosing and properly placing fire-resistant plants that thrive in California’s dry climate. Fire-smart landscaping is cost-effective too, as it conserves water and can increase your property value.
For specific details on each of these fire prevention strategies, visit readyforwildfire.org. The website also includes valuable tips to prepare your home and family for potential evacuation.
The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) recently announced that 1,700 first-generation homebuyers have been conditionally approved for the second round of the Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan program, which I helped create in 2022. The program provides potential homebuyers with vouchers offering up to 20% of a home’s value for down payment and closing cost assistance. To date, the program has assisted nearly 4,000 low-to-moderate income families become first-time homebuyers.
Last year, the vouchers in the first round were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, and there was such a demand that within eleven days all the $300 million funding was gone. CalHFA used a random selection process to ensure all 18,000 applicants had an equal chance at receiving funding from the $255 million available from the second round.
The second round of Dream For All has focused on first-generation homebuyers – those whose parents did not own a home, and therefore did not have the opportunity to experience the various social and economic benefits that homeownership provides, such as building generational wealth.
Voucher recipients have 90 days to find a home using Dream For All down payment assistance. When recipients sell or refinance the home, they will repay the initial amount of assistance, plus up to 20% of any increase in the home’s value. Those proceeds will then be used to fund the next round of homeowners, continuing the cycle of expanded homeownership opportunities.
For more information on Dream For All Program, click here.
In 1974, the first Pride march in San Diego was unpermitted with LGBTQ+ community members walking on sidewalks. Some had paper bags over their heads to protect their anonymity. Organizers obtained a permit in 1975, and attracted about 400 marchers. In 1994, San Diego Pride became incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit. It was an honor to present Pride with a Senate Resolution commemorating their 50th Anniversary! Thank you to the organizers, volunteers, awardees, and the founding leadership who made it all possible. Happy Pride, San Diego!
LEAGUE AT&T is one of the oldest LGBTQ employee resource groups in corporate America, and it was great to join them during San Diego Pride weekend! They highlighted our very own Lambda Archives of San Diego.
I joined Mayor Todd Gloria and the San Diego Area Chapter of the National Organizations for Women to reaffirm my strong support of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I’ve been a longtime advocate for the ERA and was thrilled that my home state of Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA in 2020!
The San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is the county’s longest running event, drawing about one million visitors a year, and is just one of many events undertaken by the State’s 22nd District Agricultural Association. Their infrastructure investments also protect our region’s coastlines and environmental ecosystems – like the recent $15 million storm water quality project to keep contaminated water from polluting local streams, lagoons and the Pacific Ocean.
Team Toni kicked off Pride week by celebrating the 10th Anniversary of She Fest with a Senate Resolution! This event brings together community and centers 2SLGBTQ+ women, and non-binary folks through music, workshops, and empowering programs.
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