Senate District 35 Turkey Giveaway

On Monday, November 20th at El Camino College, I continued a tradition I began when I was a Gardena City Councilmember and State Assemblymember, by providing turkeys so families in need can share a healthy and hearty holiday meal with loved ones.  Each year I have built upon this event and this year, I was able to work with non-profits, churches and community members to giveaway over 1,100 turkeys to students and families who otherwise, may not have been able to enjoy a hot turkey dinner.  Thank you to all of the donors, volunteers, staff and El Camino College for hosting us for another successful community effort and congratulations again on the grand opening of Warrior Pantry, their new on-campus food bank serving food insecure students.  No student and no family should have to battle hunger.

National Action Network Los Angeles African American Vanguard Awards

This month, I was humbled by being honored with the 2017 Mervyn Dymally Award of Excellence at the National Action Networks African-American Vanguard Awards.  Los Angeles' 100 most influential leaders were in attendance at the awards ceremony held at the California African American Museum.

Mervyn Dymally was one of my mentors and a renowned African-American state legislator from the Los Angeles area.  He helped organize, empower and pave the way for many of the African-American leaders in our city and state.  His work was legendary, and the California Legislative Black Caucus, which I serve as a standing Vice-Chair, wouldn't be as influential as it is today without his leadership.

Hollypark Community Association Meeting

On November 2^nd, I spoke at the Hollypark Community Association meeting at Rowley Park, in the neighborhood I called home for 48 years.  The Hollypark Community Association has been a dedicated group of members committed to keeping our local community active, safe and informed.   They meet the first Thursday of each month to discuss local issues and make sure our neighborhood voices are heard.  I am proud of being the first Gardena City Councilmember and State Legislator from the Hollypark community and I am extremely thankful for all of those who have taught me along the way and continue to guide my service.

Los Angeles Black Workers Center Reception

Thank you to the Los Angeles Black Worker Center (BWC) for inviting me to their reception and celebration on November 16^th and allowing me to share with them a recap of the year as Chair of the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee.  The Los Angeles Black Worker Center is a hub for organized labor and authentic grassroots leadership development among black workers - unionized, non-unionized, immigrant, and the formerly incarcerated - and among the extended community, to reverse the disproportionate levels of black unemployment and underemployment in the Los Angeles region.

The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Labor Center launched the Los Angeles BWC in 2010. The center's mission is to seek peace and prosperity for all of Los Angeles by developing policies and corporate practices that perpetuate equity in the labor market and end inferior jobs in the black community.  One of the most inspiring things about the BWC is that it is the only place in the nation where organized labor, workers, scholars, students and community are focused on reversing the black jobs crisis through action and unionization.  Thank you again for your reinvestment into the LA community and I look forward to continuing our efforts together.  

City of Inglewood/ Snoop Dogg Turkey Giveaway

I had the opportunity to join Snoop Dogg, Inglewood city officials, and Los Angeles Rams players on November 20^th to meet with families and hand out whole turkeys.  This is the third consecutive year that rapper Snoop Dogg, who hails from Long Beach, has partnered with Inglewood Mayor, James T. Butts and other city officials to give away thousands of Thanksgiving meals.  Thank you to Inglewood residents, who always show up and come together, and thank you to the organizers and volunteers who sponsored this event.  This is another prime example of business, civic and community leaders joining one another for a great cause – nothing is accomplished alone!

Gardena Veterans Day Celebration

On November 11^th, I attended numerous celebrations, one being the 48^th Annual Gardena Veterans Day Celebration at the Gardena City Hall Complex.  I had the honor of presenting certificates of recognition to some of Gardena's most decorated veterans, as well as giving a brief statement to community members who have supported this event since my time as a Councilmember.  I have numerous family and friends that are military veterans and are active in our community.  It is not only my duty as an American to honor their efforts and sacrifices to protect our freedoms, but also recognize their longstanding service to our country, state and communities far beyond their service in the military.    

Carson Veterans Day Celebration

Veterans Park in Carson hosts a great Veterans Day celebration that features an impressive parade, patriotic music, resource booths for veterans, a community barbecue, and live entertainment.  The beauty of this event is being able to honor the often overlooked, heroic women who enlisted, built the ships, and worked the weapons factories back in states in order to stimulate our economy and protect our soldiers abroad.  We must be knowledgeable and honest about our nation's past in order to improve our nation's future.  Events such as these serve that purpose of paying homage and thank you to all vets for your dedication and commitment to our country. 

City of Hawthorne Veterans Affairs Commission Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony

The Hawthorne Veterans Affairs Commission supports all Veterans within the community by identifying areas of need and providing assistance across various disciplines.  On Sunday, November 11^th, I was able to attend their recognition ceremony.  Neil Gafney, Chair of the Veterans Affairs Commission for the city of Hawthorne, presented Major Patrick Carey with the "Veteran of the Quarter Award" for embodying the mission and vision of the commission, and I had the pleasure to be honored as a distinguished guest, along with Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Los Angeles Air Force Base Commander, Colonel Charles P. Roberts.

Veterans Affairs is near and dear to me because far too often our soldiers come back home from deployment and are forgotten about, which is why there is such a high rate of homeless veterans.  Resources and services provided by the commission are crucial for the successful transition of vets back into society, helping them cope with the physical and psychological effects of war.  Thank you to our brave men and women who have served!

2017 Recap

2017 was an amazing year.  We were successful on the legislation front, getting 18 bills approved by the Assembly and Senate, 11 of which were singed into California state law by Governor Jerry Brown.  In addition to the legislative achievements, we were also able to bring support, coverage and significant amounts of state funding, locally to Senate District 35. 

In April, we passed Senate Bill 1, which is the landmark transportation investment bill to rebuild California by fixing and improving neighborhood streets, freeways and bridges across our state.  Following the passage of SB 1, I hosted Governor Brown at a Transportation Diversity Roundtable at California State University Dominguez Hills.  This was the first time that the Governor met with our local business owners to discuss diversity and state procurement contracts. I appreciate the Governor and his commitment to make the necessary improvements, and more importantly, I was proud to facilitate this conversation so he could hear directly from our diverse business owners seeking state contracts.  

Overall, SB 1 invests $5.4 billion annually over the next decade to fix California's transportation system. It will address a backlog of repairs and upgrades, while ensuring a cleaner and more sustainable travel network for the future.  Funds from SB 1 will also be protected under a constitutional amendment proposed on the November 2018 ballot, which will ensure that any new funding can only be used for transportation projects.

Senate District 35 will greatly benefit from the approval of this monumental measure. For example, below are some of the cities and the approximate, projected allocation they will receive over the course of the next ten years:

• Carson - $26 million
• Compton -$28 million
• Gardena - $17 million
• Hawthorne - $25 million
• Inglewood - $33million
• Lawndale - $9.5million
• Long Beach - $138
• Los Angeles - $1.1 billion
• Torrance - $42 million

Green Infrastructure Projects

This year, Senate District 35 was also awarded over $11 million in funding for projects to transform community streets, walkways and parks into greenspaces that improve air and water quality and provide greater opportunities for walking, biking and recreation. The local recipients of this critical funding are in the communities of Compton, Lynwood, South Gate, Watts and South Los Angeles. 

The California Natural Resources agency announced $76 million in funding for 39 green infrastructure projects through the state's Urban Greening program, established by the California Global Warming Solutions Act I supported in 2012. The Urban Greening program is funded by Cap-and-Trade revenues and aims to reduce greenhouse gases by requisitioning carbon, decreasing energy consumption and reducing vehicle miles traveled.  Ninety-two percent of the funding was awarded to projects in disadvantaged communities.

As a former Program Director for the Los Angeles Conservation Corp., where I established and managed over a hundred recycling accounts, worked with Tree People to plant hundreds of trees, and worked on blue butterfly restoration at El Segundo Dunes, I understand the importance these projects have on our health, quality of life and respect for our neighborhoods.  Green infrastructure projects drastically improve our communities by reducing carbon, greenhouse gases, and waste in regions that have become accustomed to these harmful pollutants.  When a community is green it shows the vitality of the area, and contributes to positive narratives about urban growth.

Statewide Parks and Water Bond

Another big achievement, which will help uplift our communities, was the passage of the statewide Parks and Water Bond.  This bond will provide funding for parks in diverse communities and outreach to diverse communities, informing them of contracting opportunities and workforce training.  Each city in our district will receive a minimum allocation of $200,000 and each county will receive a minimum $400,000 on a per capita basis for local parks rehabilitation, creation, and improvement.  In addition, local jurisdictions may also apply for addition competitive grants for trails and greenways infrastructure development; river recreation, creek and waterway improvements; flood protection; groundwater sustainability; ocean, bay and coastal protection; and clean drinking water and drought protection.   

$11.3 million in funding for Compton College

Education is always a priority of mine and in particular, higher education, which leads to upward mobility and local economic development.  Another huge accomplishment this year was what we were able to do for Compton College.  As Compton College will restore its full accreditation by 2020, our prized higher education institution is in need of additional funding to successfully transition back to its own independent campus.  With the support of my colleagues, I was able to secure $11.3 million in the State Budget.  I am thrilled for the future of Compton College, President, Dr. Keith Curry, its students and our community as a whole.  Access to quality higher education is the key to success!

Affordable Housing

Lastly, with all of the great achievements this year, one of the biggest was the passage of our Affordable Housing legislative package. This package included 15 bills to help increase the supply and affordability of housing across California, and in particular, the market in Senate District 35.  As many of you are well aware, rising costs are making it harder and harder for families to survive.  This historic effort to reduce homelessness and create more opportunities for hard working Californians will provide much needed funding for affordable housing, reduces burdensome regulations, boosts construction and strengthens existing housing laws.

Assembly Bill 1505, which mirrored my Senate Bill 277, was legislation I worked on with my colleagues in the Assembly, authorizing cities and counties to adopt an inclusionary ordinance for residential rental units in order to create more affordable housing.  This measure, along with the 14 other bills that were approved, will help address the local and statewide crisis we are currently faced with.  I look forward to building upon this momentum to ensure that all constituents, who are long-time residents and who built our cities and state, are not pushed out by the increasing costs of housing.

Finally, I'd like to leave you with a few of the remaining holiday events in our district.  Thank you for your support and happy holidays!