May 2025 Newsletter
Greetings friends and neighbors!
Hope springs eternal, and in this edition of my newsletter, you’ll see how hard work, dedication, and unwavering faith in the possible made seemingly impossible dreams come true in San Bernardino. Last month, two families, surrounded in support and celebration by our community, were handed the keys to brand new homes by Habitat for Humanity, Riverside. I remember standing on this property back in 2017, when it was just a dirt lot. The global pandemic and rapidly rising costs threatened to halt the project, but the community stood strong and saw it through together. I am so proud to have been able to secure state funds through AB 2217 to support this and other housing projects for low income families in high cost areas across the Inland Empire, and to witness such an abundance that hope, persistence, and partnership can bring. To learn more about that collaborative effort, listen to my interview on KVCR from 2023. For now, make sure to take a long look at the beautiful smiles on each family in the pictures below, as they unlock the doors to their new homes on that miraculous April morning. I think you’ll find their joy as infectious as I did.
Being the Change
In Sacramento, our Capitol Office team has been working hard to successfully pass our legislative package through key committees. We are proud to announce that nine of 13 bills have passed the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is a significant hurdle in the legislative process. Two more are already awaiting a full vote of the Senate, and another is already in the Assembly, and will be heard in policy committee this summer. My legislative package aims to empower our community with direct access to knowledge, tools, and resources to improve mental health, protect the most vulnerable among us, and reinforce the power of our civil rights. One bill in particular aims to foster a healthy environment for small businesses across California, but especially in the Inland Empire. SB 781 will be scheduled for a Senate Floor vote sometime this summer. Another piece of legislation builds upon work I did in the Assembly to ensure that former inmates who have worked on fire crews have fair access to firefighter jobs when they complete their sentences. SB 245 would automate and streamline record expungement for former inmate fire crew members so that we can get more qualified candidates in the hiring pool without delay. I’m very pleased that CalMatters covered this issue so thoroughly. SB 245 passed the Appropriations committee on May 23 and will be heard on the Senate Floor in the coming weeks.
Honoring our Community
Meanwhile, non-profit organizations from across Senate District 29 were honored for their impactful work feeding families, empowering youth, housing the unhoused, advocating for justice and more. My team selected 25 Non-Profits of Distinction from over 200 impressive nominations submitted earlier this year. Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) was named 2025 Non-Profit of the Year for its demonstration of such extraordinary leadership uplifting thousands of families across our region. These organizations are leading with compassion and creating lasting change, and it is a privilege to recognize their work and thank them for all they do.
It’s an even greater privilege to learn that another SD non-profit organization, Cedar House Life Change Center has been awarded over $30 million from the Proposition 1 Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1: Launch Ready to expand services to more of our neighbors in need. Last year, I wrote a letter of support of its application, and am looking forward to the groundbreaking for its new, two-story, 32,000 square foot building that will house 70 more residential beds, meeting rooms, visitation rooms, office space, and more.
We also honor local small businesses for their impact on our region, so please nominate those you know and love for the Small Business of the Year award by June 15. Honorees will be notified by the end of this summer. Nominate a small business of the year here.
One More Thing...
Speaking of deadlines, college students looking to fund their educations have just a few days left to apply for two important scholarships. Applications for the Women in California Leadership Minerva Scholarship are due by May 31, and for the California Latino Caucus Foundation by June 1. Get those turned in today!
My goal for the monthly newsletter is to curate stories and updates that will be useful and encouraging to you. If you know about a story I should uplift to our community, send your thoughts and ideas to Allison.Wescott@sen.ca.gov.
For now, may you take time to savor all that this season has to offer with friends, family, and community.
