Addressing California’s affordable housing crisis is one of my top priorities as a legislator. I supported SB 2, the Building Homes and Jobs Act, which will build safe and affordable apartments and single-family homes while creating 29,000 jobs for every $500 million invested in affordable housing. Ensuring smart land development to limit urban sprawl and reforming Prop 13 for commercial properties will improve housing access and affordability as well. If re-elected, I will continue to fight for more affordable housing across California and in the 64th District.

As a longtime public servant, I’ve worked all my life for the good of the community, and throughout my career, I have been a problem solver who brings a wide collection of voices to the table to solve big issues. If I am re-elected, I am committed to continuing to partner with people of all backgrounds to help ensure that the people in the 64th have a voice that can effectively advocate for their interests.

I am incredibly proud to have voted for SB 32 and will continue working to make sure our state will meet our goals on carbon emissions. I have always been and will continue to be an ardent supporter of efforts to accelerate California’s commitment to protecting the environment and investing in green, renewable energy sources. With the world’s 6th largest economy, it is important that we are a leader not solely on the national stage in combating climate change, but also on the international stage. Investing in R/D and improving marketing campaigns on the rapidly decreasing costs of clean energy will ensure California paves the way.  Additionally, I will continue to fight for better water conservation infrastructure to ensure that water needs of Californians are adequately addressed.

I have advocated against rising tuition costs and pushed the state to look at and address the growing student loan crisis. In the Assembly I was proud to vote for the California College Promise which passed and will guarantee one year of free community college for qualified California students. I’m proud of my work in the State Legislature to invest more resources directly into the classrooms and establishing a working group to bring back Career Technical Education back to our K-12 schools, but there is still significant work to be done to increase our investment in education. We must continue to combat our teacher shortage, decrease classroom sizes, offer universal pre-K, and work to make higher education affordable and accessible to all Californians.

Although well-intended, rent control programs are often inefficient and counterproductive. Unfortunate poor and low-income residents, unable to find a rent controlled apartment or obtain governmental subsidies, struggle to pay market rent, while others benefit from low rent resulting in little turnover of these affordable units. Owners of regulated properties tend to skimp on maintenance and repair; eventually, rent control and over-regulation of new construction lead to shortages of new housing stock. Additionally, to evade rent control, impacted apartment owners convert their buildings to owner-occupied condos or commercial use to exempt them from regulation resulting in a decrease in the supply of rental housing, the opposite of desired outcome.

The law of supply and demand drives up prices when a commodity is scarce (housing).  I believe the state and municipal governments should ease regulations and adjust zoning to encourage new construction and permit investors to develop creative ways to utilize distressed properties or convert some existing vacant commercial properties for residential use.   Low-income housing subsidies and rent-controlled properties should be reserved for those who truly need it.  

I agree that the U.S. does have a significant civility problem.   Over the past several election cycles, polarization on both sides of the political spectrum has increased resulting in lack of respect for others, particularly on social media and in the public square.   Relationships between friends and family members have become strained over political issues and candidates.   

It is important to endeavor to improve relations among those with different ideological viewpoints.   If elected, I will work to establish programs and workshops that bring community members together to build trust and mutual understanding on issues that all can find common ground on, as well as facilitate constructive engagement and discourse regarding opposing viewpoints on difficult topics. 

Concern over climate change is a significant worry in our lives.   I believe we need to have a balanced approach when it comes to the topic of climate change.     Seeking to examine the data of the historical trends shown in the ice core data over many, many years in addition to the more accurate temperature and other scientific data recorded over the past two centuries to identify what cyclical changes are likely naturally occuring and mitigating those factors which are the result of human activity as much as reasonably possible.

 It is important to establish a mixed portfolio of energy options which do not entirely exclude fossil fuels until the efficiency, practicality and affordability of renewables improves.   Additionally, technology for battery storage and transmission of renewable energy, particularly solar energy, needs to be in place before our state moves to impose mandates for utilization of solar and wind power by consumers. 

The implementation of SB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (aka Cap and Trade) authorized the State Air Resources Board to achieve "more stringent greenhouse gas emission reductions..." through the enactment of rules and regulations that impose additional costs on businesses and consumers.    It is crucial that we avoid additional policy changes that may result in severe economic impacts to energy producers in our state and the Caliornians' they employ, as well as increased fees and costs for consumers at the pump. 

I support kindergarten readiness assessments to determine if students need additional time to mature before enrolling in the more demanding kindergarten programs in public schools.   For students that are not “ready” but eligible to enroll in Kindergarten, I support developmental K and early literacy intervention programs to ensure that as many students as possible are competent readers by nine when the curriculum shifts from learning to read, to reading to learn.

Additionally, I support the return of comprehensive vocational education to the public schools in order to provide students with an opportunity to experience multiple modalities of learning and discover talents for vocations that pay well, but do not require a college degree.  The ability to earn a good wage is crucial for young Californians'.   Many students attending college need to work while in school to support themselves, others do not attend college or delay enrollment.  These young people need to earn a living wage so they can support themselves and eventually acheive the California Dream.

When elected, I will support legislation that improves K-12 education, ensuring that young children are reading at or near grade level by the end of elementary school.  I will work to return as much control as possible over spending and decision-making to local school sites and support the creation of more vocational training opportunities and college readiness programs for youth in our communities.