Drought Response, Small Business Relief, and 18th Annual Bus Trip for Education!

In honor of National Food Allergy Week, May 9th – May 15th, I co-authored Senate Concurrent Resolution 33, authored by Senator Archuleta, that passed unanimously through the Senate. Food allergy reactions are serious and can be life-threatening. 

Thirty-two million people in the United States have a food allergy. Nearly six million children under 18 years of age have a food allergy, or about 1 out of 13 or 2 children per classroom. The nine foods that cause the majority of all food allergy reactions in the United States are shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat and sesame. 

Symptoms of a food-allergic reaction can include hives, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, and swelling of the throat. Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that food allergies result in more than 200,000 ambulatory care visits a year involving children under 18 years of age. Every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room. Reactions typically occur when an individual unknowingly eats a food containing an ingredient to which he or she is allergic. California anaphylactic food reactions are up over 300% and that out of these reactions 66% of them are our most vulnerable population, individuals 18 and under.

There is no cure for a food allergy, and scientists do not understand why that is. Strict avoidance of the offending food is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction. More than 15 percent of school-aged children with food allergies have had a reaction in school.

Research suggests that more than half of fatal food allergy reactions are triggered by food consumed outside the home and epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis as it is the only medication that can stop an allergic reaction. We must ensure that epinephrine in public venues should be readily available and easily accessible.

Learn more by viewing this informative visual graph. 

 

June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month! In honor of this worldwide awareness campaign, join me next month for a “Conversation About the Brain” with the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern California on Thursday, June 10th at 6:00 pm.

As our County’s first official “Dementia Friend”, I invite you to raise awareness about neurodegenerative diseases and honor those living with cognitive impairments. 

During this virtual Q&A Town Hall, we will hear from experts who will present an overview of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia, the difference between the two, and how to recognize the signs of both. We will also hear personal stories from those impacted. 

Register for the event at www.tinyurl.com/SD15BrainAwareness and we will see you there!

This Town Hall will be hosted through ZOOM. It will be also live-streamed, with closed captioning options, and made available for later viewing through my Facebook page and website.  

 

Between May 24 and May 31, 2021, get $50 when you open a new ScholarShare 529 account with $50 and sign up for recurring contributions of $25 or more for six months.

ScholarShare 529 is California’s official college savings plan. Saving for college can be overwhelming and sometimes just getting started is the hardest part. 

529 Day (May 29th) is a great opportunity to begin your child’s journey to higher education: flexible, affordable and comes with a wide variety of investment portfolios. Plus, there are low fees and tax-free qualified withdrawals for use at most colleges, universities and trade schools.

Visit ScholarShare529.com/529Day for more details and plan benefits.

 

SB 37, The Hazardous Waste Site Cleanup and Safety Act, is a bill I introduced to carry forward the work of my father, former Assemblymember Dominc Cortese, author of the Hazardous Waste and Substances Sites List, or the “Cortese List”. SB 37 has cleared the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and is one step closer to becoming law. Advocates and elected officials voiced their support of this bill for increased oversight on the cleanup of contaminated sites in California. SB 37 would close a loophole and ensure that no exemptions to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including the “Common-Sense” Exemption, can be granted on “Cortese List” sites. Learn more at this link and watch the full press conference in support of SB 37 at this link. 

The Senate also passed my resolution, SCR 18, to declare California as the first “Compassionate” state in the nation. The Charter for Compassion was unveiled at the United Nations in 2009 where it carried forth the vision of creating a global civil society that would ask us to treat others as we would like to be treated. We have empirical evidence that showcases practicing compassion can produce positive benefits in various sectors of civic and community life. Thank you to Compassionate California and all of the “Compassionate” community chapters across the state who worked in partnership with me to make this a reality. I’d also like to give a special thank you to Girish Shah of Compassionate Santa Clara County and the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council for his partnership on this. The resolution is now headed to the Assembly.

I’m also proud to announce that SB 739, a bill to provide universal basic income (UBI) to our youth aging out of the foster care system and into adulthood, has cleared its first committee! Last week, I joined Mayor Michael Tubbs, the founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and Special Adviser for Economic Mobility and Opportunity for Governor Newsom, Congressmember Sara Jacobs, Madeline Neighly, Director of Guaranteed Income at Economic Security Project, Adam Roseman, CEO of Steady, and Gisele Huff, Founder of Fund For Humanity, for a round table discussion on universal basic income efforts across California and our country. Watch a recording of this event at this link. I was also able to speak about this bill with cosponsor San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. You can watch that interview hosted by The Appeal here. 

 

Join me and the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) on Friday May 21st for Bike to Wherever Day! I will be riding my bike to the Hillview Branch Library “Bike Energizer Station” for a quick pit stop from 3:00pm – 3:30pm. Be sure to Pledge to Ride to get a goodie bag. I’ll see you on the road!

As climate change worsens, California faces another dry year. The state is taking bold action, with Governor Newsom proposing a $5.1 billion drought response, water resilience, and conservation investment package including the expansion of drought emergency actions to 42 counties. Every Californian deserves access to safe drinking water, especially amidst the droughts we’re seeing, and our farmers need our support to navigate worsening drought conditions. This plan includes $300 million to help small community water systems manage drought conditions and $700 million in improving ecosystem health for native fish and restoration of fish and wildlife habitats. Learn more here. 

My latest podcast interview honors the legislative legacy of my father, former Assemblymember Dominic Cortese and delves deeper into my statewide policy priorities for a 21st century California. 

 

Listen to the “Then There’s California” podcast episode here or find it wherever you download your podcasts! (Itunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). 

The State has declared May 2021 Small Business Month to recognize and prioritize support for our small business that form the backbone of our economy. The State Legislature recently approved up to $6.8 million in tax breaks over the next six years for our small business impacted by the pandemic. AB 80, the Paycheck Protection Program Partial Conformity Act, will provide $2 billion in tax cuts to small businesses by enabling them to deduct up to $150,000 in business expenses paid for with federal PPP or Economic Injury Disaster Loan Funds. For some of our small businesses hardest hit by the pandemic, this can make the difference on whether or not they close their doors. This relief to small businesses expands upon recent state action including $2.5 billion invested in small business grants of up to $25,000. Learn more and read the State’s proclamation of Small Business Month at this link.

In the spirit of assisting our business community, The California Life Sciences Institute is hosting a grant opportunity where innovators with ideas to improve human healthcare can receive funding and business advising. Applications are due by July 30, 2021. Learn more and apply here: http://jji.jnj/inspire.

 

Below are some safe opportunities to explore and volunteer in our local community! 

•    Arcadia Fall Field Volunteer Event on Saturday May 22nd Morning – The Arcadia Ball Field needs volunteer to help prepare for its grand opening. Volunteers will conduct weeding, planting, and spreading large amounts of chip. No experience is necessary! Learn more and register at this link.

•    Sundays in the Park – This series each Sunday rotates through the City of San Jose park system. Find upcoming opportunities to volunteer and have fun to at this link. 

•    Virtual Spring Tour of Deer Hollow Farm on Saturday, May 22 at 11:00am – Highlights will include a walk-through of the newly renovated White Barn, meeting the new spring lambs and resident pigs, visiting with the livestock, seeing what’s growing in the garden, and a Q&A with Farm staff. The event is free, but registration is required.