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SACRAMENTO —  AB 1426, by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas), to enshrine in state law a settlement agreement protecting San Onofre State Beach from infrastructure development was signed by Governor Newsom. This marks the successful conclusion of what has been a nearly two-decade fight to save the iconic world class surf spot, Trestles, and the surrounding state park, which is enjoyed by more than 2.5 million yearly visitors.

AB 1426 prohibits any transportation agency or government entity from authorizing, funding, or constructing any new infrastructure that encroaches on the land currently protected by a combination of San Onofre State Beach and the Richard H. and Donna O’Neill Conservancy.

Ever since the early 2000’s, a broad coalition of conservation groups have advocated against the use of the park in a proposal to build a multi-lane extension from the Foothill south toll road in Orange County south to Highway 5. The signing of AB 1426 into law codifies the settlement reached in 2016 between the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), the Save San Onofre Coalition, and the State that has prevented road construction to date.

“I am incredibly grateful to all of the amazing people who have kept the pressure up over all these years to bring us to this point,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “This new law ensures that the hard work of everyone who fought to save this park cannot be undone. This is a huge victory for the cause of conservation in Southern California and for the future generations of surfers, bikers, hikers, and fishermen who will be able to enjoy this special park just as we have.”

SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas) issued the following statement responding to the release of the California State Auditor’s report on University of California admissions, an audit she requested in May of 2019:

“The State Audit released today on the UC Admission process unfortunately reveals much of what we suspected – that our UC admissions process is far too vulnerable to manipulation by well-connected individuals. These practices undermine the equality of opportunity in the UC system and the State of California and are especially troublesome given that these are prestigious taxpayer-supported public institutions.

As a UC Berkeley alumna, this is personal for me. I know that my admission to Cal set me on a path to success tat I would not have had otherwise. As a legislator, I’m committed to ensuring that our public higher educational institutions guarantee a fair process for all California students.

The results of this audit uncovered previously unknown issues separate from the back-door exceptions we’ve been learning about ever since the FBI released its “Varsity Blues” investigations more than a year ago. In addition to 64 questionable admissions decisions flagged by the State Auditor, the report also concluded that some campuses have major inconsistencies amongst application reviewers and lack basic criteria to support their admissions decisions.

This report is about more than just the affluent and powerful buying their way into our public universities. It is also about the stifled dreams of high-achieving students, sometimes from difficult circumstances who are denied their opportunity because of the inequity of access. We must end these practices and ensure that the admission offices and reviewers implement best practices that are transparent and accountable to the public.

With AB 1383 (McCarty) we took some initial steps towards improving this system, and the results of this state audit reveal there is more work to do. My colleagues and I will be meeting with stakeholders to ensure the State Auditor’s recommendations are implemented in full. The students, businesses, and taxpayers of California deserve no less.”

OCEANSIDE – Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath honors the Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside as the 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year for Assembly District 76.

Each year, California Assemblymembers and State Senators select a nonprofit from their district to be recognized for their work to provide services to those in need, promote social change, and improve the quality of life in their communities.

The club was selected because of its tireless dedication to support the underserved youth of the Oceanside community as working families navigate the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The staff quickly identified food insecurity and distance learning inequities as some of the areas of greatest needs for the low income and minority families and created programs tailored to address them.

“This pandemic and the economic downturn it caused has really hit working families the hardest,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “The Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside has been listening to the needs of families and has truly gone above and beyond to meet them where they’re at during this difficult time. The club’s efforts over the past six months have helped keep Oceanside students on track while lessening some of the burdens their parents are facing.” 

SACRAMENTO —  AB 1731, a bill authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas) to incentivize businesses’ participation in the state’s Work Share Program, passed the Assembly on a bipartisan 74-0 concurrence vote. 

Under California’s unemployment insurance Work Share Program, businesses are able to reduce employees’ hours and wages as an alternative to layoffs as eligible workers receive prorated unemployment benefits to replace lost wages. Businesses retain valuable, trained workers on staff and workers keep their jobs and their benefits. Despite the benefits of participating in the program, work-sharing has been widely underutilized because the application process can be slow forcing businesses to layoffs as they wait for their application to be approved. 

“Business owners who want to keep their employees when times are tough should have access to an expedited process for starting a work-sharing plan and avoid unnecessary layoffs” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “And, workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own will be more likely to accept a part-time job knowing that their unemployment benefits will not be significantly offset by their wages. Preserving the relationships between businesses and their workers are going to be critical to the quality and speed of our economic recovery.” 

SACRAMENTO — Today, AB 1927, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath’s bill establishing an amnesty clause to encourage victims and witnesses of sexual assault to testify in court passed the Assembly Floor on a bipartisan 75-0 concurrence vote.

AB 1927 would provide immunity for victims and witnesses of sexual assault from the consequences of illegal alcohol or drug use occurring at the time of their alleged assault. Higher education institutions nationwide, including the University of California, have already implemented such amnesty clauses on their campuses.

“Victims of sexual assault who were under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the abuse are more reluctant to testify against their assailants for fear of personal prosecution,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “This fear should not be the reason to stop them from getting the justice they deserve. AB 1927 will provide assault survivors with a safe space to provide testimony before a judge without incriminating them for their behavior.”

SACRAMENTO — AB 1949, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s bill to strengthen and expand the marine hatchery program in Carlsbad passed the Assembly Floor on a bipartisan 75-0 concurrence vote.

The Leon Raymond Hubbard Jr. Marine Fish Hatchery in Carlsbad is the only salt-water fish hatchery on the West Coast and operates as the main facility for the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program (OREHP). The hatchery has historically been used to experiment with techniques for using cultivated white seabass to enhance their depleted wild populations.

AB 1949 reforms the program in step with the core recommendations from a California Sea Grant evaluation conducted by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the state’s request in 2015. This includes a restructuring of the program’s advisory panel so that it facilitates a more direct decision-making process while providing stakeholders with more appropriate representation, among other changes.

“At a time when climate change continues to put strain on the world’s oceans, we need to be finding more innovate ways to balance our commercial and sport fishing industries with the need to safeguard against overfishing,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “This bill gives us a shot at securing a sustainable fishing future by equipping us with the tools needed to become effective stewards of our marine resources.”

SACRAMENTO — AB 1426 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas) to enshrine in state law a settlement agreement protecting San Onofre State Beach from infrastructure development passed the Assembly Floor on a bipartisan 61-10 concurrence vote. 
 

AB 1426 prohibits any transportation agency or government entity from authorizing, funding, or constructing any new infrastructure that encroaches on the land currently protected by a combination of San Onofre State Beach and the Richard H. and Donna O’Neill Conservancy.
 
For nearly two decades, a broad coalition of conservation groups have advocated against the use of the park in a proposal to build a multi-lane extension from the Foothill south toll road in Orange County south to Highway 5.  This bill will put into law the settlement reached in 2016 between the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), the Save San Onofre Coalition, and the State has prevented road construction to date.
 
“AB 1426 will make sure that the hard work and advocacy of everyone who has fought to keep this place protected cannot be undone,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “Protecting this park in statute will bring an end to the years of litigation, and today’s vote brings us one step closer to protecting this special place for future generations of campers, birders, hikers, fishermen, and surfers.”

SACRAMENTO — A bill authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas) to streamline the application process for the state’s Work Share Program administered by the Employment Development Department (EDD), passed the Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee on a 4-1 vote. 

Work-sharing, or short-time compensation, gives employers the option of reducing employee hours during an economic downturn to avoid layoffs by providing the employee prorated unemployment benefit payments to replace the loss in wages. Despite the many benefits the program provides for employers and employees, this state program is currently underutilized because the application process can be administratively burdensome and the employers may not even be aware the program exists. 

"As our economy opens and closes to help manage the spread of the coronavirus, participating in the work share program is a better alternative to layoffs,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “AB 1731 will help employers retain trained workers, employees on reduced hours will keep their benefits, and the state will maximize federal dollars already allocated to fund the program by streamlining an application process that incentivizes employers' participation in the program. It’s a win-win for everyone.”