Senator Brian Jones

COMMUNITY WORKSHOP ON LOVELAND TRAILS MARCH 14 IN ALPINE

By Miriam Raftery

February 28, 2024 (Alpine) -- A community workshop on trail improvements at Loveland Reservoir will be held on Thursday, March 14 at the Alpine Women’s Club (2156 Alpine Blvd) in Alpine from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

State Senator Brian Jones convened the workshop along with the Sweetwater Water Authority to hear from residents concerned about trail erosion and limited public access due to erosion caused by severe winter storms in January of last year.  


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SENATOR BRIAN JONES SPEAKS OUT ON LOCAL ISSUES IN EXCLUSIVE ECM INTERVIEW

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 18, 2024 (San Diego)—East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery recently sat down for an exclusive interview with state Senator Brian Jones, who represents the 40th district and is also the minority leader in the California State Senate.

Issues discussed included homeowners losing insurance, the need to upgrade aging dams in the district, homelessness, housing, crime, and more.


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SENATOR JONES’S MEASURE TO PROTECT HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS UNANIMOUSLY PASSES KEY COMMITTEE

Source: Senator Brian Jones'  office

June 28, 2023 (Sacramento) – Today, California State Senate Majority Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) announced that his measure to protect human trafficking victims and make it easier to prosecute human trafficking perpetrators unanimously passed out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee.

“Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery,” said Jones. “The evil people who buy and sell humans for their own benefit must be convicted to prevent further trauma for all victims. This bill will help bring justice to human trafficking victims and prevent further exploitation of innocent people by putting perpetrators behind bars. Thank you to the members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee for understanding the importance of this issue and moving the bill forward.”


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JONES COAUTHORS BILL TO RESTRICT RELEASE OF SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS

East County News Service

 

March 8, 2023 (Sacramento) - Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego), Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil (D-Jackson), Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), and Assemblymember Megan Dahle (R-Bieber) have introduced the “Sexually Violent Predator Accountability, Fairness, and Enforcement Act” (SAFE Act), a measure aimed at preventing the state from continuing to try to secretly dump Sexually Violent Predators (SVPs) in unsuspecting communities throughout the state. Senate Bill 832 is the second SVP bill Leader Jones has authored in the last two years.

 

To sign the petition supporting SB 832, here. For more information on the SVP issue, please click here.

 

“Families in San Diego County and across California are being jolted by the state’s secret attempt to put an SVP in their neighborhoods. State Hospital officials have often tried to duck their responsibility by giving their vendors, such as East Coast-based Liberty Health Care, too much freedom in targeting regions such as East and North County. Unfortunately, this problem is not unique to San Diego,” said Jones. “A few weeks ago, I requested an audit of Liberty Healthcare to get to the bottom of their poor handling of SVP placements. Now, we’re announcing the bipartisan SAFE Act, which would require transparency in the SVP placement process, force state officials to own up to these decisions, and make public safety the highest priority.”

 

Specifically, Leader Jones’s Senate Bill 832 would:


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STATE SENATOR BRIAN JONES SHARES HIS ACHIEVEMENTS AND PRIORITIES

 

October 15, 2022 (San Diego) – In an interview with East County Magazine also aired on KNSJ Radio, State Senator Brian Jones talked about his accomplishments in the Legislature and his priorities if reelected.

Senator Jones has served in the California Legislature for the past 12 years, first in the Assembly , and now in the State Senate, where he’s also the Senate Republican Caucus Chair. He has a degree in business administration from San Diego State, and has worked as a government relations consultant and church broker. He’s also a former Santee City Councilman and resident of Santee, along with his wife and their three children.

Click the video link to view the full interview, and scroll down to read highlights.


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STATE SENATOR BRIAN JONES DISCUSSES HIS LEGISLATION SENT TO GOVERNOR, WILDFIRE SAFETY AND OTHER TOPICS

By Miriam Raftery

View full video of Zoom interview 

Hear audio from our radio show on KNSJ (updated with status on bills signed into law)

Updated October 7, 2021 with status of bills signed or vetoed

October 3, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Last week, East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery

Interviews State Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee) via Zoom.  The Senator discussed his legislative accomplishments in getting several bills passed by the Legislature and onto the Governor’s desk.

 Several have been signed into law, including a measure to help homeless students get resources, a bill to protect foster children from human trafficking, and another to require that conservancy hearings remain private unless a judge finds a compelling reason to make them public.

Others remain pending, including a bill require personal protective gear for social workers during a pandemic, and more.

The Senator also spoke out on concerns over what he views as not enough clearing of forest lands to prevent devastating wildfires, even though funds for the clearing have long been allocated. In addition, he raised criticisms over the state’s homelessness policies and concerns about crime.

Audio: 


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SENATOR JONES TO HOST VIRTUAL HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE DEC. 9

East County News Service

December 7, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – State Senator Brian Jones will hold his annual holiday open house online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“2020 has been a year of changes and challenges,” says Jones on the party invitaiton. “But in keeping with past traditions,my wife and I will still greet every attendee!” Each guest will have a 3-minute meeting slot assigned when you RSVP, as well as an opportunity to talk with staff on any ideas for legislation or if you need help with a state agency.


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READER’S EDITORIAL: PEOPLE’S LIVES TRUMP THE DOW JONES DURING PANDEMIC

By Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH, retired epidemiologist
 
April 23, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- So Senator Jones claims America exceptionalism because our Constitution begins with “We the People,” in his recent editorial on restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nice sentiments, but what is the reality? 
 
According to Senator Jones, “‘We the People’ established a Constitution with a Bill of Rights that enshrines the liberties that cannot be permanently taken from us. Just because we’re in an emergency doesn’t mean we hand over our freedoms to the government absolutely and indefinitely.” 
 
First, no one is talking about handing over our freedoms indefinitely. However, if we rely on our “intuitive genius” President and people like Senator Jones rather than experts on infectious diseases we may actually hand over more than our freedoms--threatening our health and our lives.

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READER’S EDITORIAL: CALIFORNIANS MUST ENSURE INFRINGEMENTS ON LIBERTIES DURING PANDEMIC ARE ONLY TEMPORARY

By State Senator Brian Jones
 
Originally published in the San Diego Union-Tribune; reprinted with permission of the author
 
April 22, 2020 (San Diego) -- In his 1987 State of the Union address, President Ronald Reagan clarified the difference between the U.S. Constitution and those of other countries:
 
“Many countries have written into their constitution provisions for freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Well, if this is true, why is the Constitution of the United States so exceptional? Well, the difference is so small that it almost escapes you, but it’s so great it tells you the whole story in just three words: We the People. In those other constitutions, the government tells the people of those countries what they’re allowed to do. In our Constitution, we the people tell the government what it can do, and it can do only those things listed in that document and no others.”
 
Last week, President Donald Trump unveiled new guidelines to help states begin to lift the social distancing guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended since mid-March. Given that state and local governments have acted in accordance with, or gone well beyond, federal guidance to this point, “stay at home” orders may begin to ease May 1 in some places but may continue for weeks or months in others.

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SENATOR BRIAN JONES BILL SUPPORTING LEGAL GUN OWNERSHIP RIGHTS APPROVED BY SENATE

East County News Service
 
January 23, 2020 (Sacramento) - Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee) announced yesterday that his Senate Bill 723 passed the Senate unanimously. This bill corrects a hastily written state law that could cause an otherwise legal gun owner to become a felon if a warrant was issued in their name, whether or not they have knowledge of the existence of the warrant.
 
"Simply owning a legal firearm should never put an individual in danger of becoming a felon," said Senator Jones. "California's current law could cause a gun owner to lose their due process rights that should be guaranteed to all Californians."
 
SB 723 corrects a policy that was improperly added through the budget process and never received a policy committee hearing. This bill clarifies that any person for whom a warrant has been issued must have knowledge of the warrant before they can be arrested for a specific firearm related charge.

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SENATOR JONES HONORS THREE LA MESA BROTHERS WHO EARNED NATIONAL EAGLE SCOUT AWARDS

Jacob, Joshua and Noah Epperson of La Mesa completed three local community projects

East County News Service

Photo:  pictured with Senator Brian Jones are Jacob, Noah and Joshua Epperson during a ceremony in Senator Jones' El Cajon District office.

November 27, 2019 (El Cajon) - Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee) yesterday met with and presented official Senate Certificates of Recognition to three local brothers who all earned their National Eagle Scout awards on the same day last month.


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SENATOR BRIAN JONES HOSTS EAST COUNTY TOWN HALL AUG. 22 IN LAKESIDE

East County News Service

August 15, 2019 (Lakeside) – “It’s important that your voice is heard,” reads a flyer from State Senator Brian Jones, who will host an East County Town Hall on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019 at the Lakeside Community Center (9841 Vine St., Lakeside).  There will be a local Nonprofit Expo first from 5-6 p.m., followed by a Town Hall from 6-7:30 p.m.


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CALIFORNIA SENATOR BRIAN JONES TOURS BAKER ELECTRIC HOME ENERGY

 

 

East County News Service

April 2, 2019 (San Diego) -- Baker Electric Home Energy, a leading San Diego/Escondido company specializing in advanced solar systems, home batteries as well as heating and air conditioning services and smart home solutions, hosted State Senator Brian Jones (Republican, Santee) on Friday, March 22.  The Senator’s visit was intended to gain a greater understanding of solar and home battery technology as well as renewable energy’s impact on the San Diego job market and economy. 


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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: MT. HELIX ACTIVISTS WHO LED SUCCESSFUL EFFORT TO STOP A PAROLE OFFICE FROM OPENING IN COMMUNITY

By Miriam Raftery

The Boethin family with State Senator Brian Jones

February 3, 2019 (Mt. Helix) –  When Daniel and Stephanie Boethin learned that the state planned to open a parole office near their Mt. Helix home in La Mesa, they took action  As government contractors, they knew how to get the attention of bureaucrats and public officials. In just a few short weeks, they organized their community to successfully halt the parole office near homes, schools and businesses in their neighborhood.

We interviewed the Boethins on our East County Magazine Radio Show, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio. The Boethins offered advice for people in other communities on how to successfully organize to stand up against projects with negative impacts on neighborhoods.

Audio: 

Interview with Daniel and Stephanie Boethin

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