Carlos served on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors from 2008-2016 before being elected to the State Assembly.
“Economic uncertainty around the globe continues to affect us all at the pump. It is hurting our businesses, local governments, and worst of all, our working families who are now struggling financially to drive kids to school, go to the grocery store, or even get to work. As leaders of this state, we need to take action to provide this much needed tax relief that will directly benefit our hurting families.”
I have joined with a group of bi-partisan lawmakers on a common-sense solution to address our rising gas prices:
Sabra Stafford Turlock Journal Published: Apr 29, 2022, 9:18 PM The bipartisan, bicameral California Problem Solvers Caucus, which includes local Assemblymen Heath Flora and Adam Gray, unveiled a new proposal...
COURTESY OF THE TRACY PRESS:
Tracy Interfaith Ministries learned this week that California Assemblymember Carlos Villapadua (D-Stockton) has selected the local charity a 2022 California Nonprofit of the Year.
Tracy Interfaith Ministries is one of more than 100 nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assemblymembers for their contributions to the communities they serve.
Tracy Interfaith Ministries provides food, clothing and emergency financial assistance to low-income families in Tracy. As Tracy’s only food bank, the charity serves up to 40,000 individuals every year with over 500,000 meals.
“We fight food insecurity every day in Tracy. We are honored to be supported by our community, and we are deeply humbled to be recognized by Carlos Villapudua as a 2022 Nonprofit of the Year,” said Tracy Interfaith Ministries Executive Director Carrie Grover in a statement released on Wednesday.
Jan Masaoka, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits, added that the role of non-profits like Tracy Interfaith Ministries has been highlighted over the past 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“California Nonprofit of the Year gives elected officials the opportunity to shine a light on the important work nonprofits are doing in their districts and for everyone to appreciate the collective impact of nonprofits in our communities,” Masaoka said
Recent events have shown us that California needs to be less dependent on exports and more self-sufficient. Our well-being and livelihoods should not be so harshly impacted by other countries...
The commitment I have made to the people I represent, is to ensure the 13th Assembly Districts gets the attention and its fair share of the state pie that it deserves. A...
Warming weather in the San Joaquin Valley once meant going to the annual asparagus festival, Stockton Heat games and car shows. Due to the global pandemic, housing and unemployment crises, catastrophic wildfires and energy shortages during heat waves, traditional events and daily life for Stockton residents have not been the same.
As with the effects of the pandemic, summer electricity bill impacts are harder on some more than others. Communities on the coast have a very different experience because temperatures are more moderate, and they can cool their homes by simply opening their windows. It is also , in many communities, common for houses to lack central cooling altogether due to the rarity of extreme heat events. These geographic imbalances are often even more strongly felt in communities of color. It is through this geographic, economic and equity lens that I introduced AB 1471, which is needed to recognize diverse perspectives in regulatory decisions that affect how energy is delivered to households in California. My bill will do just that, and I am proud to announce that today it unanimously passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee, a key hurdle on the way to becoming law.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is charged with overseeing and regulating the state’s utilities, including the purchase of energy from renewable sources, rate setting that directly determines how much consumers will pay, and low-income and other customer assistance programs designed to assist economically challenged households. These are policies that affect the pocketbooks of all Californians differently. I believe this powerful governing body cannot adequately respond to the needs of our entire state when its Commissioners and staff predominately hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the wealthiest and temperate regions in the state. It is also important to note that several other state energy boards require diverse geographic and/or professional experience, except the CPUC. That has to change.
AB 1471 will require consider that at a minimum that of the five CPUC Commissioners there should be at least one resident of Northern California, one resident of Central California, and one residing in Southern California. If the CPUC is not properly representative of our unique communities, then how can they represent our different environments? Our energy needs are as diverse as our demographics and geographies, and our utility regulators should reflect that. AB 1471 would align the composition of the CPUC with similar state agencies that regulate and develop energy and natural resources rules, such as the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, and the State Water Resources Control Board. These entities have requirements that their commissioners’ qualifications include a regional perspective or specific professional experience. Significantly, a diverse perspective on the CPUC would ensure the voices of our Central Valley, which comprise some of the state’s most underserved communities, are heard. We deserve to have a seat at the table.
Since the CPUC’s establishment in the early 1900s, 99 Commissioners have served or currently serve on the CPUC. Nearly half have been from Northern California, including approximately one-quarter of whom were from the San Francisco Bay Area. It is very disappointing that in the past 26 years, there has not been a single CPUC appointee from the San Joaquin Valley, a rural town, or a low-income or underrepresented community. Without AB 1471, the CPUC will continue to lack well-rounded perspectives to ensure regulatory decisions don’t shift costs from the haves to the have-nots.
Not only is AB 1471 fair and equitable, and but it is also a sustainable way to regulate. This bill is important because diversity of thought based on regions means the CPUC’s decisions can better reflect underrepresented communities.
We are living in a time when policies need to be supportive of the recovery of families and small businesses. Our neighbors should not have to choose between feeding their family or cooling their home in this record heat. Therefore, it is imperative that the state guarantees representation from the Central Valley in the regulatory decisions that affect us. As we urgently seek to mitigate the impact of climate change, now more than ever, it is imperative essential that the CPUC reflects California’s diversity so that no community is ignored or harmed