Asm. Schiavo's April in Review
Our office was busy delivering for AD 40 in April. In Sacramento, it was committee month. We presented in various committees to pass our bills - many moving forward with bipartisan support! You can learn more about our legislative priorities below, but we are so proud to have 14 bills that passed out of these policy committees and are now onto the fiscal review stage via the Appropriations Committee. Our bill on protecting seniors and the disabled community from abuse already passed through the Assembly unanimously and is on to the Senate, and two others will be voted on in the Assembly floor session soon.
April was also a big month at home in the district. A lot of hard work paid off when we welcomed our new Santa Clarita Veteran Services Officer (VSO) to the region. This is the first time the Santa Clarita Valley has been assigned a permanent VSO, and we are so proud we could help make this a reality for our veteran community. Now, Santa Clarita Valley veterans can access VA resources right here at home. The new VSO will be available every Monday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. at 26111 Bouquet Canyon Road. You can call to request an appointment at (661) 254-0700.
On Earth Day, I was honored to give Speaker Designate Robert Rivas a tour of AD 40. We joined the City of Santa Clarita and Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency representatives for a tour of the Santa Clara River to learn more about the invasive Arundo plant species, which actually uses more water than the whole population of Santa Clarita! Next, we visited the Veteran Enriched Neighborhood run by Homes4Families, where low-income veterans and their families realize the dream of home ownership and receive wrap-around services that help them get on their feet. Then, we checked out the Cowboy Festival in Newhall (and of course couldn’t leave without having some of the peach cobbler). Finally, we visited Hope the Mission’s Trebek Center in Northridge, where they have 107 beds to help unhoused neighbors work toward transitioning to permanent housing and provide access to wrap-around services. We loved the personal touches that incorporate some of the wood floor from the former roller rink, Skateland, and the Jeopardy wall of supporters to honor the support of Alex Trebek.
It was an honor to show the Speaker Designate all the amazing work in our community. That day and every day is a reminder of why I’m so proud to represent this district in the Assembly. One of my goals was to make sure I bring our community to the Capitol and bring the Capitol back to our AD 40 community. In these first five months, I’m proud that we have made good on that promise and have built a solid foundation to do this work and make a real impact.
Onward!
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo
Open House - At the beginning of April, we hosted our first District Office Open House and showed off our newly painted walls. If you know anything about us, you could have guessed that they’re orange! We were proud to share our ambitious bill package addressing the biggest issues for our community: housing and healthcare affordability, homelessness, the environment, gun safety, housing for foster youth, protecting access to reproductive care, and removing red tape. Thanks to everyone who came for a legislative update, information on state resources, and mingling with other folks in the community.
VITA Tax Clinic - We joined the CSUN VITA Tax Clinic last month to connect with folks in the community while they got their taxes done. Our 2023 Tax Deadline has been extended to October, so if you still need your taxes done, reach out to the CSUN VITA Clinic here: https://www.csun.edu/bookstein-institute/csun-vita-clinic.
CSUN Groundbreaking and Tour - It was such an honor to take part in the groundbreaking for CSUN’s new Autodesk Center. This center will be the only Global Hispanic Serving Institution Equity Innovation Hub in the nation, and it’s right here in AD 40! Then Dr. Beck and her team gave us an amazing tour of campus where we learned about their plans to expand the campus food pantry and how they’re addressing food and housing insecurity among their students.
College of the Canyons Tour - We got to visit the future site of on-campus affordable housing, the Basic Needs Food Center that is finding innovative ways to reach students across campus with food, school supplies, and emergency grants. Finally, we met with the administration to hear about their efforts to ensure the campus is meeting the needs of students and faculty alike.
New VSO in town - In April we welcomed Hector, our Veteran Service Officer (VSO), to Santa Clarita with a certificate and our appreciation. Check out the AD 40 Veteran Service Officer Schedule below and read more about how we brought a permanent VSO to Santa Clarita in this article from TheSignal: https://signalscv.com/2023/04/schiavo-local-veteran-leaders-secure-dedicated-veterans-services-officer-in-scv/
Speaker Designate Visit - We showed Speaker Designate Rivas a good time last month when he visited AD 40! He learned about our wonderful community and the challenges we are working to address and had some peach cobbler at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival.
Home and Garden Show - Last weekend, we took part in the annual KHTS Home and Garden Show. We met a ton of folks, visited all the incredible booths, and stopped to say hello to the adorable goats.
April was all about legislation in Sacramento! If we weren’t in committee meetings, we were taking meetings in preparation for our committee meetings and all the bills before me. All month, I had the pleasure of welcoming organizations, policy advocates, constituents, and L.A. area community members to Sacramento.
Los Angeles County Medical Association - It was great to welcome the Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA) to our Capitol Office to discuss healthcare legislation. Somehow, we got everyone into one selfie!
Foster Youth Shadow Day - It was such an honor to participate in California Youth Connection’s Annual Foster Youth Shadow Day and host France, an amazing individual and former foster youth who stepped in and spoke during the committee hearing when AB 963 – my Foster Youth Housing Bill – was up for a hearing!
UNITE HERE - I had a full circle moment a couple of weeks before May Day (International Workers Day). My very first job in the labor movement was an internship with UNITE HERE Local 11. Over 20 years ago, I came to LA for my first day of work. And last month, I welcomed UNITE HERE to my office as a legislator. Whether I’m fighting alongside workers or in the Legislature on their behalf, the labor movement will always be a part of me.
Los Angeles Unified School District - The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) stopped by to discuss education policy and how we can better serve our students and our teachers.
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHRILA)– It’s always nice to see my friends from CHIRLA! I loved taking part in their annual advocacy day where we talked about healthcare for all, food insecurity, and the Vision Act.
SEIU 121RN - Fighting with nurses for so many years is really paying off when it comes to advocating for them in the Assembly. It was so good to see SEIU 121RN in Sacramento to present a bill ensuring healthcare workers get the guaranteed sick leave they deserve. It's good for healthcare workers and good for public health when patients aren’t put at undue risk of infection.
Rent Moratorium Update
In April, L.A.’s rent moratorium, which was put in place during the pandemic, ended. This means renters are once again required to pay current rent. This change will have a big impact on many members of our community. If you or someone you know needs support, here are some resources to ensure our neighbors can stay housed and safe.
STATE RESOURCES:
- Housing is Key - State resources for renters, landlords, and homeowners
- Dial 2-1-1 - Dial 211 visit their website to find resources that help address any need or situation.
LA COUNTY AND CITY RESOURCES:
- Stay Housed LA - Workshops on tenant rights and how to navigate the eviction process
- Keep LA Housed - Tenant rights coalition with bilingual resources
- LA Family Housing – Full-service organization to help families transition out of homelessness and poverty to finding economic stability.
Our office is always here to help. If you’re facing eviction, experiencing homelessness and don’t know where to find resources, or need help with state agencies, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
April was full of committee meetings, as our bills continued through the legislative process. In case you’re curious, here’s how the legislative cycle works:
Many of our bills have been heard by several relevant policy committees, and now most of them are waiting to go through the Appropriations Committee, which compares our budget reality with the thousands of bills that have a cost associated with them. Here are some of the bills we’re really excited about:
- AB 550: Public Participation in Addressing Homelessness - Asks County and Municipal governments to hold an annual hearing to share their homelessness plans with the public.
- AB 710: Transparency for Reproductive Healthcare - Requires the California Department of Public Health to establish a public awareness campaign that provides individuals seeking reproductive healthcare with an accurate description of what service centers across the state provide.
- AB 963: End the Foster Care-to-Homelessness Pipeline - Provides peace of mind to qualified lenders financing the development and acquisition of housing for current and former foster youth ages 18 to 25 by allowing the California IBank to guarantee loans.
- AB 1631 Santa Clarita Valley Water Protection - Provides an opportunity for members of the public to highlight new concerns for projects that impact local water supply, habitat species, environment, and quality of life if the project’s water appropriation applications has been pending with the State Water Resources Control Board for over 30 years.
Assemblywoman Schiavo is coming to a location near you! Please come out and join us at these upcoming events:
May 13 - Pastries With Pilar: A Legislative Update – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Northridge Park - 10058 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA 91324
May 20 - Join Assemblywoman Schiavo at our AD 40 Health Fair – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Granada Hills Rec. Center - 16730 Chatsworth St, Granada Hills, CA 91344
Other Upcoming Community Events:
May 13 - Sweet Side of Education Chocolate Walk 2 – 5 p.m.
Old Town Newhall – Ticket Purchase Required
May 20 - A Salute To Community Ice Cream Social - Noon – 4 p.m.
Oakridge Estate Park - 18650 Devonshire St., Northridge, CA 91325