Funding Health Care, Other News from Sen. Blakespear

Greetings!

This week‚ I took to the Senate floor to support an emergency budget allocation of $90 million to keep 114 Planned Parenthood clinics open across California. The federal government has deliberately and exclusively pulled funding from Planned Parenthood — a nonprofit that provides essential health care and reproductive services to more than one million Californians each year.

Without Planned Parenthood‚ countless Californians — especially those in rural communities and those with little or no income — would lose access to basic health care.

Let’s be clear: This removal of funding is a cruel attack on women. Federal dollars were already prohibited from being used for abortion care under the Hyde Amendment‚ a restriction in place since the 1970s.

California has long supported the full spectrum of women’s health care‚ including abortion services‚ which we fund in our own state budget. The federal government’s decision to eliminate $90 million has nothing to do with abortion. It is an attack on the other essential services Planned Parenthood provides — contraception‚ cancer screenings‚ STI testing and treatment‚ prenatal care‚ vaccinations‚ preventive health screenings‚ and referrals for mental health and other critical care.

And Californians have made their position unmistakably clear. In 2022‚ voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 1 — the Constitutional Right to Reproductive Freedom — enshrining in our state constitution the right to contraception and abortion‚ and prohibiting government interference in those decisions.

We cannot turn our backs on women‚ men and low-income families who rely on access to basic family planning and health care. In California‚ we stand for reproductive freedom. Abortion care is health care. For women to have full agency over their lives‚ they must — and always will — need the power to decide when‚ whether‚ and with whom to have children.

We will not allow the federal government to undermine California’s values. I proudly voted to secure $90 million for Planned Parenthood‚ and I am deeply grateful to live in a state that stands up for women.

I am excited to tell you about two new bills I have introduced.

• SB 936 aims to prevent the widespread abuse of nitrous oxide as a recreational drug by limiting its sale to specific uses in certain industries. The rise in emergency room visits and car accidents connected to nitrous oxide is alarming. SB 936 takes the next logical step in helping to prevent dangerous usage of nitrous oxide by limiting its sale for only its intended purposes. Read the press release here.

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency‚ 2025.

• SB 955 would boost bottle recycling by ensuring communities have the capacity to take back and recycle 100 percent of the bottles sold by stores in their area. The legislation would update California’s beverage recycling program and requirements of stores to participate to eliminate areas known as recycling “dead zones” where consumers have few or no options for returning cans and bottles and collecting the California Redemption Value (CRV) for them. The legislation will create more locations for recyclable beverage containers. Read the press release here.
   

Source: CalRecycle. Providing consumers with more places they can take their beverage containers to receive their CRV is expected to help boost the state’s recycling rate.

Michael Chen‚ of Audubon California‚ presented me with the 2026 Force for Nature Award from the Power in Nature Coalition. I talked about my efforts to pass SB 427 and the importance of protecting the environment.

I was honored to receive an award from the Power in Nature Coalition for my work to pass SB 427‚ legislation that extends funding for the Habitat Conservation Fund until July 2035.

The fund was established under Proposition 117‚ the California Wildlife Protection Act passed by voters in June 1990‚ and provides $30 million a year to acquire‚ restore and enhance wildlife habitats across the state.

To date‚ the fund has protected more than 1.2 million acres‚ including valuable territory and projects in San Diego and Orange counties‚ and help pay for the world’s largest wildlife crossing over Highway 101 in Agoura Hills.

The Power in Nature Coalition has set an ambitious goal I completely endorse – to conserve 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. One of California’s greatest blessings is its immense‚ incredibly diverse and spectacularly beautiful environment‚ and we must do everything we can to preserve it.

In a roundtable with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin‚ I talked about the importance of keeping the pressure on Mexico‚ where the sewage originates‚ and of working with American companies that have moved their manufacturing to Mexico to address the types of toxics flowing through the Tijuana River Valley.

I am encouraged by the federal government’s commitment to engage with state and local officials‚ and the Mexican government‚ to reduce the pollution flowing into the Tijuana River Valley.

I joined a roundtable discussion held in Coronado by two federal agencies – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) – to better understand the problems created by the pollution and what can be done about them.

As we know‚ the untreated sewage is damaging to the entire region – hurting coastal and marine ecosystem health‚ reducing access to beaches and the environment‚ and undercutting tourism and the economy.

In December‚ I held a legislative hearing at Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla to probe how we could better respond as a region. More recently‚ I joined as a coauthor of state Sen. Steve Padilla’s SB 58‚ which would improve local agency response to communities exposed to highly contaminated air‚ and Assemblymember David Alvarez’s AB 35‚ which would expedite state funding to the Tijuana River Valley.

And just this week‚ I introduced legislation with Sen. Padilla to better protect workers who are forced to work near‚ and be exposed to‚ the river’s pollution. The legislation would require the state to set safety standards and guidelines for working in affected areas.

I was impressed by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and his clear commitment to making meaningful progress. The consensus in the room — reflected in the way he spoke about the issue — was that his level of focus and understanding is unprecedented for a federal official at this level. This is a critical priority where California and the federal administration are aligned.

I enjoyed giving the lunchtime keynote address at CivicWell’s Policy Bridge conference.

I’ve long admired CivicWell’s work and its focus on practical‚ community-driven solutions. Having served eight years on the Encinitas City Council‚ including six as mayor‚ I know firsthand that meaningful progress on climate‚ housing and sustainability happens at the local level. I served on the board of the organization during that time and know its work well.

Now‚ as Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee‚ I’m focused on ensuring state policy empowers those local efforts that help communities manage resources better‚ reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond effectively to climate change. That partnership between local innovation and state leadership is truly where lasting change begins.

As I told CivicWell’s Policy Bridge conference recently‚ in the face of federal resistance to these efforts‚ we must partner across communities‚ levels of government and partisan lines to demand sustainability and the future we want. It’s up to us.

I commemorated the 10-year anniversary of California’s mattress recycling program with (left to right) Mike O’Donnell‚ Chief Operating Officer of the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC); Michelle Martin‚ Deputy Director of CalRecycle’s Division of Circular Economy; and Alison Keane‚ President of the International Sleep Products Association and MRC.

California’s mattress recycling program is a success story‚ and a prime example of what we can do with extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs.

We’ve seen that tasking producers‚ including manufacturers and retailers‚ to step up and take responsibility for the end of life of their products can drive innovation and dramatically improve outcomes. EPR shifts the burden from local governments onto producers‚ where it belongs‚ for the end of the life of their products.

Right now‚ our consumer driven economy is based on high throughput of products that are made from raw materials‚ used for a short time‚ and then put in our landfills. This creates one heck of a waste stream.

One great example of how this can work is California’s mattress recycling program. I recently helped celebrate the program’s 10-year anniversary. The program set up an industry-run nonprofit organization responsible for collecting and recycling mattresses that is overseen by CalRecycle. It is paid for with a small mandatory recycling fee added to the purchase of every mattress.

In 2025‚ more than 1.6 million California mattresses were recycled by the Mattress Recycling Council. This means that 65 million pounds of materials were diverted from our landfills.

Mattresses can be recycled into carpet padding‚ pet beds‚ insulation‚ steel for construction applications and even back into new mattresses. Mattresses can also be made from recycled materials that wouldn’t otherwise be recycled‚ including some textiles.

That’s important considering that textile waste is a large contributor to landfills – 2.3% of all landfill waste‚ according to CalRecycle.

Taking used material that doesn’t otherwise have an end use and turning it into new products is just plain smart. This is resource conservation that helps drive a circular economy – and that we should be striving for that with all consumer products.

Progress in Preventing Plastic Pollution from Rail Cars

I was glad to see this news‚ which represents progress in our ongoing fight to reduce plastic pollution that is poisoning our environment and killing wildlife.

This has been a longstanding problem – these plastic pellets‚ nurdles‚ spilling from trains onto the tracks and getting into our lagoons and waterways. Thanks to all the parties involved for addressing this.

I met with Shawn Donaghy (to my immediate left in photo above)‚ the CEO of the North County Transit District‚ and got a tour of transit district’s facilities.

The North County Transit District (NCTD) transit services are critical to meeting San Diego’s transportation needs and cutting down on traffic in local communities. However‚ like transit districts across the state of California‚ NCTD faces an uncertain future as changing travel patterns require us to think differently about transit services.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic‚ the state stepped in and provided much needed multi-year bridge funding for transit agencies to maintain core services. As we reach the end of that funding support‚ major questions about how we should fund‚ manage and govern transit service remain unanswered – and we must now decide what the future of transit looks like for California.

I’ll be pushing to pass funding and reforms for public transportation this year in the state Legislature.

Unless we act‚ we could be facing a bleak future – one with far less rail service and fewer public transportation options‚ at a time we need more public transportation to meet our climate goals and reduce reliance on cars and traffic congestion.

We need to do better – for Californians‚ for our economy‚ for our future. We need a healthy public transportation system that optimizes rail service‚ and it’s time we got serious about it.

I joined with officials from Novartis and across the region to participate in the groundbreaking for the company’s new $1.1 billion research facility in San Diego.

The vital life sciences industry is an integral part of San Diego County’s economy‚ so I was thrilled to welcome‚ and participate in‚ the groundbreaking of Norvartis’ new‚ state-of-the-art Biomedical Research Hub.

Novartis’ investment reinforces San Diego’s economic vitality and its global reputation for cutting-edge research and innovation.

“San Diego is certainly one of the top places in the U.S. right now‚” said Thierry Diagana‚ head of global health and California sites for Novartis Biomedical Research. “It’s a no- brainer if you want to be a major life science innovator.”

Read more in this San Diego Union-Tribune article about the new facility.

Thank you for your support. I am honored to serve you.

In partnership‚

Email me at Senator.Blakespear@Senate.ca.gov
Call my Carlsbad district office at (760) 438-2005
Call my Laguna Hills district office at (949) 598-5850
Call my Capitol office in Sacramento at (916) 651-4038