Cathleen Galgiani

If elected, what is one thing you want to accomplish and how would you do it?

If elected I want to continue to work on improving our economy and social well-being. I hope to bring Democrats and Republicans together to tackle our water issues, like we did when we passed the $7.2 billion water bond that included money to build new dams. We did it again when we came together to make sure our rail system was interconnected and to get our fair share of transportation dollars. My reform legislation to streamline environmental laws for major projects that create high wage jobs is gaining bipartisan support. And lastly, we need to come together and reform our justice system to put criminals behind bars, stop the revolving prison door and put more cops out on our streets.

Do you support the Twin Tunnels, and why?

I vehemently oppose the governor’s Twin Tunnels. I believe doing a better job of capturing and storing water will relieve the pressure on diverting Delta water. It’s why I joined with other Democrats and Republicans to help pass the $7.12 billion dollar bond which authorized spending on water system infrastructure projects including $2.7 billion for dams and reservoirs and millions more on regional water projects. Better coordination of water projects to take advantage of every drop of water is key. It’s why I authored and passed a new law that forces local and regional water agencies to identify projects under development so that we can have a unified approach to capturing water and not waste taxpayer dollars on duplicative, unnecessary or less efficient projects.

Do you support the high-speed rail project, and why?

I certainly support the state’s high speed rail project and the $6.3 billion dollars in local jobs it brings to the Central Valley. This is the largest financial investment the state and federal government has ever made in my lifetime, in the Central Valley. Our state’s population is expected to grow from 36 million to 50 million by 2050 and much of that growth will occur in our part of California. Our existing highways and transportation systems are in no way adequate for such growth. High speed rail offers us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a fully integrated transportation system that can efficiently move people from their homes to work. HSR is not a stand-alone project but rather serves as a backbone from which regional rail projects will benefit. Recently, I worked closely with ACE Rail to obtain $36.4 million dollars in Prop 1A funding to relieve commuter traffic that runs from Merced to Sacramento and Manteca to the East Bay.

Do you think prison reform has been a success, and why? I think prison reform has failed, especially with the passage of Proposition 47 that re-classified many felonies into misdemeanors. In raising the theft value limit to $950, the theft of most handguns is now a simple misdemeanor. So is carrying date rape drugs. I’m working to change the law. Senate Bill 333 which I’ve authored would make it a felony to carry date rape drugs. Plus AB 1176 which I supported would make the theft of any hand gun a felony. I’m committed to working hand-in-hand with the many law enforcement groups that have endorsed me to push for more changes to improve the safety of our neighborhoods. Do you support the minimum wage increase, and why?

While I would have preferred a more regional approach to raising the state minimum wage — I voted in favor of Senate Bill 3 that raised the statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour. More than 6 million Californians will have more money in their pockets to spend and move our economy forward as a result. SB 3 also included an important step approach raising the minimum wage over six years and up to seven years for small businesses. It also allows the governor to suspend the increase if the economy faces trouble.

Do you think pension reform is needed, and why?

The state’s pension obligations are rising and further reforms are needed. We need to build on the recent reforms that I supported. These include requiring state employees to pay at least 50 percent of their pensions; increasing the retirement age; and caps on the salary amount that can go towards pensions. Other reforms include a three-year-final compensation calculation to stop spiking of pensions; benefits being calculated based on regular pay — and not vacation or overtime; prohibition on pension holidays — i.e. the system is always funded, even during economic robust years — and prohibitions on purchase of service credits by employees.

Do you think Common Core has been a success? What would you like to see changed about our education system?

Since 2010, many states have adopted the same core standards for English and math. The goal was to meet internationally benchmarked standards aligned with employer expectations to be competitive in today’s global economy. Common Core recognizes that there are multiple ways to measure college and workplace readiness, however, I continue to believe we need early assessments to measure student achievement and identify students in need of additional academic help so that every student is prepared to succeed at the next grade level. Early assessments will also show us what’s working and what isn’t working.

Where do you stand on immigration?

I believe that immigrants need a clear path to citizenship, and I support immigration reform that will accomplish such a goal. We are undoubtedly a country of immigrants and many immigrants come to our great state bringing a tremendous drive and determination to participate and move our economy forward. About 82 percent of farm workers are immigrants and 77 percent are not citizens. Our rural economy depends on immigration and immigrant labor and we should try our best to create a system that encourages and rewards hard work.

Do you see affordable housing as an issue? If so, what would you do to address it?

The cost of housing has skyrocketed in many parts of California and yet for our area the housing foreclosure crisis has not ended. I’m currently working on a measure — SB 907 which provides homeowners whose mortgage debt is forgiven with some tax relief — the state currently taxes the relieved amount as income. I also supported reforms to stabilize the housing market, such as restrictions on dual track foreclosure where a lender forecloses on a borrower despite being in discussions over a loan modification. We next need to start building again by streamlining the state’s regulatory structure.

Do you think recreational marijuana should be legalized? If so, what, if any, regulations should be put in place on the industry?

I do not support the legalization of marijuana. I hate to think of the tragedies that will happen on our roads as marijuana smoking becomes better accepted and practiced by more people. We already see what drunk driving has done to maim and kill others. And I hate to think of the young lives that will be wasted as kids get hooked and feel empowered to take drugs. Our society and economy needs people to be alert and ready to take on the competition that’s working to take our jobs ever day — to another state or overseas. I don’t believe in making it easier to destroy lives and our economy by legalizing marijuana.

What do you think is the No. 1 challenge businesses face in California?

Growing and retaining jobs requires a low, stable and predictable tax and regulatory system. It also includes smart investment in infrastructure. I’m proud to have been recognized by the California Taxpayers Association in receiving a 100 percent rating on tax policy legislation last year. Having a sensible regulatory system is also key and one of the reasons why I’m authoring new legislation that streamlines environmental reviews on major infrastructure projects to improve the job market and get our economy back on the right track. And lastly we need to make sure that our farmers have secure and adequate water supplies available.

What do you think about healthcare reform? What needs to be changed about the healthcare system?

Access to health care professionals is the biggest challenge facing our valley. Regardless of what system we have, we simply don’t have enough primary care physicians to meet our needs — let along specialty doctors. Bringing a medical school to UC Merced is crucial along with new residency programs which together will go a long way to ensuring that doctors practice and stay in our local communities. We also need to do a better job of making health insurance affordable for more people as well as lowering drug costs. And, we desperately need smart investments in mental health which is hard to access in our local area.

Do you think our ADA laws need to be reformed, and why?

I’m proud to have co-authored and pushed for the latest ADA reform law that the governor recently signed which increases protections against costly, predatory lawsuits over minor violations of disabled access laws. The new law takes away the incentive to sue by allowing businesses an opportunity to make minor and technical fixes to avoid penalties and lawsuits. We also need to go further and provide businesses with some financial help, such as tax breaks, to help them make the necessary modifications to their establishments to improve access for disabled people. The burden shouldn’t necessarily fall on the mom and pop business owners in our community. We took a first step with co-authored bill.