Challenging ICE's Lawlessness Actions, Other News from Sen. Blakespear

Greetings!

The killing of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti on Jan. 24‚ following the killing of Renee Good two weeks before‚ was horrific‚ extremely sad and completely unacceptable.

What happened to Alex Pretti and the federal government’s immediate and continuous misrepresentation should horrify all Americans. Thankfully we have video footage that shows the truth.

Americans have a CONSTITUTIONAL right to gather‚ a right to protest‚ a right to speak and in Minnesota a right to carry a gun to a rally. Exercising these rights should never result in an execution. Here in California our response to this violence perpetrated by the federal government is – NOT IN OUR NAME.

If ever there were a time for Americans to speak up and demand that their government be held accountable and abide by basic human rights‚ now is the time.

While I am encouraged to see that the public outrage has resulted in a change of personnel at the top in Minneapolis‚ this is simply not enough. Congress must limit ICE’s ability to brutalize communities through statutory and funding limits.

This week I stood with California legislators – everyone in this photo is an elected Assemblymember or Senator - to strongly denounce the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good‚ and to demand action from Congress and the President to rein in the lawless operations and conduct of ICE.

I signed a letter with fellow state legislators sent to the U.S. Senate urging it to vote against the 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations Act‚ which aims to dramatically expand the Department of Homeland Security and its operations. Our taxpayer money should not be used in this way.

I also voted to support‚ along with all of my Democratic Senate colleagues‚ SB 747‚ the No Kings Act‚ authored by Senator Scott Wiener. The act establishes a clear legal pathway for Californians to hold any official — federal‚ state‚ or local — accountable when they violate constitutional rights. This law reinforces a fundamental principle of our democracy‚ that the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land and that no one is above it.

I introduced SB 99 on the Senate floor‚ before it was passed 40-0.

This week we had our first big deadline of the year!

I had one bill left over from last year that was on the list – SB 99‚ to strengthen protections for military families by requiring courts and law enforcement to recognize and improve coordinated responses to military protective orders in cases of domestic violence – and I am happy to report that the Senate unanimously approved it and sent it to the Assembly for consideration.

In the next few weeks‚ I’ll be finalizing my package of new bills for this year‚ and I want to thank everyone who has provided ideas and input for that. I am always aiming to address your biggest concerns‚ as we work to improve the lives of Californians.

MEDIA COVERAGE

• Orange County Register: California weights greater coordination between military and law enforcement on protective orders

I recently was granted special approval to spend a morning observing San Diego County’s CARE Court in action‚ and had a chance to talk with court judges and other officials about how some of the cases are handled.

The state recently established special court proceedings through the Community Assistance‚ Recovery‚ and Empowerment Act (CARE)‚ known as CARE Court‚ to help people who are schizophrenic or suffer with psychotic delusions. The court provides them with a comprehensive CARE plan that relies on public aid systems to deliver medication‚ services and housing.

What I witnessed was a high degree of care and oversight being delivered to the person involved in the treatment. San Diego’s approach has been recognized as a model.

My biggest concern is that many people who could or should benefit from CARE Court are not being referred to it. That’s why I am exploring legislation to make it easier for first responders‚ family members and roommates of individuals with serious mental health issues to file petitions with CARE Court or get assistance from their county to do it. We need the system to serve more people.

The Coastal Rail Trail provides a safe‚ designated path for pedestrians and cyclists to use through Solana Beach.

I was able to secure $300‚000 from the state budget to help pay for a planned extension to complete the Coastal Rail Trail on the north end of Solana Beach.

The trail starts at the city’s southern border at Via de la Valle and continues north‚ running between the railroad tracks and Highway 101‚ before stopping at Ocean Street. The project‚ which will extend the trail on the east side of Highway 101 north from Ocean Street to Encinitas‚ is scheduled to start construction next fall and be completed by March 2028.

This project will create a smoother and safer transition into the protected bike lane in Encinitas‚ instead of abruptly ending and merging onto the road‚ as it does now.

Said Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner: “Sen. Blakespear has been a long-time supporter of our region’s network of interconnected trails‚ and we are so grateful for her dedication to this project and our Coastal Rail Trail. This $300‚000 grant will support improvements to the northern end of the Rail Trail and its completion in Solana Beach‚ all the way to the border with the City of Encinitas‚ providing a safe and scenic path for pedestrians and cyclists.”

The project entails extending the concrete path complete with landscaping and irrigation‚ as well as making improvements to the existing trail. I have always advocated for making communities more pedestrian and bicycle friendly and I was proud as mayor of Encinitas to play a big role in getting the Coastal Rail Trail built there.

I recently joined CalMatters CEO Neil Chase (left to right in photo)‚ Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas for a panel discussion with journalists about covering the state Legislature.

Democracy is government by the people for the people. For this to work‚ for people to hold their government accountable and make informed decisions about who to vote for‚ people need to know what is going on – and that’s why journalism and preserving an independent news industry is so important.

I am a former journalist who worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press.

It’s discouraging to see the news industry wither away and struggle to survive. After 240 years of operation‚ the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced this month it was shutting down.

As The Washington Post reported‚ the Post-Gazette joins a long list of newspaper closures in recent years. According to a report last fall from (my alma mater!) Northwestern University’s Local News Initiative‚ almost 40 percent of all local newspapers in the U.S. have vanished since 2005.

This is not good. I am exploring legislation to help local news organizations in California survive by providing them tax credits. I have also supported other legislative efforts to provide more funding and stability for independent news outlets.

I attended my first meeting earlier this month on the California Commission for the Status of Women and Girls.

I was delighted to be appointed by Senate President Monique Limón to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. For 60 years‚ the commission has worked to improve equity‚ access and justice for women and girls.

My mom works as a lawyer. She was a terrific role model who demonstrated to me what was possible as a young girl – that when I grew up‚ I could become a lawyer‚ or a judge or a legislator.

I’m thankful to her‚ and I’m thankful that as a society we have come a long way in improving gender equity over the last six decades. We have reached gender parity in the California State Senate‚ and I think that’s a wonderful and remarkable milestone. Twenty-one of the Senate’s 40 Senators are women‚ including the leader of the Senate.

Still‚ significant gender inequalities exist in the United States and in California‚ where women earn 83 cents for every dollar earned by men. We must continue to fight for social justice and equity‚ so all Californians‚ regardless of their gender‚ race or background‚ have equal access‚ opportunities and protections.

It’s exciting news that a 13th round trip has been added to rail service between San Diego and Los Angeles‚ effective this past Monday. This returns rail operations to what they were before the Covid-19 pandemic hit‚ when service was cut in half.

As Chair of the Senate Transportation Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor Resiliency‚ I have worked to revitalize the rail line that runs from San Diego through six Southern California counties to San Luis Obispo. Strengthening rail travel is crucial for reducing freeway congestion and helping California meet its clean energy goals.

Having more frequent options to go between San Diego and Los Angeles by train‚ instead of sitting in traffic on the I-5 freeway‚ is a major improvement for Southern Californians.

The new added trip means there is now a 7 a.m. departure out of San Diego and a 7:10 p.m. return trip from Los Angeles‚ breaking up a two-hour block in each location without service.

Still‚ much more needs to be done to bolster rail infrastructure‚ improve customer service and build ridership‚ as I told the San Diego Union-Tribune‚ and I will continue to work on that.

I was honored to attend the Pacific Beach Town Council’s 75th Annual Installation Dinner with (from left to right in left photo) San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava‚ Assemblymember Tasha Boerner and Pacific Beach Town Council President Charlie Nieto. During the dinner‚ Asm. Boerner and I presented the council with a resolution recognizing and celebrating its 75-year history. Thanks to the council for all it does to strengthen the community and make Pacific Beach a better place!

It was wonderful to join Vista Mayor John Franklin‚ Vista City Councilmembers Katie Melendez and Corinna Contreras and other officials and representatives of the San Diego Food Bank to celebrate the grand opening of the San Diego Food Bank’s new facility in Vista. This new location will help the food bank serve families across North County and ensure they don’t go hungry.

I joined community leaders from across San Diego to attend Mayor Todd Gloria’s State of the City address‚ including officials from the Mexican Consulate‚ San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre (center) and Jordan Marks (far right)‚ San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk. I’m grateful for Mayor Gloria’s continued leadership and focus on tackling homelessness‚ one of our region’s most pressing challenges. I look forward to continuing to work together with Mayor Gloria and the City of San Diego to get people living on the streets off the streets and into shelter.

Rima Nashashibi

I am happy to recognize Rima Nashashibi – who is the Founder and President of Global Hope 365‚ a local nonprofit dedicated to ending child marriage‚ human trafficking and other forms of gender-based violence – as the Senate District 38 Champion of the Month for January.

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month‚ which is dedicated to raising awareness about the forced exploitation of people for labor or sex and supporting efforts to stop it.

Rima has devoted her life to this mission. An internationally recognized speaker and a fierce advocate‚ Rima has been praised and recognized for her efforts by every level of government – federal‚ state‚ county and city.

She played a crucial role in getting the “No Child Marriage Under 18‚ No Exceptions” resolution and legislation passed. Rima has successfully helped pass unanimous resolutions in 16 cities across California and the County of Santa Clara‚ and she has testified before state legislatures at both the Senate and House levels in 13 states‚ including New Hampshire‚ Rhode Island‚ Hawaii‚ Kansas‚ New York‚ and Alaska to end child marriage under 18.

Her advocacy contributed to the passage of child marriage legislation in both Rhode Island and New York in 2021. The Orange County Register named Rima one of the 125 most influential people in 2021‚ and the Los Angeles Times B2B picked her as the most inspirational woman in the non-profit executive category.

Rima believes human trafficking is preventable‚ and her organization has invested in providing education to high school‚ college and university students and health care professionals throughout the state.

Through transformative leadership and action‚ Rima has strengthened prevention efforts and helped protect vulnerable communities across California. Much thanks to Rima for all her efforts and her unwavering commitment to saving lives and systemic change.

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