I hope you had a great weekend. I spent my Saturday at the Children’s Creativity Museum in SOMA, breaking ground on a much-needed capital improvement project. I secured $800,000 in state funding to help build a new learning lab, upgrade its performing arts theater, and improve the entrance for better access.
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Hello Neighbor:
Come join your neighbors and me for a casual conversation over free coffee or tea.
Meet your neighbors and share your thoughts on community and state legislative matters important to you. The event is Tuesday, October 17, 2023, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at La Boulangerie de San Francisco (1000 Cole St., San Francisco CA 94117). Coffee/tea will be provided at no expense to taxpayers.
Hello Neighbor:
Come join your friends, neighbors and me for a casual conversation over coffee.
Meet your neighbors and share your thoughts on community and state legislative matters important to you. The event is Tuesday, October 17, 2023, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at La Boulangerie de San Francisco (1000 Cole St., San Francisco CA 94117). Coffee/tea will be provided at no expense to taxpayers.
Thank you to everyone who attended my Community Breakfast last month to get an update on my 2023 accomplishments and to share ideas about next year’s priorities. There are more opportunities to connect!
My next event is my annual bike safety fair, which is Saturday, October 21 at Grattan Elementary. The fun starts at 10 a.m. I will also make a special announcement about state funding I secured to help increase interest in active transportation among our youth. I can’t wait to tell you about it.
Videos shown on news outlets and social media have captured large groups of thieves stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise in a matter of minutes. This crime can be devastating to the business, traumatic for workers, and unsafe for shoppers. The loss often leads to higher prices for consumers.
To help crack down on these brazen smash-and-grabs, the state is stepping in with funding I championed with Governor Newsom. Nearly $270 million in grants have been made available to law enforcement, making this California’s largest single investment to combat organized retail crime.
Join me at my Community Breakfast at the California Academy of Sciences on Saturday, September 30, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. We’ll meet on the East Patio to discuss my recent legislation and the many highlights of this year’s state budget. For our district, I was able to secure $20 million for several community projects throughout San Francisco and northern San Mateo County.
In 2021, I successfully championed AB 1452, which allows San Francisco to pay lower-income jurors a higher stipend in criminal trials. The two-year pilot program is testing whether raising the daily rate from $15 to $100 would diversify juries. Studies show when juries are more reflective of the communities they serve, they spend more time in deliberations and are less likely to presume guilt, which help defendants get a fair trial.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Seventh Annual Richmond District Autumn Moon Festival last weekend, which I co-hosted with District One Supervisor Connie Chan! It was a great success, and I enjoyed bringing our community together.
My office is hosting many more Saturday events this fall, so we can discuss my work in Sacramento. Please visit my website to RSVP for any one or all of these events.
You may also click on each date below for more information and/or to sign up to attend.
September is Bay Area Transit Month, a time we celebrate the vital role public transportation has in our lives and our economy. I marked the occasion by joining San Francisco Transit Riders today for a ride-along on Muni from West Portal to Civic Center.
As thousands of students settle in to college life, I marvel at how our recent state budget moves are paying off for California students at our public universities. More in-state students are attending because of funding increases to colleges, financial aid programs, and housing.
Please join me and District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, as we host the Seventh Annual Richmond District Autumn Moon Festival on Saturday, September 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It'll be held on Clement Street between Seventh and Tenth Avenues, which is accessible by Muni Bus routes 1, 28, 38, 38R, and 43.
San Mateo County leaders are looking for input on how to spend funds generated by Measure K, the half-cent sales tax extension approved by local voters. Listening sessions are underway, and I wanted to make sure your voice is heard, so that a variety of perspectives are considered.
Priority issues are in four key areas: children and families, housing and homelessness, emergency preparedness, and mental health.
While there are several meetings, two are specifically in our Assembly District:
School bells are ringing across our Assembly District again! As a father and Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, I’m thrilled to see California continue to maintain historic funding levels for TK-12 public schools, despite a decline in state revenues.
Our per-pupil spending is nearly $24,000, which is slightly higher than last year and keeps us in the nation’s Top 20 in this category. The increase shows our commitment to transform public education. Just a decade ago, California ranked near the bottom.
Among this year’s other state budget highlights:
Early childhood experiences have important lifelong impacts. That’s why parents, educators, and state leaders strive to create educational environments where children can learn and thrive. As Assembly Budget Chair, I’m proud our latest state budget helps build these strong foundations, getting kids ready to excel in school and pursue their dreams.
Assembly District 19 has a new dental clinic that takes Medi-Cal patients! This week, I was honored to be part of the grand opening of another North East Medical Services (NEMS) location at 1033 Clement Street in San Francisco. I believe this site is a sign of greater things to come for the rest of the state, in terms of access to oral care, thanks to a recent move we’ve made in the state budget.
