June 2020 District Report

A Message from Bill Dodd

Dear Neighbor,

Summer arrived in our beautiful district this month and I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy! Please continue to take appropriate precautions to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, which remains a significant public health threat.

It’s no secret that the pandemic has had a major effect on our economy, causing business closures and high unemployment. In response, the Legislature this month offered a smaller budget that avoids drastic cuts to our social safety net. My own bills advanced to protect people from wildfire as peak season approaches and to ensure schools don’t suffer financially from public safety power shutoffs.

Across the nation, outrage over deadly police shootings involving people of color reached a crescendo this month. Listen to my short video statement here. I invite you to join the discussion by tuning in to my Justice in Policing virtual town hall, 6 p.m. June 30.

In this Issue:

As always, my office is available to help you with a state agency or to answer any questions. You can contact me by visiting my website at https://sd03.senate.ca.gov/

Sincerely,

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Bill Dodd
Senator, 3rd District

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Fire Safety & Preparedness

 

Our region has been hit hard by wildfires. Over the past few years, we have seen thousands of homes burn, hundreds of thousands of acres scorched and the tragic loss of life. As we approach the start of fire season, it's important we take steps to prevent fires and to protect your home and family:

  • Defensible space
  • Making your home more fire resistant
  • Emergency plans and evacuation kits
  • Fire prevention though safe equipment use
  • And more

Ensuring fire victims recover and that our state is better prepared to prevent and respond to future wildfires is a top priority for me. For information on how to protect your home from wildfires, please visit my website.

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Elder Abuse Prevention

 

 

Elder abuse is a growing problem in our country, with 6 million cases reported annually. More than 10 percent of those cases are in California. New evidence points to an increase in elder abuse during the coronavirus pandemic.

Abuse against seniors and disabled adults in general can be physical, emotional, financial or medical, restricting their ability to protect themselves, to report to authorities or to testify against perpetrators. The situation is worsened by the fact that one in eight people over 65 have Alzheimer's disease, making them more vulnerable. One in two people with dementia experience some form of abuse. Abuse of developmentally disabled adults is also staggering.

This is why I wrote legislation last year designating the month of June as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness month. With 10,000 people turning 65 every day in our country, it is more important than ever to understand the problem, learn the signs and work on prevention.

To find out more about this crisis, visit https://bit.ly/2U53i7Y or go to my website.

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Water Saving Tips

 

As we move into summer, California faces a long stretch of dry weather. Spring rains provided a temporary reprieve, but the snow pack is all but melted. Recent data suggests almost half the state is in a moderate drought. That’s why we must all work together to protect our environment, public health, and our economy – all of which depend on clean, sustainable water supplies.

I have authored two bills in recent years to increase water storage and efficiency. However, making it through this dry spell and preparing for future droughts will take residents across our state working to conserve water.

Many of our local cities and water districts offer financial assistance for retrofitting water fixtures or offer incentives for saving water. Please check with your water provider to inquire about the programs available to you. For detailed water conservation tips, visit https://saveourwater.com/ or https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency

 

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Celebrating Juneteenth, Working for Change

June 19 marked the day 155 years ago when Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and enslaved people were free. That was 2-1/2 years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. I find that delay as disturbing as ever.

What strikes me is that more than a century later, we still have much to do to ensure equality, justice, fair treatment and shared prosperity for African Americans. We need real systemic change at the federal, state and local level.

That’s why I’m supporting measures including the congressional Justice in Policing Act and California’s own ACA 5, which would restore affirmative action in college admissions. I’m also backing other police reform proposals and those addressing broader inequalities. We all know words are cold comfort. We need these changes to become law.

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In the News

While California has made meaningful progress in a number of areas over the last year, there is still much work to be done in a number of critical areas. This year I’m advancing important legislation to protect people from wildfires and to raise much-needed revenue for our state by legalizing sports betting. This month we passed critical votes for several of our bills.

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