California State Senate

NATHAN FLETCHER TO RUN FOR STATE SENATE

By Miriam Raftery

February 12, 2023 (San Diego) – Former Chair of the San Diego County Supervisors Nathan Fletcher,  whose 4th district includes portions of East County, has announced plans to run for the 39th State Senate district seat. If successful, he would fill the legislative seat being vacated by political powerhouse Toni Atkins due to term limits.


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BRIAN JONES ELECTED STATE SENATE MINORITY LEADER, INCREASING SAN DIEGO AREA'S CLOUT

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Sens. Scot Wilk (left) and Brian Jones in Sacramento. Courtesy of Jones’ office

December 9, 2022 (Sacramento) - State Sen. Brian Jones of Santee was unanimously elected minority leader in the California State Senate on Monday, increasing the San Diego area’s clout in the top legislative body.


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JOSEPH ROCHA, 40TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT CANDIDATE, SPEAKS OUT ON THE ISSUES

 

View video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Shc-5Og5pc

Note: This interview was recorded in early February.

March 22, 2022 (San Diego) – Joseph Rocha, the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate in the newly redrawn 40th State Senate district currently represented by Republican Brian Jones, recently sat down for an in-depth interview with East County Magazine that originally aired on KNSJ radio.  He’s running to focus on jobs, housing, infrastructure, veterans and climate change among other important issues. The interview addressed these topics and more.

Rocha is a veteran of both the Navy and Marine Corps. He served as a bomb dog handler in the Persian Gulf and later, after obtaining his law degree, as a Marine Corps captain and prosecutor. He’s also a former intern at East County Magazine, where in 2008 he gained interest in politics while interview candidates for Congress and City Council. 

“I think the adversity in my life has given me the passion for service,” he says.  “I’m second generation Mexican-American,” he says. His mother was a grocery store worker who struggled with addiction; his father worked as a truck driver, raising five children. “These bread and butter, working class issues of the middle class have been a core passion of mine since I can remember," Rocha says.

Audio: 


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SAN DIEGO DISTRICT ATTORNEY RENEWS EFFORT TO KEEP SEX OFFENDER COURT HEARINGS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

East County News Service

January 28, 2021 (San Diego) - Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) has reintroduced legislation in partnership with San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan to extend the presumption of openness that exists in California courtrooms to proceedings under the Sexually Violent Predator Act. They initiated a similar effort last year but had to put it on hold due to the Legislature’s focus on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Bill 248 would require that proceedings for the civil commitment of a sexually violent predator (SVP) and subsequent hearings regarding his/her potential release be in open court and on the record, unless compelling and extraordinary circumstances justify closing the courtroom to the public. This bill would require a notice to all parties of the proposed closure and that it be made at least 10 calendar days prior to the closed court hearing.


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SENATOR BRIAN JONES NAMED TO SPECIAL SENATE COMMITTEE ON COVID-19 RESPONSE

East County News Service
 
April 15, 2020 (Sacramento) -- State Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee) has been named to the Senate Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response.  Jones and ten other Senators were appointed to the committee earlier today by Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego).
 
“I am ready to serve on this committee to review how we responded as a state to the COVID-19 pandemic and, more importantly, work to better prepare ourselves for any similar emergency we may face in the future,” stated Jones. He adds, “We’ve lost over 750 Californians, another 23,000 have been diagnosed with Coronavirus, thousands of businesses have been decimated, and hundreds of thousands of Californians have lost their jobs." Jones continued,

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CAL FIRE CAPTAIN JEFF GRIFFITH RUNS FOR STATE SENATE TO FIGHT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

 

Hear our interview on KNSJ on these hot topics and more by clicking the audio link:  Protecting residents from wildfires and frequent power outages,  setting state standards to shorten ambulance response times and beef up fire protection, make healthcare more accessible,  create opportunities for middle class jobs, and stop special interest influences.

By Miriam Raftery

April 15, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – “I’ve bene fighting to save lives and protect people my entire adult life,” says Cal Fire Captain/paramedic Jeff Griffith, who is also an elected member of the Palomar Health District board.  Now he’s running for the 38th State Senate district seat being vacated by Joel Anderson due to term limits, which includes most of East County’s urban, rural and mountain areas.

He’s running against Brian Jones, former Assemblyman and current Santee Councilman—and taking Jones to task for a legislative record that he says favored special interests over public health and safety. 

Captain Griffith wants to solve concerns raised recently by residents in San Diego’s inland region, such as  protecting residents not only from wildfires, but also from dangers posed by frequent intentional power outages. He would support legislation to improve ambulance response times, as a paramedic who has seen what happens when patients don’t get to an ER in time.  He also wants legislative to put fire protection as a guarantee in our county's charter and pledges to fight for better access and affordability to healthcare, as well as opportunities for middle class jobs.

Audio: 

Interview with Cal Fire Capt. Jeff Griffith, 38th State Senate Candidate

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SAN DIEGO LEGISLATOR BECOMES FIRST WOMAN TO LEAD STATE SENATE

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 21, 2018 (San Diego) – San Diego State Senator Toni Atkins this week became the first woman to lead California’s State Senate, as well as the first gay or lesbian person to hold the legislature’s highest office. Atkins previously served as Speaker of the Assembly.


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DEMOCRATS WIN SUPERMAJORITY IN CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE

 

By Miriam Raftery

December 5, 2016 (Sacramento) – While Republicans scored sweeping victories in the national election, Democrats have scored a major win in California. On Monday, a close race in the 29th State Senate District was called in favor of Democrat Josh Newman over Republican Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang.  That gives Democrats a supermajority in both houses of the California state Legislature.


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CA STATE SENATE, IN UNANIMOUS VOTE, ASKS CONGRESS TO GIVE IMMIGRANTS A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP

 

East County News Service

February 17, 2015 (Sacramento)—A clear partisan divide separates Congress on immigration issues. But in a rare show of bipartisan unity, California’s State Senate unanimously approved a strongly worded resolution asking Congress to provide undocumented immigrants with a path to citizenship.


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DEMOCRATS LOSE SUPER-MAJORITY IN STATE CAPITOL

 

March 3, 2014 (Sacramento)—Democrats have lost a supermajority in the state Senate, which means they can no longer pass tax measures or constitutional amendments without at least one Republican vote. That could mean a return to gridlock in Sacramento.


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DEMOCRATS WIN SUPERMAJORITY IN BOTH HOUSES OF CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE

By Miriam Raftery

November 7, 2012 (Sacramento )- For California Democrats, the biggest plum of yesterday’s election is the sweeping victory of state legislative candidates that has given the Democratic Party a two-thirds "supermajority" in both the Assembly and State Senate.  

A two-thirds majority means that Democrats can now pass tax increases without a single Republican vote. It also means that the Legislature has the power to override a veto by Governor Brown.

Governor Brown today called for "the prudence of Joseph,” a Biblical reference to planning for years of both prosperity and famine. "We have to make sure over the next few years that we pay our bills, we invest in the right programs, but we don't go on any spending binges," the Governor said in a press conference at the state capitol.


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SENATOR JOEL ANDERSON TO HOST HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE DEC. 7

November 23, 2011 (El Cajon) -- Senator Joel Anderson is inviting the local community to a holiday open house, Wednesday, December 7, 6:00 p.m. - 8 pm. at the Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 East Douglas Avenue in El Cajon.


The holiday season is a time to reflect on the experiences of the past year and this open house will provide legislative updates. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided (Paid For With Private Funds, Not Tax Dollars). RSVPs are requested to ensure there are enough hors d’oeuvres and refreshment.


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SAN DIEGO’S STATE SENATORS RECEIVE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

January 25, 2011 (San Diego) – Darrell Steinberg, president pro tem of the California State Senate, has announced policy committee assignments. Among East County and eastern San Diego’s delegation, committee chairmanships were awarded to Christine Kehoe (Appropriations) and Juan Vargas (Banking & Financial Institutions).

 

Additional assignments for the region’s four representatives (including Republicans Joel Anderson and Mark Wyland, as well as Democrats Kehoe and Vargas) are as follows:


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