East County News Service

Photo: Cargo ship, CC-by-SA-NC

February 12, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA-50) issued the following statement on Feb. 7 after passage of his amendment by the House of Representatives. The Issa legislation requires the Department of Commerce to report to Congress within 60 days outlining policy changes that can be implemented within 30 days to address the continuing supply chain crisis.

By Mike Allen

February 12, 2022 (Santee) -- Santee’s grand plan to turn part of Trolley Square into an arts and entertainment district took a big step forward on February 9 when the City Council approved the sale of a parcel for a four-story, 89-room hotel.

Source: City of La Mesa

February 10, 2022 (La Mesa) -- To help struggling La Mesa families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the City announced today the expansion of the current Mortgage Assistance Program to also include rent payment relief for residents. Beginning Monday, February 14,  applications will be accepted for rental assistance.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo credit:  San Diego County

February 8, 2022 (San Diego) – Senate Bill 866, the Teens Choose Vaccines Act introduced on January 21 by California State Senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat, would allow young people age 12 and up to receive vaccines for COVID-19 and other serious illnesses without parental consent. The bill, which is sparking conflicts among public health experts and parental choice advocates, has not yet been scheduled for hearing. 

Supply chain snags, high cost of precious metal leads to increasing thefts with few arrests or prosecutions.

February 3, 2022 (Sacramento) --  Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) this week introduced a measure to crackdown on the growing crime of catalytic converter theft in California. 

 “The crime of stealing catalytic converters in California has skyrocketed in the last several months,” stated Senator Brian W. Jones. “Unfortunately, unless some changes in the law are made it will only get worse. Thieves often face few risks in getting caught or prosecuted, yet the car or truck owner faces thousands of dollars in repairs and the inability to use their vehicle for days or weeks while it’s being repaired. My bill will help discourage, prevent, and prosecute the growing crime of catalytic converter theft in California.”

Jones’s Senate Bill 919 would attack the crime of catalytic converter theft in distinct three ways: 

By Mike Allen

Photo:  the current Santee district boundaries

February 2, 2022 (Santee) -- The city of Santee continues the process of redoing the boundaries for its four electoral districts, which will likely result in keeping the lines as they currently are.

East County News Service

February 1, 2022 (Sacramento) – State Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) today introduced a measure to save off-highway vehicle (OHV) competitions in California. Senate Bill 894 is the third OHV competition bill Jones has authored in the last three years, with the two previous measures easily clearing the Senate only to become stalled in the Assembly.

By Elijah McKee

January 30, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – In the past, getting zoning approval for shelter space in San Diego County could take up to two years and require costly payments. 

Now, after the Board of Supervisors unanimously amended a zoning ordinance on Wednesday, there will be fewer obstacles for multiple kinds of safe shelter and housing options, which could especially serve East County.

By Elijah McKee

Photo, left by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson:  Voter casts ballot at San Diego Register of Voters

January 26, 2022 (San Diego) — With year one of the Biden Administration completed and the 2022 midterm elections on the horizon, Congress’s pivotal tug-of-war over federal voting rights legislation continues to escalate.

In January 19 in the Senate, Republicans blocked the Democrats’ attempt at passing both the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The legislation — which was also blocked several times in 2021 — sought to strengthen the protections of voters in light of many recent state laws that suppress voting rights. 

Such laws have been levied across the nation in the wake of the 2020 Presidential election and the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently warned, “Our voting rights – and our democracy – are on the line.”

East County News Service

January 29, 2022  (San Diego) – This week, 10 House and Senate committee chairs sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an investigation into the involvement of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s Critical Incident Teams (CITs) along the southern border region. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Map of Ukraine, cc by NC via Bing

January 25, 2022 (San Diego) – Fears that Russia aims to invade the Ukraine have grown in recent weeks, after Russia sent an estimated 100,000 troops to the Ukrainian border, staged military exercises and demanded that NATO deny admission to the former Soviet-bloc nation. The U.S. has sent arms to the Ukraine and has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of severe sanctions if he orders an attack on the Ukraine, which U.S. President Joe Biden says would be “the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world.”

Action is needed to address public safety, Anderson says

East County News Service

January 22, 2022 (San Diego) -- At the January 25 Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Joel Anderson will present a letter to the board urging the County to be prepared to face anticipated upcoming public safety personnel shortages throughout the region as vaccine mandates, retirements, recruitment and retention issues impact staffing levels.

New policy & procedures aim to preserve remote access to meetings

Source:  City of La Mesa

January 21, 2022 (La Mesa) – In an ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in local government, La Mesa City Council adopted a new public comment policy for City Council, Boards, and Commissions meetings. Currently, these meetings are held virtually, but the new policy preserves remote access to these meetings when in-person sessions return.

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2022 (San Diego) – Sheriff Bill Gore today announced that he will retire effective February 3 after 51 years in law enforcement, nearly a year before his term of office would have ended in January 2023. Gore was appointed Sheriff in 2009 to fill a vacancy left by the retirement of Bill Kolender, later winning elections three times.

Updated January 17 with comments from Councilmember Lothian and clarification that the Council has been meeting virtually since the pandemic began and voted to extend virtual meetings.

By Eugenie Budnik

January 14, 2022 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa City Council held its first meeting of the new year on Tuesday. Mayor Mark Arapostathis opened with his State of the City speech, calling the city “strong.” 

Later the Council addressed some contentious issues, including replacing its SANDAG representative and extending virtual meetings amid the latest COVID surge.  With Council and staff in chambers, newly elected Councilmember Laura Lothian openly defied the state’s mask mandate.