New laws to help students and prevent wildfires

Every year, hundreds of new California laws take effect on Jan. 1.

This year will be no different as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 770 bills of the 836 proposals that reached his desk, including nine bills that I authored and another seven I co-authored. Many of these bills are sure to have a lasting impact on our state and community, so I want to highlight a few.

I am a firm believer that higher education should be both accessible and affordable, which is why I authored a law (AB 1674) during my first term in the Assembly to ensure that our qualified California students are not denied admission at UC institutions in favor of less qualified out-of-state students.

This year, I was proud to support a bill by Assemblymember Marc Berman to make it easier for community college students to transfer to a CSU or UC campus by reforming the maze of transfer pathways and requirements. AB 928 will establish a single general education pathway that meets transfer admission to both CSU and UC and will reform the associate degree for transfer (ADT). This will help save students time and money as they work to achieve their educational goals.

Protecting the environment

As a parent to two kids, I spend a lot of time thinking about the planet my generation will be leaving for them. It is critical that we work to protect our environment both from the future effects of climate change and from the effects we are already experiencing. Year after year, California has another record-breaking fire season that devastates families, communities and our state’s natural wildlife.

Previously, California prohibited prescribed fires as an approach to fire management, but wildfire experts now agree that one of our best tools is using controlled fires to reduce the fuels, such as trees and brush, available to burn. I was proud to vote in favor of Sen. Bill Dodd’s SB 332, which will support the state’s ambitious prescribed-burn program by providing liability coverage to the certified, fire-safe groups leading controlled burns.

My hope is that this new law will enable our state to more aggressively prepare for fire season in 2022 and help keep our communities and firefighters safe.

Robberies

Lastly, I want to stress how important the safety of our community is to me – including the safety of holiday shoppers, store employees and local businesses. I am deeply concerned and troubled by the large-scale robberies that have recently affected the Bay Area, including in Concord and Walnut Creek.

This past year, I supported AB 331 by Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer Sr. to reestablish organized retail theft as a crime in our state and to extend the operation of the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force. Since its inception, the task force has arrested more than 240 individuals and recovered $18.9 million in stolen merchandise. I will continue to support their good work when possible.

As we approach the final days of this year, I hope you are able to find time to do the things you love – whether that be dining at a local restaurant, exploring a regional park or trail, or simply spending quality time with family and friends.

In the new year, I will rejoin my colleagues in Sacramento to continue crafting and supporting innovative, pragmatic legislation to help make life in our community more safe, just and enjoyable.

If you’d like to learn more about my legislative work on housing, or to discuss other matters important to you, please call my Concord District Office at 925-521-1511.