Coping with a Federal Shutdown, Other News from Sen. Blakespear

Greetings!

The federal government has shut down partially‚ and when that happens‚ we are reminded about how interconnected all levels of government are – federal‚ state and local. We are also reminded of the importance of government‚ and how much it touches our daily lives. 

This has occurred because Congress could not agree on legislation to continue funding federal government operations by the time the previous funding had expired. 

Federal shutdowns are not uncommon. They happened three times in the previous administrations of Presidents Trump and Obama and routinely during the Reagan administration. The last one occurred in December 2018 and lasted for 35 days. 

Here’s what you need to know about how California and Californians may be impacted. Social Security and Medicare benefits will continue‚ because they are considered mandatory spending. The mail service will continue‚ because the U.S. Postal Service is self-funded. And‚ while many federal employees may be furloughed‚ essential employees‚ such as soldiers‚ federal law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers‚ will stay on the job. 

Also‚ it’s important to know that federal employees do not continue to get paid‚ although they will get back pay when the shutdown ends. California has about 150‚000 federal employees‚ many of whom will be struggling to make ends meet during a shutdown. Many national museums and parks may be closed. Or‚ parks may remain open but without any staffing. It’s very disruptive and our friends‚ neighbors and families bear the burden. 

California state agencies work with federal agencies across the board‚ from using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for disaster planning and response‚ to providing health care and social services to the poor. In many areas‚ federal assistance and coordination could be interrupted and significantly delayed. This will put more stress and burdens on state and local government. 

Federal shutdowns are bad for everyone‚ and Congress and the White House should recognize this and work to end this shutdown as soon as possible.

The Pleasant Hill BART Transit Village in central Contra Costa County is an example of dense housing built near a transit station. 

New legislation (SB 79) by Sen. Scott Wiener aimed at encouraging housing near transit stations has generated lots of interest‚ both here in my district and across the state.

Although I am a strong proponent of creating more affordable housing‚ I voted against this legislation. That’s because SB 79 would allow transit agencies to go around local governments’ decision-making processes in determining where to put denser housing. 

Many of the mayors and councilmembers in my district vehemently opposed this proposal and reached out to me over many months about their concerns. So did many of my constituents. In fact‚ 618 residents of my district have contacted my office to register their opposition while only 56 have called or emailed to say they were in favor of it.

The bill passed the Legislature and is now on the Governor’s desk. He has until Oct. 12 to act on it. If signed‚ it would override local zoning restrictions in areas near busy public transit stations to allow more dense housing. According to the bill‚ it would “reduce housing and transportation costs for California families‚ and promote environmental sustainability‚ economic growth‚ and reduced traffic congestion.” 

Here’s how it would work. The legislation applies only to urban transit counties‚ defined as counties with at least 15 passenger rail stations. This means that San Diego County is included.

For land around the busiest transit stations in those counties‚ which are defined as stations receiving at least 72 trains per day‚ cities would need to update their zoning ordinances to meet the following standards:

    Within a quarter mile:

• Height limit standards may not be less than 75 feet.
• Maximum density standards may not be less than 120 dwelling units per acre.
• Zoning standards may not preclude a project from achieving a residential floor area to parcel area ratio less than 3.5:1.

    Between a quarter mile to a half mile:

• Height limit standards may not be less than 65 feet.
• Maximum density standards may not be less than 100 dwelling units per acre.
• Zoning standards may not preclude a project from achieving a residential floor area to parcel area ratio less than 3:1.

There are similar regulations for land around the next tier of busy transit stations‚ defined as receiving 48-72 trains per day. 

In San Diego County‚ transit stations in Oceanside‚ San Diego and Vista would be affected by the legislation. No transit stations in south Orange County would be impacted. 

If you have questions‚ contact my Encinitas District Office at (760) 642-0809.

I held my 3rd Annual Ending Homelessness Summit at UC San Diego in August. Finding ways to create more affordable housing and reduce homelessness is always at the top of my mind. 

As CalMatters recently reported‚ “California simply doesn’t have enough housing and this shortage is the leading cause of our housing affordability concerns — virtually everyone in and around the state government‚ along with the vast majority of academics who have studied the issue‚ seems now to agree on this point.”

But one problem‚ the article points out‚ is no one can agree on how much more housing we need. The estimates range from 56‚000 units to 3.5 million. We need a lot more than we currently have today‚ without a doubt. But we should also have a better – and more exact – understanding of the problem we are trying to fix. 

We need greater clarity and solid metrics on the state’s housing shortage‚ if we are going to get serious about ending it.

The California State Capitol. 

In my last newsletter‚ I covered many of the important bills the Legislature passed in the final weeks of its session. I am glad to report that several have now been signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. They include:

• AB 1207 (Irwin) – Renews California’s cap-and-invest program with various reforms aimed at lowering costs and providing benefits for consumers. The package includes $125 million for subsidizing transit passes‚ $400 million for intercity rail and $250 million for air protection programs.
• AB 825 (Petrie-Norris) – Allows California to join a regional market to make energy cleaner‚ more affordable‚ and more reliable. This is expected to reduce energy costs for ratepayers by more than $1 billion dollars each year by allowing the regional sale of the lowest-cost resources to meet power needs.
• SB 53 (Wiener) – Requires AI companies to disclose their safety testing regimes‚ and certify they are following them. It could become the model for a national standard on AI safety.
• AB 49 (Muratsuchi) – Requires ICE officers entering schools/child care facilities to provide identification‚ written purpose‚ a valid judicial warrant‚ and authorization from site leadership.
• SB 98 (Perez) – Requires notification when ICE is present at educational institutions‚ including public K-12‚ higher education‚ and community colleges.
• SB 627 (Wiener) – Prohibits law enforcement‚ including ICE‚ from operating anonymously (face coverings‚ unmarked uniforms) during operations in California‚ except for legitimate health/emergency use cases.
• SB 805 (Perez) – Requires law enforcement officers operating in California‚ including federal officers‚ to visibly display identification while performing enforcement duties. Authorizes other law enforcement officers to request ID from someone claiming to be law enforcement when they have a reasonable suspicion of a crime.

You can see videos of my tour on my X and Instagram pages. 

I recently toured modern recycling facilities in Southern California to get a better understanding of how our state is moving toward a circular economy. We’ve all heard the catchphrase “reduce‚ reuse‚ recycle.” The idea behind a circular economy is to minimize waste and maximize reuse‚ repair‚ refurbishment and recycling of products and materials so we can live more sustainably. 

Well‚ seeing how the recycling part actually happens is quite enlightening. At Athens Services‚ I saw plastic bottles and cans sorted from 17 different cities. Once stripped of their labels and caps‚ Athens turns the bottles into tiny pellets.

Then‚ other companies can take the pellets and turn them back into containers. At Niagra Bottling‚ I witnessed how the pellets are used to create very small bottles‚ which are then expanded into regular-sized bottles and filled with water and other beverages. The process is impressive and amazing! 

Our world‚ and our state‚ has a gigantic plastic waste problem. Plastic waste is destroying our environment and harming our health. We must find ways to eliminate it‚ and this tour gave me hope that we can create a brighter future‚ in which plastic is forever reused and seldom discarded.

Sean-Keoni Ellis.

I am proud to recognize Sean-Keoni Ellis as the Senate District 38 Community Champion of the Month for September! Ellis embodies the values of hard work‚ service and leadership that Labor Day‚ held the first Monday of every September‚ celebrates. 

After serving as a Marine Corporal‚ Ellis found a renewed mission through the United Association Veterans in Piping (UA VIP) Program at Camp Pendleton. The program gave him the skills to transition smoothly into a civilian career as a union welder‚ launching him into a pathway that provided stability‚ meaning and growth for him and his family.

Ellis not only built a successful career‚ advancing from apprentice to journeyman welder‚ but he also gave back by returning as Lead VIP Instructor at Camp Pendleton. In this role‚ he trained and mentored other transitioning service members‚ ensuring that countless veterans gained the same opportunity to thrive after military service. 

His leadership has extended nationally‚ teaching at the UA’s Instructor Training Program in Michigan and advocating for veterans through his roles with UA Local 230‚ the San Diego Labor Council‚ and the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council.

Ellis credits the UA VIP program with saving his life by providing a new mission after military service. Today‚ he continues to give back by strengthening the labor movement‚ empowering veterans and modeling what it means to live with purpose and service. Thank you Sean-Keoni Ellis! 

To learn more about the District 38 Champion of the Month program or to nominate someone‚ go here.

Graphic courtesy of Capitol Weekly.

Fusion could transform the energy sector‚ and that’s why strong state support for developing this promising energy source is important. I have worked with Sens. Anna Caballero and Jerry McNerny to help provide that. 

Together‚ we authored this op-ed in Capitol Weekly explaining why nuclear fusion has so much potential and what we need to do in California to help develop it. Fusion energy offers a pathway to clean‚ safe and reliable energy capable of meeting humanity’s needs for generations‚ and California should continue to lead the way in advancing this valuable energy source.

I also authored Senate Concurrent Resolution 25‚ which the Senate passed in April‚ proclaiming California’s strong support for this technology.

The Del Mar Fairgrounds hosts the annual San Diego Fair‚ as well as events throughout the year. 

Do you want input on the future direction of the Del Mar Fairgrounds and Racetrack? Here’s your chance. 

The 22nd District Agricultural Association‚ which operates the fairgrounds‚ is hosting several open houses to take public input as it starts down the path of developing a new master site plan. 

You can learn more here. To register to attend an open house‚ go here. Here is the schedule of upcoming open houses.

• Monday‚ October 6 — East County: Arbor View Room at MacArthur Park (La Mesa)
• Monday‚ October 20 — Central San Diego: Balboa Park Club (San Diego)
• Wednesday‚ October 29 — North County: San Elijo Rec Center - Terrace Hall (San Marcos)
• Thursday‚ November 13 — South County: Elks Lodge (Chula Vista)
• Tuesday‚ November 18 — Del Mar/Solana Beach (The Sound/Del Mar Fairgrounds)

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

In partnership‚

Email me at Senator.Blakespear@Senate.ca.gov
Call my Encinitas district office at (760) 642-0809
Call my Laguna Hills district office at (949) 598-5850
Call my Capitol office in Sacramento at (916) 651-4038