Pushing Bills Through Committee, Other News from Sen. Blakespear

Greetings!

April in the state Legislature is a busy time, with policy committees meeting around the clock to consider the hundreds of bills that legislators have introduced this year in their own house. I find myself needing to be in two places at once frequently – running between committees I am serving on and committees where I have to present bills!

It’s both exhilarating and exhausting. But very exciting.

California is a vibrant democracy, and you certainly get that sense during spring committee hearing season, when everything under the sun is openly debated, scrutinized by your peers, and voted upon. Hearing rooms are packed with advocates and members of the public weighing in.

I have until May 29 to pass my bills off the Senate floor to keep them alive. Then, in the following months, those bills follow a similar process in the Legislature’s other house, the Assembly.

There is so much going on – I know it’s hard to keep track. That’s why I do my best to inform you about the bills I’m working on and where they are in the legislative process. I’ll continue to provide legislative updates like the one below, or you can visit my website where I update progress on my bills. As always, please reach out to my staff at any time, if you have questions using my email address at the bottom of this newsletter. You can find out more about any bill, and follow its progress, here at the California Legislative Information website.

California’s higher education system remains the envy of the world. So, I am proud to report that our daughter is headed to the University of California, Berkeley for college! Over spring break, we visited the campus (above) to attend an Admitted Student Tour and evaluate the dormitories for her this fall. It’s such a thrilling but also sentimental time to have a kid on the cusp of this next chapter in her life. Go Bears!

In December, I held a legislative hearing in San Diego County about the Tijuana River Valley pollution problem. Afterwards, I visited a pollution “hot spot” at Saturn Boulevard in Imperial Beach and shared my impressions with a reporter.

There’s a lot of action in the Legislature right now, as the dozens of policy committees consider bills in both houses. Here’s the latest on my bills.

• SB 1046, legislation to protect workers from Tijuana River Valley pollution, passed the Senate Labor Committee. Learn more about the bill here.
• SB 1167, legislation to protect consumer safety and provide clarity in the rapidly growing e-bike market by prohibiting higher-speed, higher-power vehicles from being mislabeled or marketed as e-bikes, passed the Senate Transportation Committee. Learn more about the bill here.
• SB 1237, legislation to strengthen enforcement of California’s pay equity reporting law to ensure the Civil Rights Department (CRD) can effectively combat wage discrimination, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• SB 955, legislation to boost the recycling of beverage containers, passed the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. Learn more about the bill here.
• SB 1259, legislation to give communities and state agencies a realistic picture of how refinery sites will be cleaned up and the costs involved should they close, passed the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. Learn more about the bill here.
• SB 1088, legislation updating the form known as POLST, which addresses end of life wishes, passed Senate Health Committee. Learn more about the bill here.

To read the story in the San Diego Union-Tribune (above) about my SB 1016, go here. 

We know there are many people with mental health problems who are living on the streets. Sadly, because they cannot get the help they need, they cycle through jails, homeless shelters, encampments, emergency rooms and community clinics. 

This is not good for them – or for us. That’s why I have authored two bills to address this problem. 

The state recently established special court proceedings through the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act (CARE), known as CARE Court, to help people who with serious mental health problems. The court provides them with a comprehensive CARE plan that relies on public aid systems to deliver medication, services and housing. 

We need to get more people into CARE Court or referred to a higher level of care, such as a conservatorship, if they qualify.

SB 989 would improve access to CARE Court by authorizing first responders to request counties to review and file CARE Court petitions on their behalf, rather than requiring them to file directly with the court, which can be time-consuming and complicated. 

SB 1016 would allow a judge to order a mental health evaluation when the severity of the mental health disorder exceeds the support that CARE Court can provide, clearing a pathway to appropriate treatment, rather than dismissal.

As I told the San Diego Union-Tribune, I believe it’s possible to protect a person’s rights while also taking action when someone has lost the capacity for rational decision-making. 

We have to acknowledge that there is a very small subset of people who will need to be involuntarily committed in the same way that people with advanced Alzheimer’s disease are put behind a door that’s locked for their own safety. Involuntary commitment conservatorships, the removal of people’s rights to make every decision for themselves, is in the best interest of them and society.

We don’t have to go back to the horrors of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ We have had enormous advancements in both medical care and understanding of civil rights and behavioral health needs, and we are able to be much more protective of people’s human rights while also treating their mental illnesses.

With David Boone, President and CEO of SDMAC (left, left photo), and Sen. Bob Archuleta (center, left photo). I was happy to speak (right photo) at a recent press conference on the USS Midway in San Diego highlighting Sen. Archuleta’s legislation to lower state income taxes for veterans.

More than 189,000 veterans live in San Diego County, making it the county with the third highest population of veterans in the nation. In addition, with an estimated 115,000 active-duty military personnel, the county has the largest concentration of military members of any county in the nation. 

So, it’s crucial that we give military families and veterans the support they need. I strongly support Sen. Bob Archuleta’s SB 1407, legislation sponsored by the San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC), to eliminate state income tax on military retirement pay. 

Veterans have earned this right, and as SDMAC points out, doing away with this tax will help keep military veterans in California, and that strengthens our workforce, economy and communities. 

In addition, separately, this year I was able to secure $1.67 million through the state budget to provide affordable housing to veterans in San Diego County. Go here to learn more. 
 

I enjoyed recently visiting the Carlsbad Village Association to talk about how to support and encourage green businesses.

Congratulations to the Carlsbad Village Association for being certified by the California Green Business Program as an official green business!

The California Green Business Program leads the state and nation in working with small- to medium-sized businesses to conserve water and energy, eliminate waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adopt other environmentally friendly practices.

I am glad to see this effort, and organizations like the Carlsbad Village Association stepping up to meet the challenges of the 21st century. All Californians and California businesses should be working to find smart, sustainable ways to cut waste and protect our environment.

I was delighted to recently honor women from Orange County for their leadership and contributions through my “Women Who Inspire” recognition program (photo above), which celebrates Women’s History Month. I have also honored women from San Diego County. To read the full list, go here.

Go to www.senate.ca.gov/blakespear to visit my new website.

I have worked to be as transparent as possible and make sure that you know what I, your elected representative, am doing on your behalf in the State Senate. That’s why I send out a newsletter every two weeks, publish an annual report each year, meet with as many constituents as possible and have a website detailing all my legislation and activities.

I am proud to say that my team has just redesigned my website to make it easier and more intuitive to use. Please check it out, and let me know what you think!

 
April is National Volunteer Month‚ so it’s time for Cheers for Volunteers‚ my program to recognize the many wonderful volunteers who help throughout Senate District 38.

Please take a moment to nominate a volunteer who stands out at your organization for their expertise‚ commitment‚ caring and/or longevity. No matter what their role‚ volunteers are indispensable and deserve our appreciation.

Nominees should reside or volunteer in Senate District 38‚ which covers northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. See the Senate District 38 map here. 

During the month of April‚ I will thank each nominee with a personalized letter and certificate of appreciation. And‚ if your organization would like to present the letter and certificate to them‚ our office is happy to make arrangements to do so.

Please note: The deadline to submit a nomination is April 17.

 
A typical parking lot outside a shopping center in Mountain View, Calif.

The next "Our California! Book Club" discussion will take place on Saturday‚ April 18 at 10 a.m. I hope you can join us. 

My book club reads and discusses books that impact and reflect on the California experience – past‚ present‚ and future – and how it informs the work of the State Legislature. 

Right now‚ we’re reading Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar. It offers a sharp and witty exploration of America’s obsession with parking‚ beginning with an anecdote about a proposed affordable housing project in Solana Beach that has not been built. 

To sign up for the book club and join our next conversation‚ go here.

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

In partnership‚

To learn more about what I am doing, follow me on social media.

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