Racing to Finish Legislative Business, Other News from Sen. Blakespear

Greetings!

We’re racing to the conclusion of this year’s legislative session – it ends at midnight on Monday‚ Aug. 31 – and deciding the fate of hundreds of important‚ proposed new laws.

This is an exciting (and stressful) time to be a state legislator‚ as final decisions must be made on pressing issues across the board‚ from whether there should be additional regulations on AI to how to spend money generated by California’s cap‑and‑invest program designed to reduce carbon emissions. The Los Angeles Times provided this overview of the most significant environmental and energy bills being considered.

The legislative process is a thorough process‚ and when bills come up for a vote in the final weeks‚ it’s after they have made the six‑month (or longer) journey through policy and fiscal committees in each house‚ being evaluated‚ debated and refined along the way. In some cases‚ brand‑new bills are introduced near the end of session‚ although those are rare‚ and they generally get special attention and great scrutiny because of it.

So the bills we’re voting on in the final days are essentially the best and final offer from the authors of the bills – the best versions of the policy ideas being proposed. That often makes for vigorous debate‚ especially on controversial matters.

As always‚ I am weighing what is best for the cities and communities in San Diego County and southern Orange County‚ which I represent‚ and the State of California as a whole.

As a reminder‚ every Senate floor session and every committee hearing can be watched online on the Senate’s website. Thank you for your input and feedback. If a bill is important to you‚ I want you to let me know – call or email my office. I review all the materials that my team puts together from those calls and emails before I cast a vote.

In my next newsletter‚ I will provide a full wrap up of what we passed and sent to the Governor for his consideration.
 

Here I am with Sen. Laura Richardson (left) on “Monochrome Monday” and Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (center) on “Twin Tuesday.” During long work days on the Senate floor‚ we try to keep it fun and lively! I also talked with Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón (right)‚ as the Senate voted on legislation.

Wild wolves‚ like this one‚ can attack herds of cattle. A wildlife coexistence program focuses on preventative measures to keep this from happening.

I am glad to report that my legislation to establish a statewide program promoting coexistence with wildlife was passed by the Legislature and sent to the Governor to sign.

Wildlife coexistence programs educate and support community and property owner efforts at mitigating natural wildlife and human. The programs help people keep a safe distance‚ implement methods proven to actively deter conflicts and promote wild animals’ instincts to stay wild.

SB 1135 would re‑establish a statewide wildlife coexistence program that ended in 2024 after three years when funding for it expired. Among other things‚ the program deployed trained regional human‑wildlife conflict staff around the state. Recent headlines have illustrated the problem‚ with stories of a bear living under a Los Angeles home‚ wolves becoming habituated to livestock in Northern California and a mountain lion showing up in a San Francisco park.

We need a wildlife coexistence program in California‚ so we can better protect communities‚ people and animals‚ both wild and domesticated. SB 1135 minimizes conflict with wildlife by using thoughtful‚ proactive strategies that are science‑based‚ situation‑specific‚ non‑lethal and proactive.

This may be a good time to invest in your first EV!

California’s new MyFirstEV program offers first‑time zero‑emission vehicle buyers a $3‚500 instant point‑of‑sale rebate on certain new electric vehicles (MSRP up to $50‚000) and $1‚750 on qualifying used models ($25‚000 or less). California‑headquartered ZEV makers‚ which include Rivian and Lucid‚ are exempt from the standard $50‚000 price cap.

MyFirstEV has been allocated $135.5 million‚ and the rebates are available on a first‑come‑first‑served basis. For more information about participating automakers‚ eligible models and other programs‚ go to the California Air Resources Board website.

It’s no secret that hundreds of private companies called data brokers are collecting‚ buying and selling Californians’ personal information‚ including where they live‚ shop and eat‚ as well as online activity.

Thanks to Sen. Josh Becker’s Delete Act of 2023‚ beginning this month‚ Californians can submit one request directing every registered data broker in California to delete your personal information through the Delete Request and Opt‑out Platform (DROP).

Many have already signed up. Take control of your data today by going here: Delete Request and Opt‑out Platform (DROP) ‑ privacy.ca.gov

You can learn more about it from this Washington Post story or by watching Senator Josh Becker’s Press Conference on the Implementation of the Delete Act and the DROP tool.

California Biodiversity Day is on Sept. 7‚ and a week of events are planned Sept. 5‑12 to celebrate. Go here to learn more.

In California‚ we are blessed with an incredibly diverse landscape and environment‚ which stretches from the heights of the Sierra Nevada mountain range over hillsides‚ grasslands‚ valleys‚ dense forests‚ marshes and deserts to the state’s spectacular‚ winding coastline.

As a committed environmentalist‚ I appreciate all that California has to offer and‚ in particular‚ its enormous biodiversity. Did you know that 30 percent of all plant and vertebrate species in the United States occur in California?

I hope you’ll consider taking part in a California Biodiversity Day event and learning more about the state’s wildlife and environment.

 My husband Jeremy and I were delighted to move our daughter Bailey into the dorms at UC Berkeley this month to begin her freshman year of college!

The University of California system remains one of the premier public institutions of higher education in the world‚ and as a Californian and a California state senator‚ I am proud to strongly support it. We’re excited for Bailey to continue her education at UC Berkeley.

Not only do the UC schools produce groundbreaking research every single year‚ they prepare the next generation of Californians to enter the workforce and become the leaders of tomorrow – in science‚ medicine‚ industry‚ public service and government.

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

In partnership‚