As the California State Legislature enters a legislative recess until August 14, voters are witnessing the unwavering dedication and great leadership of California Senate Republicans. Throughout the 2023-2024 legislative session, these tenacious leaders have been at the forefront of the fight to fix California, focusing on reining in costs and prioritizing the safety of the state’s residents.

Despite being in the super-minority, the California Senate Republicans, under the hardworking leadership of Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego), have achieved multiple victories in their mission to address critical issues facing the state. United and laser-focused, they are dedicated to representing the concerns of nearly 40 million Californians. Their willingness to work in a bipartisan manner to address the state’s challenges while fulfilling their duty as the loyal opposition, calling out measures that may steer California backward, has garnered praise and recognition.

Media outlets have taken notice of the California Senate Republicans’ remarkable achievements, shedding light on the majority party’s missteps and emphasizing the relevance of the Republican voice in California’s political landscape. Notably, Emily Hoeven’s column in the San Francisco Chronicle highlighted the absurd positions on crime and housing taken by California Democrats, which has brought the Republicans back into the spotlight.

Let’s delve into some of the significant accomplishments that have earned California Senate Republicans the admiration and respect of their constituents:

1. Holding Child Sex Traffickers Accountable: In the fight against child trafficking, California Senate Republicans pushed for Senate Bill 14, authored by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and co-authored by the entire Senate Republican Caucus. This crucial bill classifies sex trafficking of minors as a serious crime under California law. Intense pressure from California Senate Republicans, the public, and media outlets played a pivotal role in moving the bill forward after initial resistance from Assembly Democrat lawmakers, as reported by CalMatters and the Los Angeles Times.
2. Combatting the Fentanyl Crisis: Fentanyl-related deaths have reached alarming levels in California, but Democrat lawmakers on the Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees have been slow to act. In contrast, California Senate Republicans have been relentless in their efforts to address the crisis. They have advocated for increased penalties on repeat fentanyl dealers and raised awareness about this pressing issue, as highlighted by the Sacramento Bee.
3. Bringing Transparency to Government: California Senate Republicans have worked diligently with their Democrat colleagues to secure multiple audits of failing programs, ensuring transparency in how taxpayer dollars are spent.
   • Homelessness: Senate Republicans successfully requested an audit of California’s spending on the homeless crisis, which has seen more than $20 billion spent over the last five years, while the number of unhoused Californians has skyrocketed to over 172,000. The Center Square and the Sacramento Bee reported on this significant move.
   • Sexually Violent Predators: Under the leadership of California Senate Republicans, an audit will be conducted on the placement service for released sexually violent predators, managed by the East-coast based state contractor Liberty Healthcare. This audit aims to address concerns about public safety in unsuspecting neighborhoods and was covered by Center Square News.
4. Fighting Against Higher Energy Costs: California Senate Republicans have taken a stand against the proposed “fixed charge” on electricity bills, calling it a “regressive tax.” The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on their efforts to protect Californians from increased energy costs.

As the legislative session resumes in August, California Senate Republicans, led by Senator Brian Jones, are more determined than ever to continue their fight to fix California. Working collaboratively with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, they aim to move the state forward while fiercely opposing any efforts that could degrade the quality of life for Californians.

California Senate Republicans have proven themselves as champions of conservative principles, fiscal responsibility, and public safety. They remain dedicated to serving their constituents and fighting for the betterment of California, even in the face of challenges from the opposing party. The residents of California can trust that these hardworking leaders will continue to champion their interests and bring meaningful change to the state they call home.

***In the News*** California Senate Republicans Score Victories in Fight to Fix California

Continued California Republican efforts focus on helping rein in costs and keeping residents safe

SACRAMENTO – The California State Legislature is on legislative recess until August 14, and when lawmakers return, there will be five weeks left of the 2023-2024 legislative session to tackle critical issues facing the state. Since January, California Senate Republicans have scored multiple victories in our fight to fix California. San Francisco Chronicle’s Emily Hoeven got it right in her column, “California Democrats are taking absurd positions on crime and housing — making Republicans somehow relevant again.” 

 

“Despite being in the super-minority, I’m proud of the work California Senate Republicans have accomplished so far in the legislative session,” said Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego). “We remain united and laser-focused on addressing the issues that matter most to the nearly 40 million people who call California home. We’ve shown that we are eager to work in a bipartisan manner to help fix California while also fulfilling our duty as the loyal opposition to call out the majority party on measures that will move California backwards.”

 

Media outlets have taken notice. Over the past seven months, they highlighted California Senate Republicans’ accomplishments, and went after the majority party’s numerous missteps. Below are just some noteworthy articles to highlight Senate Republicans in the news:

 

Holding Child Sex Traffickers Accountable. As reported by CalMatters,“California Democrats resisted a child trafficking bill — until they couldn’t,” thanks to intense pressure from California Senate Republicans, the public, and media outlets. Authored by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and co-authored by the entire Senate Republican Caucus, Senate Bill 14 would classify sex trafficking of minors a serious crime under California law. After initially rejecting the measure to hold child sex traffickers accountable, Assembly Democrat lawmakers did the right thing and moved the bill forward. The Los Angeles Times reports “California Democrats reverse course after killing bill to stiffen penalties for child sex trafficking.”

 

Combatting Fentanyl. Fentanyl is killing over 100 Californians per week. As Democrat lawmakers on the Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees continue to refuse to act on the crisis, Republican lawmakers continue to fight for change. From pushing for increased penalties on repeat fentanyl dealers to raising awareness about the issue, “California Republicans are hammering Democrats over fentanyl…” as reported by the Sacramento Bee.

 

Bringing Transparency to Government. California Senate Republicans worked across the aisle to secure multiple audits of various failing programs that will bring transparency to how government is spending taxpayer dollars.

• Homelessness: In their article, “California legislators request audit of billions in state homeless spending,” The Center Square and the Sacramento Bee report how Senate Republicans worked diligently with our Democrat colleagues to secure an audit of California’s spending on the homeless crisis. Under the Newsom Administration, California has spent more than $20 billion over the last five years on homelessness, while the population of unhoused Californians has exploded to more than 172,000.
• Sexually Violent Predators: Under the leadership of California Senate Republicans, “California [will] audit placement service for released sexually violent predators,” as reported by Center Square News. The audit will focus on East-coast based state contractor Liberty Healthcare, the organization responsible for poorly overseeing the sexually violent predator release program that threatens public safety in unsuspecting neighborhoods.

 

Fighting Against Higher Energy Costs. As Democrat politicians and environmentalist push to add a “fixed charge” onto electricity bills, California Senate Republicans are leading the fight against the proposal that will increase costs for Californians. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that “California Senate Republicans blast income-based fixed charge on utility bills.” We are calling the income-based fixed charge a “regressive tax.”

 

“Since January, we’ve accomplished a lot in our fight to fix California,” Leader Jones said. “Once we return from recess in August, much work remains. We’ll continue to work with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help move this state forward while we remain fierce in our opposition to any efforts that further degrade the quality of life here in California.”

Image Credit: Canva