"I’m running for the State Senate to fight day and night on behalf of working families and local neighborhoods across the Valley.
Public service has been deeply ingrained in my DNA since I was a kid. Growing up, I witnessed my Dad, Bob Hertzberg, serve as Speaker of the California State Assembly where he did big things like bring the Orange Line to the Valley and start the first clean energy solar panel manufacturing facility in the City of Los Angeles. Then, as Senate Majority Leader, he’s fought to combat climate change, invest in public education, create jobs and so much more.
At this pivotal movement with reproductive rights so aggressively under assault, I will always fight for abortion access and the right to choose, access to affordable birth control, ending the gender wage gap, and the elimination of the pink tax.
It is tragic that the U.S. is the only developed nation that does not require paid family leave. No one should live in fear of what would happen if they were forced into a situation where they would have to take care of a loved one. I will fight for the millions of Californians who desperately need assistance in their time of need.
The gun violence epidemic in this country is out of control, but as long as Washington continues to bow to the gun lobby, it can seem a bit powerless from what we can do about it on the state level. How can California make a difference when the federal government continues to fail to act?
The climate crisis is the greatest threat to our state and country. The San Fernando Valley values the environment and deserves someone who will fight for our air and water. We must fight every step of the way to preserve our state for future generations.
Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are a key part of California’s economy and our community here in the San Fernando Valley. California has led the country in how states could set a national example of how states could include immigrant residents regardless of status. In the last few decades, California has passed pioneering legislation including AB60 (Drivers License Bill), expanding access to higher education for undocumented students, and including residents in state sponsored programs, regardless of status.
I believe that education is the key to a thriving state. Funding for our teachers and schools should be one of our highest priorities. I believe in expanding and funding early childhood education in addition to tuition free college.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am aware the fight for our rights did not end at Marriage equality. I will continue to fight for employment, housing and healthcare for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
California has a serious problem: working families are leaving the state because housing and other rising costs make the state just too unaffordable. As an overworked, underpaid millennial, I know the struggle and despair of never knowing if homeownership is attainable.
I believe that mental healthcare is just as important as physical healthcare, but our country’s lack of investment in it creates a chain reaction, compounding other problems.
Our current healthcare system in California is broken. I am a firm believer in supporting anything that is going to increase access to affordable healthcare for Californians and at the same time ultimately have the goal of a universal medicare for all style system.
Working for small businesses for most of my career, I believe small and medium businesses have many positive opportunities in California, but there needs to be a continued effort to improve the business and jobs climate. Small businesses make up about 90% of all businesses within California and employ almost half of the state's workforce, making them a truly important part of the state’s economy.
Over the last decade, California voters have sent a clear and consistent message: we want meaningful criminal justice reform. It’s time leaders listen to voters and lead efforts to end over-incarceration and over criminalization in California.
Senator Hertzberg changed the law to stop the automatic suspension of driver’s licenses for those who are not able to pay exorbitant fines and court fees for minor traffic tickets. The law gives judges the flexibility to determine a person’s ability to pay before setting the size of the fine.
As an Assemblyman, Bob Hertzberg secured the funding that created the original Orange Line. As a Senator, Bob stood up to downtown interests to ensure that the San Fernando Valley got its fair share of transportation dollars. He got $180 million to expand the Metro Orange Line and connect Cal State Northridge to the public transportation grid. He also gained support for $200 million to build a new rail line with stations to serve the people of the East Valley and additional funds to build a transit corridor through the Sepulveda Pass.
Many innocent low-income defendants plead guilty to minor crimes because they can’t afford bail. Others pay thousands of non-refundable dollars to bail bond companies to secure their release. Meanwhile, wealthy defendants, even those charged with violent crimes, can write a check to the court knowing it will be returned when their case is resolved, regardless of the verdict. Senator Hertzberg believes that bail should be determined by the risk to the public’s safety not the size of one’s wallet.
In 2015, thousands of Valley residents were the victims of the largest gas leak in U.S. history. Senator Hertzberg joint authored a new law requiring testing of the Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Facility and requiring all wells to undergo testing before new injections of gas are made. Senator’s lifelong record on the environment earned him the distinction of “One of 50 People Who Could Save the Planet.”
Senator Hertzberg wants hazardous waste sites in our communities cleaned up once and for all. He changed the law to encourage purchasers of contaminated properties to negotiate a cleanup plan with the State in exchange for liability protection. This law will help local governments attract developers willing to buy and clean up contaminated properties.