Below you will find more information on my budget and legislative successes this year, as well as upcoming community and holiday events near you!
Upcoming District Events
The holiday season is here! Here are a few events coming to you within the next few months. To stay up-to-date, please be sure to follow me on Facebook.
Toy Drive Car & Bike Show
Saturday, December 3
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
North Parking Lot
13325 Roscoe Blvd
Sun Valley, CA 91352
For more information, please contact Adam Medellin at (818) 389-3553.
55th Annual Pacoima Holiday Parade
Saturday, December 10
9 a.m.
Pacoima City Hall
13529 Van Nuys Blvd
Pacoima, CA 91331
For more information, please contact: ChamberofPacoima@gmail.com.
2022 Budget Successes
This year, I was proud to secure $509 million to benefit our state and district. These funds will go towards establishing STEM opportunities for children in our community, expanding services and resources to families in Los Angeles County, protecting Californians with extreme heat mitigation, and providing much needed transformation to our region.
Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando Valley - $5 million to conduct building maintenance and safety upgrades, close the digital divide, modernize its afterschool science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) activities, increase staffing capacity and provide afterschool meals to ensure children and teens have a safe place to play and learn.
Great Wall of Los Angeles - $5 million to go towards the construction of a pedestrian bridge, mural, and refurbishment of existing artwork.
Los Angeles County's Department of Children and Family Services - $200 million to mitigate the harmful impact of a structural budget deficit projected in upcoming fiscal years. This funding ensures Los Angeles County’s ability to maintain and improve critical child welfare services for vulnerable children and youth.
Los Angeles Mission College - $10 million in one-time funding to create a San Fernando Valley regional STEM hub and expand its offerings in the biotechnology area.
Northeast Valley Health Corporation - $5 million to purchase a retinal camera, colposcopy machines and essential medical, telehealth and office equipment.
Pacoima Wash Pedestrian Safety Bridge - $7.5 million to construct a pedestrian bridge over the Pacoima Wash to connect existing bike/walking paths and revitalize the Pacoima Wash Natural Park to the City of San Fernando.
California Youth Empowerment Commission - $1.5 million to fund the recent creation of the California Youth Empowerment Commission for staffing, operational, and transportation expenses.
Computer Science Educator Training - $100 million to prepare teachers to instruct computer science across grades K-12. Supporting educators with multiple and flexible opportunities for becoming trained in computer science is key to building a strong computer science teaching community. It also ensures every school in our state has the trained professionals needed to teach computer science in the classroom.
Extreme Heat Resilience Program - $175 million to create the Extreme Heat Resilience Program to help the State respond to and mitigate extreme heat.
2022 Legislative Successes
I am proud to say that I sent seven bills to the Governor’s Desk, and they all were signed! My bill package addressed extreme heat, youth homelessness, and our environment. I also worked on legislation that will keep Pacifica Hospital of the Valley open. Below, you will find additional details on key legislation that is of interest to the 39th Assembly District.
ACR 176 – Cruising: This resolution celebrates the rich history and culture of cruising in California. ACR 176 encourages local officials, law enforcement, and local car clubs to work collectively to foster a safe and welcoming car enthusiast environment.
My special thanks to Adam Medellin, President of the San Fernando Valley Car and Truck Club Council, for the work his organization does for our community and his input on this resolution to de-stigmatize cruising. As a result of ACR 176, San Jose has formally ended its local ordinance against cruising, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has called on the sheriff's department and the California Highway Patrol to work with local car clubs and communities to develop safe "cruising" events in Los Angeles County.
AB 2404 – Pacifica Hospital of the Valley Seismic Retrofit Deadline Extension: This district-specific legislation provides Pacifica Hospital of the Valley an extension to retrofit their hospital. Pacifica Hospital could not meet the deadline due to the high number of patients they served during the pandemic. AB 2404 also ensures that low-income residents who utilize medical care will continue to have a place to receive healthcare services.
My special thanks to Precious Mayes, CEO of Pacifica Hospital of the Valley, for her passion and efforts to make this bill become law so that our community can continue to access healthcare!
AB 2375 – Identifying Homeless Youth: This bill requires all local education agencies to administer a housing questionnaire for the 2022-2023 school year to identify homeless youth and connect them to support services regardless of receiving American Rescue Plan funding.
AB 2238 – Advance Warning and Ranking System for Extreme Heat Waves: This bill initiates the development of an extreme heat ranking and advanced warning system. AB 2238 directs the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to work with the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP) at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), California Department of Public Health (DPH), and the California Department of Insurance (DOI) to create and implement a statewide extreme heat ranking system based on climate and health impact information. This bill empowers local governments in their efforts to prepare for extreme heat waves.
AB 2229 – Non-Citizen Language Clean-up: This is a technical clean-up urgency measure that reenacts the bias requirement training in Government Code Section 1031 that was unintentionally eliminated through legislation enacted last year.
AB 1894 – Cannabis Vape Marketing for Proper Disposal Act: This bill prohibits the advertisement and marketing of cannabis vaporizers from indicating that these devices are disposable, thrown in the trash, or recycling streams.
AB 1868 – Long Term English Learners: This bill reports and separates achievement and growth data of English learner students into different categories to ensure assistance and services are tailored to their specific needs. These new categories include long-term English learners, current English learners, and reclassified fluent English proficient students. These classifications allow California to better serve English learner students with the highest needs.
AB 1832 – California Seabed Mining Prevention Act: This bill prohibits seabed mining in state marine waters due to the unacceptably high risk of damage and disruption it poses to our marine ecosystem and the state’s coastal communities. AB 1832 proactively safeguards more than 2,500 square miles of the seafloor and connected habitat, which, in turn, protects our state’s ocean recreation, tourism, and fishing industries, valued at more than $27 billion annually.
39th Assembly District Honorees
Equestrian of the Year – Geronimo Bugarin: Geronimo Bugarin is part of the Asociación de Charros de Sylmar and is a member of the Sylmar Equine Coalition, Sylmar Neighborhood Equine Committee, and Equine Advisory Board under Los Angeles Councilmember Mónica Rodríguez. In 2021, he worked closely with my team to pass AB 974, a bill concerning equestrian rider safety.
He has organized events dedicated to preserving regional horse trials and the equestrian lifestyle. He was also instrumental in establishing the Make Your Horse Count event that encouraged community members to license their horses.
Teacher of the Year – Yadira Uribe: Yadira Uribe has been teaching students at Fernangeles Elementary School for 24 years and is described by staff, teachers, parents, and students as a dedicated teacher. She ensures that her most needy students are connected to services that can provide them with food and clothing.
She serves as Treasurer for the Parent Teacher Association at Fernangeles Elementary, where she organizes events dedicated to bullying prevention and educational activities promoting math. Ms. Uribe is often the first to volunteer to help 5th grade students with the yearbook, sports activities, and decorations for upcoming events.
Nonprofit of the Year – Plaza Comunitaria Sinaloa: Julieta Garcia founded Plaza Comunitaria Sinaloa in 2015 after noticing that many Latino immigrants in the San Fernando Valley had little reading and writing literacy.
Plaza Comunitaria Sinaloa seeks to empower community residents to overcome societal barriers through education and employment development. The nonprofit provides participants with classes in bilingual GED, ESL, adult literacy, computers, mental health and emotional well-being, citizenship test prep, and the arts.
Small Business of the Year – 786 Degrees: Ali Haider and Sayyeda Ali founded 786 Degress in 2013 and have been proud owners ever since. On a honeymoon trip to Italy, the couple tried their first Neopolitan margherita, and the rest is history. Ali Haider returned to Italy to learn about the artisanal craft of classic Italian cooking.
786 Degrees holds several titles for being one of the best pizzas in the state, nation, and the world.
Woman of the Year – Mireya Garcia Pacheco: Mireya Garcia Pacheco is a selfless volunteer in our district. She has devoted over 2,000 volunteer hours to numerous organizations like Building Strong Families in Panorama City and Neighborhood, Families in Schools, LAEP – Northeast Valley Community, Speak Up, and UCLA Head Start.
During the pandemic, Mireya made hundreds of sensitive calls to assist families in locating the resources and equipment to meet their fundamental needs. She has informed families about COVID-19 and the importance of vaccination. She is also active in various committees in the district.
Latino Spirit of the Year – Irene Tovar: Irene Tovar is a Chicana activist and is known for her work in the Chicano movement. She worked alongside Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta and was active in the Chicano Moratorium Committee.
Irene Tovar was the first Mexican American appointed to the State Personnel Board under Governor Jerry Brown. She served as the board’s President from 1975-1981. Following her term as President, she served as the President of the Public Employment Relations Board. Ms. Tovar helped found the Chicano Studies program at CSU Northridge (CSUN), and was appointed to CSUN Diversity and Inclusion Commission by the CSUN President. She also served as Chair of the CSUN Alumni Association. Ms. Tovar co-founded Los Angeles Mission College and Neighborhood Legal Services.
Ms. Tovar continues to play an active role in the Latino community and serves as Chair of the Latino American Civic Association.
Latina Advocate of the Year – Gladys L. Duarte Ayala: Gladys is originally from Paraguay, where she was a university professor for several years. Upon arriving in the United States, she became fully involved in local schools, volunteering for more than 14 years for the Los Angeles Unified District, actively participating in various high-profile committees, such as the Compensatory Education Advisory Committee (CEAC), the English Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC), and the School Site Council (SSC). In 2008, she was recognized by the then-President of the United States, George W. Bush, Jr., for her volunteer work with a bronze medal and honorable mention.
She is also a business owner and consultant dedicated to providing training courses in computing and graphic design, and that passion led her to establish her nonprofit organization, Chicas Mom Inc (CMI). She formerly served as the organization’s President and is currently serving as its Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.