Assemblymember Laurie Davies, a Republican, is running for re-election to her seat representing North County and southern Orange County in Sacramento.
To help inform voters, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates a series of the same questions about their priorities, positions and campaigns. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate?
I am running for re-election because I believe at this time in our country, people are looking for someone who wants to work across the aisle and deliver results.
I have a proven track record of getting things done for the 74th District. I have gotten 22 bills signed into law and was invited to be a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus because of my ability to leave politics at the door and focus on policy.
Furthermore, my ability to work with both Democrats and Republicans inspired former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Los Angeles) to appoint me to the State Allocation Board, where I have been able to vote on and guide almost $30 million in funding to our local schools for infrastructure improvement projects.
What are the top 3 issues facing this district and California generally?
I stick to the ABCs when it comes to my district.
The first is affordability. People want to live in our state and raise their families. We need to make it cheaper to live here by doing things like suspending the state’s gas tax and increasing the renters tax credit.
Next, people want someone who works in a bipartisan fashion. Up in Sacramento, I focus on policy, not party. If someone has a good idea that will help the 74th district, I support it.
Lastly, the number one issue people tell me they are concerned about is crime. They want to feel safe walking their kids to school. I have passed bills to do things such as increase protections for domestic abuse survivors in AB 2308 and I am an honorary co-chair of Prop. 36 because I believe we need stricter penalties for things like retail theft and fentanyl dealers.
What are the first 3 things you would do in your next term in the Legislature?
The first thing I would do is continue my push to ensure our state is tackling our coastal erosion problem. If voters pass the climate bond (Prop. 4), I was able to help negotiate $1.5 billion of that bond dedicated to coastal resiliency programs. There will be funds to use for new projects.
Next, I want to continue my work on helping victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking.
Lastly, increasing access to healthcare services, especially for women, has become a passionate issue for me. Let’s start with increasing coverage for women to get breast cancer screenings and ensuring new moms have access to resources for things like postpartum depression.
What would you do to curb climate change and its effects on California, including the fact that those effects are often borne disproportionately by communities of color?
When we look at climate change, we need not look any further than what’s happening in cities like Oceanside or San Clemente. Our beaches are rapidly disappearing. This year I was able to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure they delivered sand to San Clemente. Additionally, last year, I passed AB 882 so any city or nonprofit with a coastal resiliency grant could receive up to 25% of the funding up front to cut down on red tape.
But we also need to protect our modes of transportation from climate change. I worked with Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-San Diego) this year on SB 1098 so we can finally get the state involved in helping us secure a future for the LOSSAN rail line. We cannot keep having our bluffs be unstable and disrupt the rail for months at a time.
Do you agree with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, allowing cities to criminally penalize homeless people with nowhere else to go for sleeping in public? Do you support the governor’s executive order directing agencies to clear encampments on this basis? Why or why not?
The key to solving this issue is two-pronged. I do believe we need to clear these encampments, but we should do so humanely. Moving these individuals from one spot to another isn’t the answer. We should streamline the approval process for shelters so more can open up.
But more importantly, this is a mental health crisis. If we move these individuals and it is determined they suffer from a mental illness, we should do all we can to get them help or contact family members to get a plan of action in place to prevent future homelessness for the individual. I supported the governor’s CARE Court plan and look forward to seeing it fully implemented.
What more would you do to combat California’s housing, affordability and homelessness crises?
The first thing I would do is reintroduce legislation to increase the renters tax credit. It hasn’t increased in years. We need to make it easier for people to stay in their homes.
If we want to get serious with housing, we need to make sure our money is being spent properly. With over $24 billion in misused funds, I was proud to coauthor AB 2903 (Assemblymember Josh Hoover, R-Sacramento) to require money spent for homelessness show how it was used.
Lastly, talking about affordability, the one thing lost in this conversation is making it simpler for people to go to work. I was proud to pass AB 1808 with Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D-Sacramento), which extends eligibility for subsidized child care services in certain state programs from 12 to 24 months. No person should have to choose between going to work or staying home with a child because of no child care.
Do you support or oppose stricter gun laws and background checks? Which, and if you support them, to what extent?
I support stricter firearm laws on those who have criminal records or shown they cannot be trusted with a firearm. Last year, I passed AB 303 so our local police agencies could work with our state Department of Justice and get information on people legally barred from owning a firearm. According to state records, there are over 24,000 people in the Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS) database who should not have a firearm. I also supported AB 3083 this year to make sure domestic abusers do not have access to firearms.
How would you evaluate the record of Proposition 47 in the decade since voters enacted it? Should voters scale it back by passing Proposition 36? Why or why not?
I think the record of Prop. 47 speaks for itself. Reducing punishments of certain crimes from felonies to misdemeanors was a misguided policy. Low-level offenses should be misdemeanors, absolutely. However, to say rape of an unconscious person isn’t a “violent felony” is horrendous. I’m glad the Legislature finally rectified that specific crime this year with SB 268, which I helped co-author. I’m proud to be a co-chair of the Prop. 36 campaign and believe it will truly help make our communities safer.
Proposition 3 would enshrine same-sex marriage in the California constitution by repealing the state’s 2008 ban, which has been unenforceable since the Supreme Court legalized same- sex marriage but still remains on the books. Will you personally vote for or against Prop. 3?
In the State Assembly, I voted in favor of putting ACA 5 onto the ballot this year, which turned into Prop. 3. Same-sex marriage has already been legal since 2013 with the federal Obergefell decision. Californians deserve to have their voices heard on this issue once and for all at the ballot box. My affirmative vote for this in the Legislature speaks for itself.