Fall is nearly here, Assembly District 78! Here's an update on the latest news from my office for September.
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| LEGISLATIVE UPDATE |
Several of my bills passed the full legislature by our August 31 deadline and are now on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature. I’ll go over a few of them in a second, but the best way to offer your support for these bills is to visit gov.ca.gov and click on the contact button at the top right of the website. After that, you’ll be directed to another page where you can leave a comment. Scroll down until you find the topic box and choose “an active bill.” Then scroll down until you find the bill you want to support, highlight the “leave a comment” bullet and then click “next.”
Finally, you will be taken to a new page that will allow you to indicate whether you for or against a bill, and you will also be able to leave a message regarding the legislation you selected. This is one of the best ways to tell the governor your stance on specific bills that can help impact his decision to sign or veto legislation.
Most recently, I held a press conference to urge the governor to sign both AB 3024: The Stop Hate Littering Act and AB 1858: The Safe and Prepared Schools Act. Hate groups have increasingly adopted the tactic of hate littering, or distributing flyers, posters, or symbols with hateful messaging, targeting Jewish, LGBTQ and other community members. The Stop Hate Littering Act will ensure victims are provided adequate protections, while creating new legal tools for law enforcement to hold offenders accountable.
And as active shooter drills have sadly become a new normal in schools across the country, some schools in California have gone to the extreme of simulating mock shootings with the use of fake gunmen, fake weapons and students playing victims. I was shocked to learn that currently there is no guidance on how to implement these drills from the California Department of Education. That’s why I introduced The Safe and Prepared Schools Act to ensure there are guidelines for schools to follow on how to responsibly conduct active shooter drills.
With the increased usage of social media platforms the act of doxing, or publishing someone’s private data for the purpose of targeted harassment, has become a popular tactic affecting countless victims. Doxing someone can include highly personal information like phone numbers, home addresses, passwords, medical records, text messages or other sensitive materials without their permission to exact revenge, embarrass, extort, or exploit victims. Doxing is already a crime in the criminal code, but protections and recourse for victims is absent. AB 1979: The Doxing Victims Recourse Act will allow victims of doxing the ability to pursue civil action and receive restitution for the harms they endured.
In addition, as Chair of the Housing and Community Development Committee, I introduced several bills this year to help address the affordable housing crisis. I’m proud to announce that five housing bills have made it to the governor’s desk and are awaiting his signature. AB 2005 enables California State University campuses to utilize the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to develop affordable housing for CSU faculty, staff and students on CSU-owned land.
AB 2694 supports the development of residential care facilities for the elderly, like one I just visited in Clairemont, to ensure we provide adequate affordable housing opportunities for our aging population.
AB 3093 requires local governments to account for the housing needs of people experiencing homelessness in their housing element, and for the California Department of Housing and Community Development to include vulnerable residents into the Regional Housing Needs Allocation or RHNA.
AB 2353 ensures nonprofit affordable rental housing developers can access the existing welfare property tax exemption without floating unnecessary tax payments while their application is under review, reducing the cost of constructing affordable housing.
And finally, AB 2597 eases the workload crunches in housing element adoption timelines for California’s largest metropolitan planning organization - the Southern California Association of Governments – and improves coordination between the Housing and Community Development department and local partners.
I appreciate any support you can give to these bills by leaving a comment on the governor’s website.
| UPCOMING SPECIAL SESSION |
You might have read in the news, the Assembly is took an unusual step in opening a special session for the fall to address gas prices – costs that are burdening all families across the state. As we have been reviewing the reasons for gas supply and pricing, last minute legislation was presented at the end of our regular session that required more time for committees to vet and make sure we were doing helpful policy, and not something that would have unintended consequences for consumers. As such, I will be monitoring this committee work and return for a special session on October 1 to vote on a proposal intended to ensure sufficient supply that would in theory modulate gas price spikes. Keeping costs low for constituents is of top of my mind, and I invite you to contact my office if you have any input or questions on this topic.
| UPCOMING INSURANCE WEBINAR |
Navigating the home insurance market is difficult. Too many Californians have seen policy rates skyrocket, if not being dropped altogether. On Wednesday, October 2nd, I will be hosting an informative webinar session with the California Department of Insurance covering state programs that may be helpful for and support individuals seeking assistance.
You can learn from experts about what is being done to safeguard the overall health of the home insurance market. Whether you are a current homeowner, or considering buying, insurance can be one of the most important ongoing purchases you make to protect yourself and your family from financial hardship. Representatives with the Department of Insurance will also be available to help provide information and answer questions. You can registerat the URL below or on my website to attend.
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| RECAP: GOING GREEN |
Supporting California families in their pursuit to Go Green and seek independence through green energy is a priority. Earlier this month, I held an informational webinar with key partners to understand the latest updates in economics, rebates, and options for purchasing solar systems and electric vehicles in California. I then joined organizations on September 14 to celebrate EV Day where 500 San Diegans were able to test drive new models and see if there was a good fit for themselves and their families with no obligations. Purchasing solar systems and going electric is more affordable than ever and new California incentives are helping middle and lower income families pencil out these opportunities. If you missed the information, you can review it anytime through an archived copy on my website.
| OUT IN THE COMMUNITY |
From left to right: Top to bottom: Top left: Assemblymember Ward participates in a UNITE HERE! Local 30 hotel workers strike for better wages and benefits. Top right: Reading to students at Juarez Elementary during its annual Read-a-thon. Bottom left: Enjoying fun and games at the AD78 booth at the 35th annual Clairemont Family Day. Bottom right: Taking part in the ribbon cutting ceremony for The Pavilion at Tecolote Canyon.
Since September 1, I have been on our fall legislative recess and will be home in the district until the New Year. I have already been out to planning groups, community events, and meeting with constituents to discuss the past legislative year and will continue to criss-cross our district in the coming months to gain insight into current needs that will inform my upcoming legislative session when I return to our Capitol. I hope to see you at any of these upcoming community events close to you.
| CLOSE OUT |
As always, I want to thank you for your support. I'm grateful to be your representative and work on these issues and more. One of the best ways to stay informed is to follow my social media accounts on Facebook, X, Threads, and Instagram where you can know in real time what developments are happening or what I'm working on every day.
And if you need assistance, please know that my district office staff is available and ready to serve or answer any questions you may have. Feel free to reach out to the contact information at the bottom of this email, and a staff member will connect with you as soon as possible. I wish you, your family and your neighbors all the best.
Sincerely,
Christopher M. Ward
Assemblymember, 78th District