76TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT BOERNER HORVATH: I FOCUS ON MAKING OUR LIVES BETTER
Tasha Boerner Horvath, D-Encinitas, is running for re-election on the fall ballot against Republican mental health counselor Melanie Burkholder in a North County district that includes Encinitas, Oceanside, Carlsbad and Vista. Below are their full answers
Q:
What more can be done to limit the financial and environmental damage of climate change and wildfires especially?
A:
California is leading the nation in our environmental policies and creating a national model for addressing climate change. We have set our sights on drastically reducing our carbon emissions and transitioning to 100% clean energy production by 2045. However, we need to do more, not just for ourselves, but for our children and their children. I believe we have a moral obligation to leave our planet better than we found it.
Climate change is having a dramatic and immediate impact on our communities now — in the form of more frequent and dangerous wildfires and coastal erosion. I am proud to have successfully fought for emergency relief funding for wildfire natural disasters and additional resources for firefighters and first responders so they have the tools needed to protect our homes, livelihood and health.
As chair of the Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy, I know how important it is that we not only assess the extent of the problem, but also look at short-, mid- and long-term solutions. To this end, I introduced Assembly Bill 1920 to provide technical assistance to local governments to combat sea level rise and protect local economies, as well as Assembly Bill 2081 to develop early warning notification systems for bluff failures.
Addressing these challenges takes long-term thinking, planning and investment that not only accelerates the shift away from carbon-based fuels and towards clean energy, but also helps California adapt to the inevitable changes already underway.
Q:
Has the pandemic and so many people working from home made you rethink housing and transportation policies? If so, how?
A:
This session, I introduced a telecommuting bill, Assembly Bill 1492, to make working from home easier for employees and businesses. Along with the many changes this public health crisis has brought on, one thing it has made clear is that an increased reliance on telecommuting is a viable option for employers — and here to stay. In addition to aiding compliance with current social distance restrictions, telecommuting offers long-term benefits like much-needed f lexibility for working parents, improved air quality from lower vehicle emissions, and an expanded job and housing market with
geography no longer playing a traditional limiting role.
Housing affordability has been and continues to be one of the biggest issues facing our state. Cities know their workforce housing needs better than Sacramento, which is why I strongly oppose the one-size-fits-all housing approach. Instead, our local governments and the state must work together to incentivize the market to create smaller, more affordable units for our local families, seniors and veterans.
I am a big believer in a transportation system that works for everyone and that includes cars, bikes, pedestrians and public transit. Even before the pandemic, I recognized that our public transit didn’t work for most of us in North County. That’s why I introduced Assembly Bill 2620 to create a pilot shuttle system to connect people and kids to the businesses, schools and other places they need to go.
Q:
What specific policy changes do you support after months of racial justice protests to improve law enforcement practices or racial equity?
A:
The most important job I have as your state assemblywoman is to keep my constituents safe. No person should be treated differently or fear for their life when in contact with law enforcement. When the community has trust in law enforcement, we are all safer.
To have good law enforcement officers, we have to recruit the best possible candidates, give them the best possible training, and hold them accountable with good supervision and oversight, ensuring they treat our residents with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
This last session, we made strides towards this goal. With Assembly Bill 392, we increased public oversight, accountability, and modernized standards for the use of deadly force in combination with Senate Bill 230 to fund law enforcement training. I also supported Assembly Bill 1506, which requires the attorney general to investigate police shootings of unarmed civilians. All of these measures create greater trust and transparency in our law enforcement officers and keep our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
We need to take the time to see whether these recent changes in the law are making a meaningful difference in people’s lives and our communities, and be ready to roll up our sleeves together to take further steps as necessary.
Q:
What more should the state be doing to improve student distance learning and public education overall?
A:
COVID-19 has laid bare so many of the inequities our students are facing when it comes to their education. While we are all dealing with the various challenges and adjustments of distance learning for our children, many have additional barriers due to a lack of adequate and reliable internet access. I was proud to support Senate Bill 1130 to increase broadband access for all Californians, which would make remote work and school easier for all of us and help level the playing field for our students struggling to stay connected.
My first involvement in “politics” was as a PTA mom. I got involved because there wasn’t a safe way for our kids to walk to school, and the school crossing guard had twice been hit by cars. We ultimately solved the problem by getting stop signs installed and changing traffic patterns, but I saw firsthand how slowly bureaucracies can move and the challenges that school leaders face.
COVID-19 has put tremendous strain on our schools, but I believe that they can and will recover from this crisis with the right support. I fought for and secured additional funding for our schools through Senate Bill 74, which provides $5.53 billion to mitigate the impacts of school closures during COVID-19. The state and federal government should do more to help school districts that are struggling financially. This is one of the essential functions of government — stepping in to help when there is a disaster with relief that can provide immediate impact.
Q:
Should taxes in California be increased? If so, which ones?
A:
Taxation shouldn’t be a goal. I think we need to find ways to better spend the revenue our state is already generating without raising taxes, especially now with so many families struggling.
I strongly support Proposition 13 and my family would not have been able to stay in North San Diego County for three generations without it. Proposition 13 provides important protections against out-ofcontrol property tax increases that could force longtime locals out of our communities and threaten the livelihood of our local businesses.
Californians have been very generous — they have repeatedly voted at the state and local levels to raise taxes to fund schools, repair roads, improve transportation infrastructure and prevent homelessness.
With the current pandemic shutting down our economy, we need to get back to basics and focus on ensuring people have a roof over their heads, food on their table and money to pay their bills.
Q:
What is the most important issue we have not raised and why?
A:
North County residents pay a lot in taxes, but historically we have not received our fair share in funding. I am not known for being quiet about this issue in Sacramento — people know where I stand.
I am fighting to bring back our fair share of funding and investment for our neighborhoods. In last year’s budget, I worked to secure $1.5 million to fund the Veterans Resource Center at Mira Costa College; $1 million in homelessness prevention funding for the cities of Oceanside, Vista, Encinitas and Carlsbad; and $8 million in beachfront improvements in the city of Oceanside to strengthen public safety and revitalize the area.
However, this election isn’t only about how and where our tax dollars are spent. It’s about who can be the most effective voice for our region. It takes someone who doesn’t embrace the political extreme, but instead works with everyone — both locally and in Sacramento, Democrat, Republican and independent — to find common ground on common-sense solutions that help make our daily lives here in North County a little bit better.
I have prided myself on being that representative for you this past year and would be honored to continue that work for you in my next term.