California Assembly District 58

I support this measure and will vote for it. We are asked to show identification for many ordinary things in life, from boarding a plane to cashing a check, and I believe it is reasonable to protect the integrity of our elections in the same way. At the same time, voting must remain accessible to every eligible voter, which is why I appreciate that this measure provides a free identification card for anyone who needs one and gives Vote by Mail voters a simple way to verify their identity. Every eligible citizen should be able to vote, and every voter should be able to trust that our elections are secure, fair, and honestly reflect the will of the people. Protecting both access to the ballot and confidence in our elections is something we can and should do.

California’s first answer to a budget problem should not be to ask families to pay more. People are already struggling with the cost of living, and they deserve to know that the money they send to Sacramento is being used wisely. That is one of the reasons I introduced AB 520, to make state spending more transparent, and AB 2670, to help identify fraud in Medi-Cal. Before we ask taxpayers for another dollar, we should know where the money is going, what is working, and what is not. Families have to make choices when money is tight. They look at what they have, set priorities, and cut what they can without compromising the things that matter most. State government should have to do the same. I will continue to fight for responsible spending, protect important services like education, public safety, and care for those who truly need it, and oppose raising taxes just because Sacramento has failed to manage the money it already has.

Israel is an important American ally, and I support its right to protect its people and defend itself. At the same time, as a California Assemblywoman, my responsibility is here at home, where we have seen a deeply troubling rise in antisemitism. No Jewish family should feel afraid to attend synagogue, send their children to school, or walk onto a college campus because of their faith or heritage. I support security grants that help synagogues, temples, schools, and other vulnerable institutions protect the people they serve, and I will continue to stand against antisemitism and discrimination wherever it occurs. There are understandably strong feelings about conflicts taking place around the world, but here at home we should be able to agree on something very basic: people should never be threatened, intimidated, or targeted because of who they are or how they worship.

I support a secure border, and the results speak for themselves: illegal crossings are at their lowest levels in decades. This issue is personal to me. My father came to this country from Mexico legally through the Bracero Program as a farm worker. He gave everything to his work, his family, and building a better life here, and his story is one of sacrifice, responsibility, and gratitude for the opportunity this country gave him. That is why I reject the idea that we must choose between caring about immigrants and securing our border. Most immigrant families I know want both. They respect legal immigration, they want their communities safe, and they know the difference between welcoming those who follow the law and letting criminals, cartels, traffickers, and fentanyl exploit a broken system. Our laws should be enforced, and enforced with dignity and humanity. We can be compassionate without being careless, and firm without losing who we are.

I am pro life, without apology. That conviction comes from my faith and from years spent sitting with women and families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. For me, being pro life also means making sure a woman facing an unexpected or difficult pregnancy is not left alone. This year I coauthored AB 2066, which makes pregnancy a qualifying life event for health insurance so an expectant mother can enroll and receive prenatal care when she needs it, rather than waiting for open enrollment. That is what these values look like in practice. It’s not radical and it’s not violent. It means supporting moms, strengthening families, making adoption more accessible, and removing the obstacles that can make choosing life feel impossible. I want California to be a place where every woman facing a difficult pregnancy is met with compassion, real support, and the resources she needs to choose life.

Parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening in the life of their own child, especially when that child is struggling. As a dual licensed psychotherapist, I have worked with hundreds of children and families in crisis. Both the research and my own professional experience point in the same direction: a child in crisis needs loving, responsible parents brought into the conversation, not cut out of it. That is one of the reasons I carried Yaeli’s Law. Families should not be treated as the problem when they are often a child’s greatest source of support. Schools have an important role, but they should never come between a parent and a child. When a young person is hurting or facing a serious decision, mom and dad should not be the last to know. Protecting parental rights is not a political talking point. It comes from years of seeing how much stronger children are when the people who love them most are allowed to stand beside them.