I was humbled and honored to be sworn in as the 2019 Senate President pro Tempore by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. |
Every other December, the California Legislature begins a two-year session, starting fresh with a batch of new members of the Senate and the Assembly and plenty of new ideas for improving the quality of life in our state. On December 3, we began the 2019-2020 legislative session, looking forward to the next era with a new Governor, Gavin Newsom, starting work in January.
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Reflections on India and Bhutan
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The Taj Mahal is incredible to see close-up. Construction began in 1632! |
Last month, I led a delegation of seven senators to India and Bhutan to strengthen California's ties with two of the fastest-growing economies in the world. We met with our counterparts in state and national government, as well as business leaders in a wide range of fields, to help pave the way for future collaboration on the many mutual challenges we face.
As the largest democracy in the world, with a trillion-dollar economy and a young, well-educated workforce, India will be a leader of global economic growth in the near future. Already, the country is growing rapidly as it invests heavily in public infrastructure and education, and I was struck throughout the trip by the many parallels between California and India.
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DMV Pumps the Breaks on New Uptown Office
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In early December, I received some great news from the state Department of Motor Vehicles: The DMV and the Department of General Services (DGS) have decided to pause their plans to replace the DMV field office in Hillcrest. This is a big victory for the Uptown community.
Back in September 2018, I wrote a letter to the directors of the DMV and DGS, expressing my concern that by pursuing a project that does nothing more than simply update and expand the DMV, they were heading down a road toward a lackluster project and missed opportunities.
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It was a wonderful turnout for the holiday party that Assemblymembers Dr. Shirley Weber and Todd Gloria and I held this year. Once again, our generous community came through and donated a ton of needed items for our homeless neighbors served by the incredible organization Dreams for Change.
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My district staff is always available to help constituents navigate a complex web of state agencies.
Recently, a nurse in Pennsylvania who was moving to San Diego to accept a job at a local hospital contacted my office because he was having issues getting his nursing license transferred to California. He had already put the deposit down on a home in Pacific Beach and had given notice at his previous job.
My staff worked with both states' professional licensing departments, as well as the constituent's state senator in Pennsylvania, to successfully transfer his license to California. It was great to connect with a Senate colleague in another part of the country, especially when it's in the process of giving a new constituent some needed peace of mind. At the same time, we helped address California's nursing shortage, even if it's just by adding one more nurse - every little bit helps!
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I was honored to participate in San Diego's World AIDS Day Tree of Life ceremony, remembering those we've lost and recommitting ourselves to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
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