Here are five things that caught my attention!
Historic Budget: This week, we passed a County budget that puts working families first and makes sure those who have been marginalized are prioritized. We made the largest investments in county history in behavioral health services, programs to help unsheltered San Diegans, healthcare services and staffing in our County jails. Plus, we are investing more to fight climate change, address stormwater issues and plant more trees countywide, keep our communities safe by funding public safety, protect neighborhoods from the dangers of wildfires, and build more affordable housing. We did all of this unanimously, with transparency and engagement from our community, and in doing so we’re showing what can be done when leadership brings people together to meet common needs. You can read more about what we did here, a summary of the budget here, and the full budget here.
Flashback: After Trump’s conservative Supreme Court majority overturned half a century’s worth of legal precedent protecting reproductive rights, our county threw its full support behind the effort to ensure the right to choose was protected in our state constitution. It’s easy to forget that there was a time in the state of California when Republicans, like Gov. Reagan, expanded (this week 55 years ago) women’s right to choose. That’s not the case anymore, so this is just one more reason to make sure you vote in November’s election. If you want a great book about Governor Reagan (not President Reagan) I highly recommend this one by Lou Cannon. You will be surprised at the number of very progressive things he did as Governor of California.
Confusing: This didn’t get as much attention as the Dobbs decision, but the Supreme Court also sided with the state of Alabama in refusing to allow a death row inmate to have his Muslim spiritual adviser pray with him before his execution. Prison officials would only allow a Christian chaplain to accompany prisoners during their execution. So the same court that protected a high school football coach's right to pray on the field, denied a US citizen the right to have a prayer before being put to death.
Congrats to my Mom: Last weekend, Lorena and I, plus three of our kids, made the trip to Arkansas (where I grew up). It was a celebratory weekend for my Mom’s wedding. We swam in the lake, caught fireflies, sweated excessively, and I made the unfortunate mistake of introducing my wife and kids to old high school friends:) But our primary purpose was to be there to celebrate my Mom’s new marriage. We are wishing her and Steve all the very best.
Mad Dog Married: Speaking of weddings, former Defense Secretary and retired Marine Gen. James Mattis got married after decades of sole devotion to serving his country as a Marine. In true Marine Corps fashion, the couple met in a bar and got married by an Elvis impersonator in Vegas. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
