Wrapping up his first legislative session since being elected in March, Senator Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach), representing California’s 36th Senate District, issued the following statement:
“I came to Sacramento to Make California Golden Again, and that means fighting every day for safer communities, affordable living, and a government that works for the people—not against them.
“Unfortunately, despite all the talk about helping hardworking families, the majority party failed to deliver. Gas prices remain sky-high, utility bills continue to soar, and Proposition 36 - the anti-crime initiative – was left sorely underfunded.
“I said it in June and I’ll say it again: legislative Democrats live in ‘Bizarro World.’ Their idea of tackling affordability is extending the Cap-and-Trade program, a hidden tax that drives up costs on everything from gas to groceries. That’s not climate leadership. I call it economic sabotage.
“Families shouldn’t have to choose between affordability and ineffective climate promises, and I believe Californians deserve better.”
Some notable legislative highlights and concerns:
Worsening Affordability:
- SB 840: Allocates $1 billion to the failing high-speed rail project and $3 million to create a new, unaccountable “Climate Bureau Agency” within the Office of Legislative Counsel.
- AB 1207: Extends the Cap-and-Trade program to 2045, risking higher fuel and energy costs for working families.
Wasteful Spending:
SB 840: Allocates $1 billion slush fund for legislative Democrats’ pet projects and a $1 billion for the failed high-speed rail project.
Public Safety Failures:
- SB 627: is a dangerous and reckless anti-law enforcement bill that undermines efforts to keep our communities safe.
- AB 1231: will allow thousands of criminals to dodge accountability for their crimes and will exacerbate the ongoing lawlessness.
- Proposition 36: receives a meager $100 million with no real retail crime prevention.
Education Concerns that hurt our Families:
- AB 495: Undermines parental rights by creating legal pathways that bypass parents without due process, weakening the parent-child bond.