Shirley Weber

COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS CELEBRATED AT EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE’S AWARDS PRESENTATION

 

Photos:  Left: Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber with East County Magazine Editor Miriam Raftery.  Center: Slack Key Ohana.  Right: Jamul Casino Manager Mary Cheeks accepts Community Benefactor Award on behalf of Chairwoman Erica Pinto; Paul Gomez speaks at presentation of Briana Gomez Award for racial and social justice.

 By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – A sell-out crowd turned out on September 25th at Jamul Casino’s “The Rooftop” venue to honor East County Magazine’s Community Champions awards recipients.

The awards, presented during a tropical-themed Party in Paradise, included winners and honorable mentions in Healthcare, Public Safety, Environmental and Wildlife Protection, and Humanitarian categories, as well as a special Community Benefactor Award for Jamul’s tribal Chairwoman Erica Pinto.

In addition, the Briana Gomez Racial and Social Justice Award (named after ECM’s multicultural journalist who lost her life in a car accident) was presented to three recipients: Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, Rev. Shane Harris with the People’s Association of Justice Advocates, and Buki Domingos, a founder of San Diego’s Racial Justice Coalition and an advocate for human trafficking survivors.

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DR. AKILAH WEBER TAKES BIG LEAD, COULD AVOID RUNOFF IN SPECIAL ELECTION FOR 79TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

Update April 11: Dr. Akilah Weber has won the election outright, avoiding a runoff with 52% of the votes. Only 300 ballots remain to be counted, not enough to change the outcome.

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

April 7, 2021 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa City Councilmember Dr. Akilah Weber took a big lead Tuesday night and could avoid a runoff in the special election to succeed her mother in the 79th Assembly District.

The seat is open because five-term Assemblymember Shirley Weber was appointed to succeed Alex Padilla as Secretary of State in a series of changes prompted by Sen. Kamala Harris’ election as Vice President. Padilla was appointed to succeed Harris in the Senate.

The younger Weber, a Democrat, received 52% of the vote, according to final unofficial election-night results from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

The projected number of outstanding ballots is 9,500, according to the Registrar of Voters. If Weber’s total remains above 50%, she will be elected without a runoff. If it falls below 50%, she will face Marco Contreras, the lone Republican in the field of five candidates, in a runoff June 8.


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SHIRLEY WEBER SWORN IN AS SECRETARY OF STATE; SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL HER SEAT WILL BE HELD APRIL 6

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Governor's Twitter feed: Sec. of State Shirley Weber is sworn in by Gov. Gavin Newsom

February 8, 2021 (San Diego) – Former Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, PhD, made history last week when she was sworn in as the first black woman to serve as California's Secretary of State. A special election to fill the 79th Assembly District seat will be held April 6, with several candidates in the running.

“I am excited to be nominated for this historical appointment as the Secretary of State of California. I thank @CAgovernor  for the confidence in me. Being the first Black Woman in this position will be monumental and I am up for the challenge,” Weber posted on Twitter.


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ASSEMBLYMEMBER SHIRLEY WEBER NAMED NEW SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CALIFORNIA

By Miriam Raftery

December 22, 2020 (San Diego) – East County’s Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has been appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as California’s Secretary of State, the first black woman to hold the office. The daughter of sharecroppers who were once denied the right to vote, Dr. Weber went on to earn a doctoral degree and rise to prominence as an educator and later, a powerhouse champion in the Legislature for voting rights, police reform and strengthening public schools.

Governor Newsom posted on Twitter, “Dr. Weber is a tireless advocate & change agent with unimpeachable integrity. Now, she’ll be at the helm of our elections as our next Secretary of State, the first African American to be California’s Chief Elections Officer.”  He added, “With her, CA will continue to be a model for the nation in expanding democratic participation and access to the ballot box.”

Weber, a Democrat whose district includes La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Bonita and portions of San Diego and National City, will fill the vacancy left by Alex Padilla, whom the Governor appointed to be California’s new U.S. Senator. Padilla will replace Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris in the Senate.


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CHAIRMAN OF CALIF. DEMOCRATIC PARTY RUSTY HICKS VISITS LA MESA

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

(Photo credit Rebecca Jefferis Williamson)

October 10, 2019 (La Mesa) -- California Democratic party chair Rusty Hicks, newly elected in June, headlined the “Catch the next Blue Wave” function on Oct. 3 at La Mesa Community Center.  The San Diego Democratic Party East hosted the event, held on the same night that Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren held a rally at San Diego’s Waterfront Park. Eighty attended the East County event.

Hicks offered up insights into his goals: “Diversity with committee appointments, address misconduct, financial accountability and transparency.”


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JONES WINS OPEN STATE SENATE SEAT; INCUMBENTS REELECTED IN OTHER EAST COUNTY RACES

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Brian Jones, shown at Politics in Paradise, has returned to the Legislature

Update December 13, 2018:  In the final count, Jones won with 53% of the vote to 47% for Griffith, the closest margin in recent history for this district.

November 8, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Brian Jones, a familiar face in East County Politics, will be the new State Senator in the 38th State Senate District. Jones, a Republican former Assemblyman and current Santee City Councilman,  has defeated Cal Fire Captain Jeff Griffith a Democrat, by a 56 to 44 percent margin with 72% of precincts counted.


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ASSEMBLYWOMAN WEBER FAILS TO DERAIL FLETCHER ENDORSEMENT BY SAN DIEGO DEMOCRATS

 

By Ken Stone

Reprinted from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Network

Photo, left:  Nathan Fletcher said after his endorsement: “Every candidate is going to fight and have their base of support. And what we see as Democrats is we come together, post primary and focus on what we have to do, which is Democrats winning the seat.” Photo via Wikimedia Commons

September 20, 2017 (San Diego) -- Former GOP Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher easily won the San Diego County Democratic Party’s endorsement Tuesday night in his bid to “take back our county government.”


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RESTORATIVE JUSTICE BILL PASSES ASSEMBLY

 

 

East County News Service

May 29,2016 (San Diego's East County) -- AB 2590, the Restorative Justice bill authored by  Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego)  passed the full Assembly last week

With a massive recidivism rate, it's time for more effective approach to public safety, Dr.    Weber believes. This bill provides an opportunity for the offender - with the consent of the victims or their families - to accept responsibility, acknowledge the harm to victims, make agreements to repair damage as much as possible, and clarify future intentions to reform.


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

September 23, 2015 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

STATE

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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DISABILITIES ACTIVITIES RALLY IN SAN DIEGO, SACRAMENTO URGING RESTORATION OF FUNDING CUTS

 

East County News Service

Photo: People with developmental disabilities, their families and caregivers rally outside Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins’ office in San Diego on September 1st.

September 6, 2015 (San Diego)—Over 24,000 people with developmental disabilities in San Diego and Imperial Counties rely on state services to survive.  Yet California’s funding levels have fallen to the lowest in the nation, according to the Association of Regional Center Agencies (ARCA).


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INCUMBENTS WIN HANDILY IN STATE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY RACES

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 4, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – By large margins, legislative candidates representing East County have won their reelection bids. Republican State Senator Joel Anderson leads Democratic challenger Fotios “Frank” Tsimboukakis by a 69.29% to 30.71% margin, with 37.7% of votes counted in the 38th district. 

In the 40th State Senate District, where two Democrats are in a run-off due to the top-two primary system, incumbent Senator Ben Hueso leads challenger Rafael Estrada 55.29% to 44.71% with a third of all precincts counted in San Diego County, though results from Imperial County are not yet available. Hueso enjoys the substantial lead despite an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol.


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READER’S EDITORIAL: BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION AT 60: NEED FOR RECOMMITMENT TO INTEGRATION & SUPPORT FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

 

By Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber

"We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust.... We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better." -- Thurgood Marshall

June 7, 2014 (San Diego)--On May 17th 1954, the United States Supreme Court unanimously overturned the separate but equal doctrine of the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision after arguments presented by Thurgood Marshall - then a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The Court concluded that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of separate but equal has no place and that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. The activism generated to enforce the Brown decision was a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement and led to further state and federal anti-discrimination legislation.

My colleagues and I commemorated the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education this week with a resolution as a reminder of the significance and the achievements of this Civil Rights milestone.  (View video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq9YhN6qX70)  My hope is that we don’t let this anniversary deceive us into thinking we’ve fulfilled the hopes of Brown or that work of eliminating inequities in education is behind us.


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WEBER HEARING ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN SAN DIEGO FOCUSES ON ISSUES COUNTYWIDE

 

East County educators among those testifying

By Jordan Schaffner

December 11, 2013 (San Diego)--Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (photo, left, with staff) held a public hearing on access to San Diego higher education  on November 21st in San Diego.  Highlights from the hearing included statements from educators at both private and public institutions, identifying needs to be met for local students.

Among the issues discussed including diversity, overcrowding, and a need for a new higher education campus in our region.


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ASSEMBLY SELECT COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY SET TO HOLD ITS FIRST HEARING NOV. 21 DOWNTOWN

 

 

November 17, 2013 (San Diego) -- Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego) will convene the first hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Higher Education in San Diego County on Thursday, November 21 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.  The hearing will be held at the State Building, 1350 Front Street, Room B-109 in San Diego.

This informational hearing will examine the state of education within the San Diego region. Specifically, the hearing will focus on assessing student access, and exploring what educational opportunities exist within the region. One issue the Committee will explore is why residents have so few public higher education options although the County is the third most populated in the state.


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SAN DIEGO’S BOYS AND MEN OF COLOR: ASSEMBLYMEMBER SHIRLEY WEBER COHOSTS BRIEFING

 

Researchers, policymakers, advocates, and students depicted the state of San Diego’s boys and young men of color, sharing information on  to improve their social and economic conditions

October 23, 2013 (San Diego) – Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber’s (D-79) Youth Advisory Council and the California Assembly’s Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color, chaired by Assemblymember Steven Bradford (D-62), held a joint informational briefing yesterday evening to discuss the status of boys and men of color in the San Diego area and to connect the work of the Select Committee to the local community.

“As one of the state’s fastest growing populations, we should be investing in our boys and men of color, not leaving them behind,” said Assemblymember Weber. “This is a rescue mission to save California.”


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HOW WILL THE STATE BUDGET IMPACT YOU? WHAT SHOUlD THE PRIORITIES BE? BUDGET WORKSHOP JUNE 8

 

June 8, 2013 (San Diego) –Each year, legislators are tasked with the difficult job of balancing our state budget. This includes determining how much money will be available for public services, such as education, public safety, health care, and how much we pay in taxes.

Assemblywoman Shirley Weber will host an interactive town hall to discuss your priorities for California's budget, as well as the impact of the state budget on San Diego county residents. The town hall will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2013 from 12-2 p.m.


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ASSEMBLY MEMBER SHIRLY WEBER TO HOST COMMUNITY COFFEE APRIL 20

 

April 17, 2013 (San Diego) – Residents of the 79th Assembly District are invited to a community coffee with Assembly  member Shirley Weber on Saturday, April 20 from 10-11:30 a.m. This event will be held at the Mission Valley Library, 2123 Fenton Parkway (off Friars Road) in San Diego. 

Residents will have the opportunity to learn about current legislation that she is authoring in Sacramento, ask questions and share concerns they may haveYou are welcome to bring your family, friends and neighbors. This is a free and public event.


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SAN DIEGO REPRESENTATIVES RECEIVE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 5, 2013 (San Diego)—Assembly Speaker John Perez has announced committee assignments for the new term. San Diego’s delegation will be well represented on several key committees.  San Diego County members will control 3 of 7 votes on Housing and Community Development, with two or more members on several other key committees, notably education  and the budget committee. Our region lacks representation on several committees however, such as transportation, revenue and taxation, and natural resources, where San Diego doesn’t have a single member.  Below are the assignments of our region’s members.


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COLOR OF CHANGE: SAN DIEGO SENDS FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO LEGISLATURE

By Miriam Raftery

November 7, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – For Shirley Weber, PhD,  victory in the 79th Assembly District is particularly sweet.    “This is the first time an African-American has served in theLegislature in San Diego or south of Los Angeles,” Dr. Weber told ECM.  “The 79th district is only 10% African American, which says a lot about voters in this district.”

The daughter of a sharecropper, Weber found education to be the key to her future.  She earned three degrees by age 26.   “I’ve always been a strong voice for education,” said Weber, a Democrat. With over 88% of the votes counted, Weber leads her Republican challenger, Lemon Grove Councilwoman Mary England, by approximately a 60-40% margin.


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WINDS OF CHANGE: FORUM AIRS CANDIDATES’ VIEWS ON GREEN ISSUES

East County wind projects among hot topics discussed by candidates for Congress, Assembly and Mayor

Story by Miriam Raftery, videos by Paul Kruze

View ECM’s videos from the San Diego Green Candidates Forum:

Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2SAosb9-Y

Part II:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8rZTtkh7OY&feature=youtu.be

October 14, 2012 (San Diego)—November's election has big impacts for our region, our nation and our world--with San Diego poised to be a leader in the emerging green economy. 

Should our region’s needs be met by rooftop solar or industrial wind projects in our backcountry?  Should the San Onofre nuclear reactors be shut down?  How can we fuel San Diego’s economy and create green jobs? In what ways should transportation and water issues be addressed—and what about global climate change?  These were among the topics of lively discussion at the San Diego Green Candidates forum on October 4, where candidates for Congress, Assembly, Mayor and Supervisor shared their ideas on these important issues and more.


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WEBER AND ENGLAND HEAD TO NOVEMBER RUN-OFF IN 79TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

 By Miriam Raftery

June 5, 2012 (San Diego)--With 98.4% of precincts counted, the clear winners in the 79th Assembly District race are Democrat Shirley Weber (30.00%) and Republican Mary England (29.67%).

If elected in the November run-off, Weber would become San Diego county's first African-American woman to serve in the Legislature.   England, however, hopes to score an upset win to take back the ethnically diverse district from Democrats in November. 


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DR. SHIRLEY WEBER AND CONGRESSMAN BOB FILNER MEET FUTURE VOTERS ON ELECTION MORNING


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A DOZEN CANDIDATES IN LA MESA MARCH 7

 

March 7, 2012 (La Mesa) – Over a dozen Democratic candidates will be appearing at tonight’s meeting of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club. In addition, Scott Lewis, chief executive officer of the Voice of San Diego news outlet, will speak. 

 


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