You’ve probably noticed that climate change is having an increasing impact on our daily lives.
The biggest news in our district this week is that passenger rail service has been suspended indefinitely between Mission Viejo and Oceanside.
Sea level-rise has once again made it unsafe for trains to pass through Cotton’s Point in San Clemente, where the railroad merges into a single track just feet from the beach — much like in Del Mar, where we’ve already started working to redirect the tracks further inland.
In San Clemente, waves were seen reaching above the boulders and splashing onto the actual tracks. The movement of people and goods via rail is a critical component to our transportation network and our economy, and the closure of this rail line is a massive blow.
And climate change isn’t just affecting the immediate shoreline. I visited the Cyprus Shores community last year to see for myself the damage that was being done to the area.
Above the tracks, a huge fissure had opened up which went right through some residents’ living rooms. Several homes in that community city were condemned.
As your State Senator, I will work to continue to address this serious problem by advocating for state and federal resources to strengthen and eventually move the track to where it can operate safely.
A woman’s right to choose takes center-stage
This week, Governor Newsom signed 12 bills that protect reproductive healthcare in California. One of them, AB 2223, is a bill I supported which shields women from prosecution for any miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion.
We’ve seen overzealous prosecutors in conservative counties try to put women and doctors in jail before, so this legislation is very important to me as the only 100% pro-choice candidate in the race for State Senate.
Is my opponent anti-choice? You better believe it!
Speaking of a woman’s right to choose, my opponent has sent mailers and other advertisements flat-out lying to voters by calling himself “pro-choice.”
Don’t fall for it. He’s not.
Here are the facts: • In his Q&A with the San Diego Union-Tribune, he publicly stated his opposition to Proposition 1, the ballot measure that protects a woman’s right to choose and will make Roe v. Wade part of our California Constitution.
• He publicly states on his website that he wants to amend the Constitution to take away the right for teenagers to decide on their own whether to have an abortion, because in his opinion, they’re not mature enough to make their own medical decisions — but they are mature enough to become parents. Republicans have tried three separate times to do this, and THREE TIMES they’ve been rejected at the ballot box.
• Back when my anti-choice opponent campaigned for the Senate in 1994 (in Wisconsin, no less) he stated his opposition to the health care reform law we know today as Obamacare. The reason? He was opposed to requiring insurance companies to cover abortion.
• He accepted the endorsements of the California Pro-Life Council and Californians for Life, fanatical anti-choice groups who back banning abortion from the moment of conception.
• In 2020, he donated $500 to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign – the president who appointed three of the five justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, and stripped millions of women of their reproductive freedom.
• He has still refused to condemn the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
• He said nothing when the City of San Clemente attempted to ban abortion within their city limits. I spoke at a rally and press conference condemning the resolution, where he was nowhere to be found.
• Finally, he has refused to comment on funding Planned Parenthood, which provides millions of women (and men) with reproductive health care. He has said he opposes federal funding for abortion and providers of abortion, making it clear he will vote in lockstep with Republicans to defund Planned Parenthood.
The facts show that there’s only one pro-choice candidate in this race, and it’s obviously not him.
What’s up with the price of gas?
I was alarmed to see the price of gas jump more than a dollar in just the last week, and I suspect you were, too!
Californians are paying significantly more ($2.50 a gallon!) than consumers in other states, and gas companies haven’t offered much in the way of an explanation.
The California Air Resources Board said, “The gasoline market in California is currently experiencing very high prices for reasons that industry has not made clear, but that appear to include, in part, a recent refinery fire, West Coast refinery maintenance challenges, Hurricane Ian, and other geopolitical events.”
The State of California is limited in its capacity to affect the price of gas, which is a global commodity, but I’m encouraging the state do what it can.
Governor Newsom is taking a hard line against these exorbitant prices. “We’re not going to stand by while greedy oil companies fleece Californians,” he said in a Twitter video.
On Saturday, the governor wrote to the California Air Resources Board to implement the Winter Blend earlier than usual. This will somewhat ease the supply pressureswhile also ensuring our air remains clean — something I am committed to.
Unfortunately, my opponent has taken tens of thousands of dollars from oil and gas companies (something I will NEVER do), so solving this crisis will never be a priority for him.
I’m in it to win it!
Finally, I’d like to thank you again for your support. Your energy has made all the difference in my campaign to become your next State Senator.
There are several ways you can still help out – put up a free yard sign, make a donation, volunteer to help out, and remind your friends to vote for me when the mail ballots come out next week. I know, things are moving so fast these days!With grateful enthusiasm,
P.S. May I invite you to a luncheon this Saturday?
Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins is headlining a luncheon supporting Choice and my campaign this Saturday in Rancho Santa Fe – and there’s still room for you!
Toni is the author of Prop 1, the pro-choice initiative that will enshrine abortion rights in our state Constitution, protecting us from further attacks on our right to choose. Prop 1 will be on the ballot you receive in the next several days.
Your invitation is below:
