Speaking about AB 1054 on the Senate floor.

The catastrophic wildfires of 2017 and 2018 were the most deadly and destructive in California history, leading to the deaths of 129 people and the destruction of entire communities. San Diego knows wildfires like these all too well.

As San Diego and all of California enter the hottest months of the year, and peak fire season, Governor Newsom and the Legislature have taken a number of important steps to help prevent those kinds of disasters from happening again. 

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Thank you to Serving Seniors, Feeding San Diego and county Health and Human Services officials for supporting our seniors and residents with disabilities.

In July, I was beyond happy to join several wonderful community organizations at an event to spread some great news about seniors and people with disabilities getting new access to CalFresh, California's assistance program for residents struggling with food insecurity.

Last year, the Legislature and the Governor made Californians who receive supplemental security income (SSI) eligible for CalFresh benefits. The policy change became effective on June 1, 2019 – and on July 23, Serving Seniors, Feeding San Diego, and 2-1-1 San Diego held a special event to assist people with their applications and get the word out through the media.

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It was another amazing Pride Parade in San Diego as a crowd estimated at more than 300,000 people gathered in celebration and solidarity with our LGBTQ community. This year's Pride festivities were especially important because 2019 marks 50 years since the Stonewall Uprising in New York City. It was an honor for me to travel to New York to commemorate the occasion in late June, just as it's an honor for me to participate in San Diego's parade. Thank you to everyone who walked with our team!

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The California Complete Count - Census 2020 Office invites you to a regional convening in San Diego to share information about the state's 2020 Census outreach campaign and how the state is working with local partners to reach the hardest-to-count populations. The public session that goes from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, August 16, will provide attendees with the latest information on outreach efforts and how we can engage in our region.

The Census count is vitally important because it provides the basis for how much federal funding our state receives over the next decade, as well as determining the number of seats in California's congressional delegation. Learn more at www.census.ca.gov.

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In 2018, I partnered with my colleague, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, to pass a bill requiring California companies to include women on their boards of directors.

In support of that effort, our state Treasurer, Fiona Ma, has created a registry of women interested in serving on corporate boards. This registry will be shared with companies in order to help them identify candidates and comply with the law.

Treasurer Ma is inviting interested women who are experienced in banking, public finance, accounting, and executive-level decision-making to join the registry by sending their resumes to her office. She intends to match the resumes to boards that correlate with a person's skill set.

Women who are interested in being included in the registry can contact Xochilt Becerra at the state Treasurer's Office. Her phone number is 916-653-2995, and her email address is Xochilt.Becerra@treasurer.ca.gov.

This year's legislative session reconvenes on August 12. My colleagues and I in the Senate and the Assembly will have just over a month to finish our business for the year and send our bills to the Governor for his signature. Here's a rundown of my legislation this year:

SB 1 – the California Environmental, Public Health, and Workers Defense Act of 2019 – is California's response to the reckless deregulation happening at the federal level. SB 1 ensures that any federal environmental or worker safety standard in place as of January 19, 2017, remains in effect under state law even if the federal government rolls it back. SB 1 cleared the Assembly Natural Resources and Judiciary committee in July and advanced to the Appropriations Committee.

SB 66 allows clinics and rural healthcare providers to bill Medi-Cal for two visits on the same day if patients receive mental health treatment on the same day they receive other medical treatment. This will help ensure healthcare providers can continue to deliver vital mental health services and be reimbursed for those services. SB 66 cleared the Assembly Health Committee in July and advanced to the Appropriations Committee.

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My district staff is always available to help constituents navigate a complex web of state agencies. 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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Riding in the Coronado parade was a wonderful way to begin a busy yet fantastic Fourth of July – followed by celebrations in Mira Mesa, Mission Hills and Rancho Bernardo!

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