Honoring outstanding women in my district
Every March in celebration of Women’s History Month, we have a tradition in the Legislature of celebrating women from each Senate and Assembly district who are accomplishing amazing things in their communities. This year, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus celebrated Women Making Herstory with a ceremony at the Capitol on March 20.
My choice for our 39th Senate District Woman Making Herstory is Toluwalaṣé “Laṣé” Ajayi, MD. Dr. Ajayi is a community hospitalist and pediatric palliative medicine physician at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She is the ninth woman, and first Black woman, to be elected president in the Medical Society’s 152-year history.
In addition to selecting Dr. Ajayi for this recognition, I continued my annual tradition of honoring Women of the 39th District based on community nominations. For 2023, I selected 23 remarkable women. They are a diverse group of high achievers and community leaders, representing a wide variety of occupations, vocations, and life experiences.
You can read about all of these women under the District tab on my website, sd39.senate.ca.gov
Two new bills to expand, protect reproductive rights
Reproductive rights are under attack at the national level. Recently, a Texas judge heard arguments in a lawsuit that threatens to reverse the Food and Drug Administration Approval of a medication that has been safely used to do medication abortions for more than two decades.
In California, we are doing everything in our power to remain ahead of the curve to make our state a safe haven for both those seeking reproductive services and those providing reproductive services.
I have introduced two bills this legislative session that focus on training and shielding abortion providers, so that they can continue to provide reproductive services without disruption – Senate Bill 385 and Senate Bill 487.
SB 385 helps expand the network of abortion providers in California by expanding and modernizing training for physician assistants and allowing them to perform first trimester abortions within the scope of their clinical and professional education and training. By having more providers in our state, we can better ensure that Californians, and those coming here for reproductive health care, can get the services they need.
SB 487 protects health care providers from facing penalties for performing abortion care services and gender-affirming care services on people coming from out of state. SB 487 also protects providers from facing penalties in California if they travel out of state to provide services. Shielding providers in California helps reassure them they can continue to practice here without retaliation.
Tax deadline extended for some
To help alleviate some of the hardship caused by the severe winter storms, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a disaster declaration for counties that experienced flooding, mudslides and significant property damage in December and January.
All residents of impacted counties, including the County of San Diego, now have until October 16, 2023 to file both federal and state tax returns and make tax payments. The extension is applicable to both individual and business taxes and also applies to quarterly estimated tax payments.
Of course, for everyone eligible for the California Earned Income Tax Credit and the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit, if you are able, the sooner you file the sooner you get money back for your household.
Mark these April dates
The damage California has endured from these latest storms also is a good reminder that we can’t let up in the fight to reduce and remove the threats caused by climate change. And, as we once again celebrate Earth Day on April 22, it’s a good time to redouble our commitment to that fight. Through record funding and innovative bills, the Legislature has been a constant force in ensuring California sets and meets responsible climate goals. That will absolutely stay true in 2023.
Finally, I want to say a special thank you to all of the young people and their allies who will be taking part in GLSEN’s annual Day of Silence on April 14. The voices of young people are an important force against all the attacks that are being launched against the LGBTQ+ community—and on the 14, their silence will speak volumes.
