PRIORITIES

Nearly 2/3rds of the state budget is spent on Health Care and Education –  two areas where Sabrina’s expertise and passion fit the moment, and two areas that disproportionately affect women and families in my district and across the state. Improving outcomes in these areas will help ease our affordability crisis and help all California families.

AFFORDABILITY

Housing costs are escalated to the point where young people starting families are literally moving out of California.   From groceries to prescription medication, the cost of living is becoming an ever increasing burden for everyone in California.

  • Housing Costs. Make it easier to build housing by cutting permitting red tape and taking a closer look at zoning regulations that could be strangling potential new supplies of housing. Also, public agencies can borrow funds much more cheaply than homeowners seeking a mortgage.  I propose the state of California issue bonds and use those funds for below-market rate mortgages for first time homebuyers.

  • Transportation. Reduce the high cost of car ownership on struggling families by ensuring public transit systems across the state remain fully funded and solvent.

  • Prescription Costs. The state can bring down the cost of drugs if legislative (state and federal) restrictions on negotiating directly with the drug companies are lifted.  This will be one of my top priorities.

HEALTH CARE

In 2023, my husband, a respected UCSD Family Medicine physician, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. As his primary caregiver until his passing this June, I experienced firsthand the challenges families face navigating our healthcare system. From overcrowded ERs to long waits for essential treatment, in David’s memory, I am determined to ensure we improve patient access and care.

  • Universal Coverage. I will work to find funding for publicly-funded, privately-delivered single payer health care – and/or find viable path that build incrementally towards that end

  • Expand Services.  California is the 4th largest economy in the world with ample resources to provide quality health care.   Yet, we have overcrowded ERs and interminable waits for critical and essential care.  This must stop!  I will author legislation to mandate that ERs treat critical patients within minutes, not hours; that specialist referrals occur in a matter of days, not months, and that all Californians get speedy, quality care.

  • Expand Preventive Care.  State mandates, like those in AB 2258, require health care plans include preventative care – and this effort must be expanded to encompass all Californians.  We make millions healthier and save billions over time by expanding preventive care to low income and uninsured Californians

EDUCATION

I am currently serving in my second term as a trustee on the San Diego Unified School Board where we have enacted policies that keep ICE off of our campuses and protect immigrant and LGBTQ students. Our programs to advance equity and safety have become a model for other districts across the state.

  • Free Universal Pre-School.  My District is a leader in the efforts to offer TK (Transition Kindergarten) and Pre-K.  But more must be done to train teachers, build facilities and fund programs in every corner of California.  For kids, the added years of instruction will pay tremendous dividends; as well as a boon for working parents, many of whom find the cost of childcare a steep burden for households that need 2 paychecks just to pay rent and buy groceries.

  • Tuition-free College and University Education.  The ghastly amount of student debt our college graduates face when they receive their degrees is unconscionable. These young people deserve a fresh start in order to be all they are capable of becoming.   In California, we’ve made a start with our wonderful Community Colleges. We need to do more.  I will fight to expand the state budget to enable students attending our California State and UC systems to complete their 4-year degrees debt free.

  • Housing for Teachers. My District passed a bond measure in 2022 that included $200 million to build housing for teachers and staff.  Statewide, our school district have literally tens of thousands of prime acreage that could be utilized this way  to both help alleviate California’s housing shortage and enable school teachers and staff to live in the communities where they work.