Happy July! Once again we are about to join family, friends and neighbors to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our nation. While the ideals of liberty and equality sparked in Philadelphia 246 years ago still haven't translated into day-to-day reality for many Americans, and at a time when some of our most basic rights and democratic institutions are under attack, there is still so much to celebrate and honor in the Fourth of July and the blueprint of the American Dream. I hope you have a fun, safe, and meaningful holiday!

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California's LGBTQ+ Pride summer season culminates with San Diego Pride, July 9 -17.  After two years of virtual events due to COVID-19, this year we will be able to gather in person for celebration with friends and allies that we haven't seen in many months.

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I am pleased to recognize Zero8Hundred, an organization whose mission is to ease the transition from military into civilian life, as the 2022 Nonprofit of the Year for the 39^th Senate District.

The San Diego region is home to one of the largest concentration of military in the nation, with over 111,000 active duty servicemembers and 245,000 veterans. More than 16,000 servicemembers transition out of active duty each year, and over a third of them stay in the San Diego area.

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Housing affordability and availability is a critical issue facing California, which is why it was heartening to see that the San Diego Union-Tribune ran a commentary in support of my proposed California Dream for All Program on June 14, 2022.

The Op-Ed, authored by Donna DeBerry (CEO) and Bruce Mayberry (Board Chair) of the County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce and Carla Farley, owner of the Corban Realty Group and past president of the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors, highlighted that the program "has the potential to reduce some of the barriers to homeownership that have disproportionately prevented families of color from owning homes."

To read the commentary in full, click here.

Every July, we celebrate Parks and Recreation Month to recognize the important role that developed parks and open spaces, including our neighborhood canyons, serve in our communities. San Diego is home to miles of coastal shoreline, more than 500 developed parks and tens of thousands acres of park space, hundreds of miles of trails. These parks, which stretch from the desert to the ocean, offer us so much natural beauty, and are among the many reasons so many of us love this region that we call home. 

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Our community is reeling from a devastating increase in the number of deaths caused by fentanyl overdoses, including the tragic deaths of 12 young people just last year. The synthetic drug has been hidden in fake pills posing as real medicine, laced in marijuana, and can be found as a powder, patch, and liquid. It is incredibly hard to identify, especially as it has no smell or taste, and a very small dose can be lethal. The powerful medication, Naloxone, can reverse overdoses and save lives, if given quickly. I am working with my colleagues in the Legislature to include funding in the 2022-23 state budget to maintain a free community-based Naloxone distribution program that allows cities, first responders, and local organizations to administer the emergency treatment.

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Here in San Diego County, we are no strangers to the devastating impacts of wildfires. The challenges of this year's fire season are daunting, but there are preventative steps we can take to limit the spread of fires in our communities and save lives.Maintaining 100 feet of defensible spaces around your property makes it more fire resilient and provides access for firefighters. The Fire Safe Council of San Diego County offers a number of helpful resources, including a defensible space assistance program for senior citizens and disabled residents, and community workshops. I encourage all my constituents to consider how they can make their homes or businesses more fire safe. Make sure your evacuation plan is current and that each member of your household or employee at work knows how to get to a safe location.

In early June, I joined Commanding Officer, Captain Dwight "Woody" Clemons for a tour of Naval Air Station North Island and a discussion about issues of critical importance to Naval Base Coronado.

Congratulations to the Women's Museum of California on the opening of their new educational space at the Jacob's Center! I look forward to exploring the feminist library and seeing the interactive workshops on the history of the women's movement they will soon put on.

Wait no more—the Timken Museum of Art's doors are officially open. Stop by to see the renovated galleries and two new additions to their permanent collection, plus antiviral technologies to help keep visitors as healthy as possible.

I was thrilled to join San Diego Regional EDC on June 9^th to honor the San Diego Foundation and our regional healthcare systems with the Life Changing awards. After their tireless efforts to help all San Diegans during the last two years of the pandemic, I can't think of anyone more worthy of this inaugural honor. 

Here I am with Anusha Kadiyala, the City of San Diego Youth Commission Chair, for the kick-off of #CaliforniansForAll College Corps and #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps—two transformative programs that invest in underserved youth by creating meaningful pathways for public service careers, while providing participants with significant financial support. I'm excited that here in our community, UC San Diego and the University of San Diego will be inaugural partners in the College Corp and the City of San Diego will be participating in the Youth Job Corps.

It was my honor to present Dr. Pamela T. Luster with a Senate Resolution in appreciation of her 11 years of service to San Diego Mesa College. Prez Pam will surely be missed!

On June 17^th, Jen and I celebrated San Diego's vibrant LGBTQ community at EQCA's San Diego Equality Awards and honored former Congresswoman Susan Davis, Rady's Children's Hospital Center for Gender-Affirming Care, and the San Diego Wave FC for their ongoing commitment to supporting and affirming all San Diegans.

Jen and I had a ton of fun trumpeting San Diego Zoo Safari Park and its new Elephant Valley habitat at this year's Rendezvous In The Zoo!