Happy Women’s History Month! The California Legislative Women’s Caucus has much to celebrate this year with a record number of 50 members.
The Women’s Caucus has a tradition of recognizing women from each Senate and Assembly district who are accomplishing amazing things in their communities. This year a “Women Making Herstory” ceremony will be held at the Capitol on March 20. Additionally, I will be recognizing several Women of the District, who were nominated by you, our constituents of SD 39!
In early March, I will be announcing all of my district honorees. I encourage you to go to the District tab on my website, sd39.senate.ca.gov, where you can learn about these impressive women and their contributions to our community.
Fighting for Insurance Coverage
As climate change worsens, so too does the risk to life and property, wreaking havoc on California’s insurance market and dramatically driving up the cost of coverage. This has become especially challenging for residents in condominiums and homeowners association communities (HOAs) in high fire-risk areas who have been left with few reasonable coverage options.
It’s also an issue that is affecting individuals and families in the San Diego region – my office has been hearing from constituents impacted, and local media has been reporting on instances of coverage loss in Rancho Bernardo, Tierrasanta, Mira Mesa, and Scripps Ranch.
My Senate Democratic colleagues and I recently urged Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to take swift action to expand access to California’s insurance safety net, the California FAIR Plan, to these homeowners, because we have an obligation to help safeguard all communities against wildfire risks and other impacts of climate change.
This is just the first step – we will continue to explore every option to address this situation and protect our homes, homeowners, and economy.
Expanding Reproductive Care Training and Widening Abortion Access
Building on our success last year to broaden reproductive care access, I recently introduced Senate Bill 385 to expand and modernize reproductive care training for physician assistants. As we watch other states continue to erode access to abortions, it’s clear that we need to continue to do everything we can to increase the number of trained providers available to Californians and those who need to come here for reproductive health care.
SB 385 would apply the same training standards to physician assistants that last year’s SB 1375 established for nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives, allowing them to provide first trimester abortions within the scope of their clinical and professional education and training.
Specifically, SB 385 would also better align abortion training to physician assistants’ scope of practice and provide multiple options for clinicians to get trained in abortion care. The bill would further widen access to abortion services and health care by increasing the number of practitioners available to provide this critically needed care.
Celebrating César Chávez
This month ends on César Chávez day, a holiday that we have recognized in California since 1995, but was only formally proclaimed a federal commemorative holiday nine years ago by President Obama.
California state offices and schools are closed on March 31 so that we can reflect on the life and legacy of César Chávez, an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist.
Chávez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (later the United Farm Workers union) with another renowned Californian and labor leader, Dolores Huerta, to advocate for humane working and living conditions for migrant farmworkers in the 1960s. Today, as farmworkers continue to advocate for their rights across our country, Chávez’s legacy reminds us that change is possible when we work together.
