California



Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12
Anna Eshoo, Democrat, District 18
Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18
William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
A. The area of science that has most directly impacted my family and me is medical science. I tore my achilles tendon while training capoeira in 2009 and would have walked with a limp for the rest of my life if it were not for the miracle of modern medicine—and health insurance, which I'd only just regained a few months before my injury. B. While I haven’t been elected to vote on a bill, I did consult climate scientist and author Peter Kalmus in discussions about the Green New Deal both privately and for the public.

Anna Eshoo, Democrat, District 18:
As Chair of the House Health Subcommittee, I have jurisdiction over the FDA, NIH, CDC and HHS. I have benefited from consulting scientists on the pandemic response and vaccine development.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
A. As a Mechanical Engineer by education, and the STEM programs I have launched as a community leader, science has had a tremendous impact upon my life and what I seek to do for the world. For example, as an elected leader, I am data-driven, and keenly interested to launch programs that would make it “cheaper, faster and better.” My upbringing and the values that I provide to my children have been derived via science and STEM. It is influencing the way I think, the work I do as a hi-tech executive, my policies and my role as an elected leader. B. A development project at Mountain Winery, Saratoga was recently in the news. This was a mega project on a high-fire risk hillside zone of Saratoga. I not only reviewed the reports that staff provided me, but also consulted with experts on fire risks, vegetation and wildlife before arriving at my decision. I voted NOT in favor.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
For me it is the impact on curiosity. I was exposed to, and inspired by, the sciences very early on, notably through Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and a bunch of Time|Life books on the universe, and they set me on a life-long love-affair with the sciences that has seen me continue to read in cosmology, physics, and biology to this day. But in terms of family, I could also point to some of the medical issues that have plagued us, and the value that I see in medical and psychiatric research, so that we do not leave behind so many Americans and can offer happier, more fulfilling lives to those afflicted with various illnesses. B. This one is not directly applicable, as I am not an incumbent, but I have consulted many times with scientists in the formulation of my policies and perspectives. My profession as an academic means I am regularly in contact with scientists, and my own dissertation research involved a deep dive into the history of evolutionary biology.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
Congress has a crucial role to play since so many of the issues driving climate chaos across state lines. That’s one of the reasons why I’m eager to join the House of Representatives and to work with colleagues representing other states to ensure a just transition and a Green New Deal.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
Climate change is the single biggest national security threat for the United States and the single biggest threat to worldwide industrialized civilization. As our world continues to change, we need to create a system that prepares today’s generation and future generations to come. That is why I am a strong supporter of the Green New Deal. We must remove and replace carbon-based fuels with non-carbon-based fuels. The first step in curtailing the effects of climate change is slowing, and halting, greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Without such action, anything else is negligible. Economy is a noble goal, but not sufficient. That’s why the Green New Deal doesn’t stop there. We must allow the federal government to invest in green tech and climate friendly infrastructure. This will in turn mobilize millions of Americans into professions that sets back the climate crisis. By working with other state legislators to pass the Green New Deal, we will form a new economy that operates without pollution or fossil fuels.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
As a candidate for the House of Representatives I will push for solutions that acknowledge the reality of climate change. The science is clear, and climate change is an existential threat to humanity. What the state of California has done should be a model for national legislation, though there is much still that can be done. California has enacted multiple policies aimed at the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and has been the leader tackling climate action. California's policies towards fuel standards, carbon emissions, and environmental proposals, could be expanded to the federal level and/or spread to other states through multilateral state-level action if the federal government is unwilling to lead. If the people in my district elect me to represent them, I will make climate change action a top legislative priority, and will work with experts in each field to craft legislation that is based on solid expertise and is grounded in science.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
Indigenous tribes have lived and properly managed the forest lands for centuries before colonizers came to the golden state to plunder and neglect the land. Indigenous peoples’ fire management techniques mitigate the threat of overwhelming wildfires by employing controlled burns of the brush, a sacred ritual once banned by the state. Consulting tribal chairpersons to advise our Department of Interior and Parks and Wildlife services on proper technique techniques is a good first step in acknowledging long-overlooked indigenous wisdom.

Wildfires is one area where the Green New Deal could make an especially big difference. The federal jobs guarantee could put a generation to work practicing forest management techniques for which the market can not mobilize the required resources.

Our proposal to nationalize utilities & fossil fuel extraction industries recognizes that the profit motive systematically drives deadly decisions. The catastrophic Camp Fire in 2017 was caused by a PG&E transmission electrical fire enabled by corporate cost-cutting. It revealed, as have subsequent wildfires, how private energy generation undermines the public interest.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
I always plan on listening to science so I can make informed decisions, especially with regard to pressing issues like our wildfire crisis. I envision that myself as a climate-forward data driven Congressman and plan on taking the most educated path forward to stop these wildfires from devastating our land.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
What I promise to do, as Congressman, is to make sure that experts are at the table when crafting legislation. This is especially important when it comes to complex ecological issues. My staff will be specialized by issue area and will make sure to reach out to ecological scientists to help craft legislation that can address the issue of wildfires. My district, and myself, have been under far too many wildfire evacuation warnings -- three times in the past four years I have been directly impacted by wildfires. The response from my opponent is to deny reality and responsibility, and to claim that turning the forests over to loggers is all that’s needed. He has used his office to degenerate the reality and science of climate change. If elected, this will no longer be the case. We need to be proactive, not reactive, when it comes to the issue of wildfires. Better management, as through controlled burns, must absolutely be on the table, and we should look at some of the zoning that lets us encroach on fragile wilderness and spark fires. The waves of fires we’ve seen in the western US are due to a mix of long-term drought, high ambient temperatures, shifts in the climate, sprawling development into wilderness areas, poor forest maintenance, and arson. Stopping them involves corrections to zoning, more controlled burns, and public policy which follows science rather than ideology. It is also the responsibility of the federal government to take drastic action to combat climate change -- I want to be part of the solution and not the problem.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
A. Responding to severe climate events isn’t enough. Instead, we need to anticipate them and prepare for them, to the extent we can. We also need to acknowledge the distributive impacts of public policy.

Rising sea levels will challenge communities all along the California coast. We need to make resources available for state & local resiliency projects to save communities from San Diego to Santa Cruz and Eureka.

California is fortunate to have protected much of the coastline for public access. Property claimed by private owners carries inherent risk, and private property along the coast has long been available only to the wealthiest members of our society. They should not be the recipients of public subsidies or bailouts.

Another part of disaster preparedness is our social safety net. Low-income communities are challenged more than ever by natural disasters, which have grown more severe and frequent each year. We need to ensure that our climate resiliency plan includes support for communities at risk of displacement, as well as the rising tide of climate refugees fleeing drought, famine, and violence. B. The Endangered Species Act is a critical component of protecting biodiversity, yet it has been threatened both in the courts and in Congress. We need to recommit to the ESA, and extend its cost-insensitivity—the requirement to place biodiversity above other goals, including economic ones—into other statutes that lack the ESA’s teeth.

Water rights are a crucial component of the struggle to protect biodiversity, which similarly requires curtailing the political dominance of (here, agricultural) industries whose needs have grown unsustainable.

The most critical need for marine ecosystems, in particular, is to limit pollution from agricultural and industrial uses. That requires enforcing the Clean Water Act, and strengthening the Environmental Protection Agency’s institutional ability to meet its mandate both through oversight, and by strengthening the CWA wherever oversight reveals the need.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
A. I believe that we need to take a strategic, measured approach by trying different solutions suggested by scientists. Cooperation is necessary. One possible solution suggested in the Adaptain Atlas by the San Francisco Estuary Institute and SPUR, a San Francisco urban planning research center, is “to build eco-friendly features that support wildlife and absorb, rather than repel, the rising tides.” The idea is to take advantage of natural resources that already exist so that we can prepare for this natural crisis without hurting the environment. B. Like my previous answer, we need to take a scientific approach to deal with the crisis that marine ecosystems are facing as a result of climate change. Aside from doing our part to mitigate climate change as a threat on its own, there are measured approaches that we can take to help marine ecosystems. One study outlines several steps we can explore to approach this crisis. This is just a first step as a direction we can take. Ultimately, I plan on working closely with the experts and relevant governing bodies so that we can find the best solution for Californians.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
A. As Congressman, I would push for proper funding of mitigation efforts such as seawall improvements, wetland restoration, flood mitigation, and other adaptation measures. We need a holistic approach that protects current communities from the risks associated with sea level rise and also informes planning to adapt policy to the changing realities. First and foremost, Congress must act swiftly to fund research into sea level projections to get as accurate a picture as possible of our future needs. Congress must then act fully to fund preventative measures and work in coordination with scientific experts to spend money wisely and impactfully both to save lives and prevent mass property damage and community impact. We should look carefully also at the zoning which allows construction in areas most at risk, and plan for the future by blocking such things now -- why spending time saving a building later when you know that it is going to be inundated? But accurate projections also allow us to impose building codes which would prepare structures in many areas to survive the changes to come. But we do not have time to delay, and my opponent has wasted decades on inaction. If elected I would push for the studies and changes needed in coordination with the House Select Committee on Climate Change. B. We are already overfishing both the high seas and our littoral waters, and more effective management of marine ecosystems is essential. Again I will say that we should be empowering the scientific community to carry out the studies needed and to make the policies we need to preserve the ocean environment. We should also work aggressively to remove the plastic waste in the ocean, and to eliminate off-shore oil exploration and drilling. And we should build on the Endangered Species Act, which has been severely weakened by successive (Republican) administrations, and ensure that it can -- and will -- be enforced to protect threatened marine life.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
We all deserve safe, clean water. We support substantial investments in water infrastructure, given the alternative of severe and prolonged droughts across the Central Valley punctuated by potentially catastrophic flooding.

Several statewide projects aim to shift water from Northern California sources to southern parts of the state. They attain increasing urgency as the climate crisis unfolds, but there remains a crucial role for the federal government to play.

In disaster response and long-term contexts, federal resources from the EPA to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can provide crucial support to states pursuing climate resiliency projects. To the extent a large-scale project may be possible to redirect water from the inundated southeast to the arid southwest, the federal government would need to effectuate it. Like the creation of the interstate highway system, designing and building that kind of infrastructure could fuel the prosperity of multiple generations.

I not only oppose the privatization of utility companies, in fact, I want to expand public ownership. In private hands, utility companies have shown over and over again that they’re incapable of placing public health and safety at the center of their decision making. Instead, they put profits first and cause untold damage, illness, and death.

Private profit-taking at the cost of the public must stop, and the solution with utility companies is straightforward: public ownership & accountability. The only thing holding us back has been political will and its limits, imposed particularly by the role of corporate money in politics.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
As a council member, I invited the regional water agency experts into my community for discussion and presentation. I also invited experts to pitch natural vegetation planting in our local community. I collaborated with non-profits towards planting net new trees in my community. I pushed for water conservation measures via seminars. I led the effort to combat the San Jose Water Company from unnecessary rate increases.I will continue to protect the people of Silicon Valley from artificially high water rates. When we conserve water, our water rates should NOT go up. We must build a future plan to address the growing population needs of the Bay Area. An infrastructure plan has to be in place. I support the Green New Deal and believe that to become a clean tech economy, our utility companies have to shake the shackles of shareholder pressure and the profit mission and make better environmental and people-centric choices. The answer is to go with the public utility model and municipalization. It is time for a massive public takeover so that we can prioritize citizen benefit over profit.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
Climate change has impacted many aspects of our lives. It has caused severe weather disruptions and has many negative implications for our water resources. We must invest in drought mitigation efforts to adapt to the realities of climate change. I will work with experts to ensure that proper drought mitigation efforts, water management programs, and innovative measures such as desalination and re-use, receive priority funding. One of the current limitations of desalination is energy use, but expanded investment in renewables could help to make it more economically viable. And regardless of the economics, it must be done if we are to ensure the survival of so many communities that were (unwisely) build in arid regions. It is of the utmost importance that Congress works with experts in this field in order to ensure quality solutions to complex water problems. The first step is acknowledging the role of climate change and utilizing scientific data to target the best ways to address the water issues. California experienced severe droughts already, and these are only getting worse -- my district knows this all too well, and I have practiced water conservation my whole life. But no matter how frugal we are with water, so long as businesses are given carte blanche to use (and waste) huge volumes of water, the problem will only get worse for the rest of us. Thus, any solutions to the water shortage must also address industrial and agricultural use, and I will again engage with experts to find the best path forward.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
We can best support agriculture by taxing and regulating corporate agri-business and subsidizing and promoting family-owned farms and local organic alternatives to factory farms. Doing so will promote the health of current and future generations, while ensuring the long-term viability of our resources of land and soil.

To support regenerative agriculture and small family farms, we should first phase out federal subsidies that encourage harmful and destructive factory farming.

We also support federal bills to ban toxic industrial farm chemicals, prevent food system monopolies, and protect farmworkers through labor rights and livable wages. These changes are essential for protecting our families from harmful chemicals in the food they eat.

In addition, agricultural emissions are one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and ecological destruction, causing considerable water, land and air pollution. We need to transition to a regenerative and sustainable food system.

Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable and regenerative agriculture will help meet present food needs, without compromising future ecological viability. This entails introducing organic and renewable agricultural practices, while phasing out petrochemical-based industrial-scale farming.

I also support policies such as subsidies and incentives that could help small producers reach local markets, both to enhance public access to healthy food, and expand farmers’ opportunities. Supporting farmers to develop ecologically regenerative farming systems that sharply reduce emissions; sequester carbon; and heal our region’s soils, forests, and prairie lands can both broaden the access to healthy food and help restore climate imbalances.

Ending industrial agriculture subsidies
I support entirely ending subsidies for corporate industrial agriculture to enable family farms to compete on a fair playing field.

We can speed the elimination of factory farming by taxing and regulating it, while subsidizing and promoting small-scale organic agriculture.

Our campaign supports federal bills to ban toxic industrial farm chemicals, prevent food system monopolies, and protect farmworkers through labor rights and livable wages. Each of these measures will help curtail the arbitrary power of corporate agribusiness.

Factory farming
Factory farms threaten not only animal rights but our own. They prioritize corporate profits over health, safety, and especially the environment since they require enormous amounts ofland, (often GMO) animal feed, fuel, and water. They inundate our food supply with antibiotics, hormones and other toxins.

Finally, factory farming is one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and ecological destruction, causing significant water, land and air pollution. We cannot address the climate crisis without addressing this industry.

Finally, factory farming comes at a steep price for local communities, which can’t compete with their economy of scale. Small family farms are put out of business. The coronavirus pandemic shows how factory farming has accelerated the spread of disease among humans due to the lack of enforcement of labor standards in meat processing plants. Scientists predict that the concentration of animals in these spaces could be the site of the origin of the next pandemic, with concentrated animal feeding operations acting as a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria. The consolidation of plants to large scale farms also lead to production capacity problems when they are closed, further supporting the case for local sustainable farming.

I support phasing out factory farms both through ambitious and unprecedented health, environmental and ethical regulations and also through tax incentives. For instance, we support a sales tax applicable to meats and produce produced by corporate agribusiness, alongside support programs for small and family-owned farms. Tax incentives favoring local production can also help transition to a regenerative and sustainable food system.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
I support the Green New Deal to help mitigate a reverse many of the adverse effects caused by global climate change. The government is responsible for pushing climate-friendly agendas, this extends to encouraging farmers to adopt practices for conserving resources and reducing agriculture-related pollution.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
Direct subsidies tend to be abused by huge agribusinesses, especially in the present environment where unlimited lobbying poisons so much of the federal government. But we do have a responsibility to protect agriculture and ensure appropriate conditions for it. The water management addressed above in one area for investment. Rural power generation and Internet infrastructure are two more. And we should intervene to ensure that pollution is severely curtailed in the sector, better regulate industrial farms (especially cattle, pork, and poultry production) to control waste.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
A. Green New Deal:
At both the regional and national levels, the new systems for environmental, economic, racial, social, economic and gender justice we propose will radically shift the way our country extracts, uses, and shares the Earth’s natural resources. To make it happen, we’ll (1) cut greenhouse gas emissions, (2) transition to fully renewable, non-polluting, and accessible energy and food systems, and (3) ensure that this transition supports good jobs and workers rights.

I favor a national ban on the development of new infrastructure to support fossil fuel extraction or refinement. I ultimately aspire to go further.

The externalities implicit in any fossil fuel extraction or refinement render it economically unsound to incentivize those activities. That’s why I favor nationalizing companies that profit from fossil fuel extraction, to ensure that their pursuit of profits does not come at the expense of the public. We favor strategies to “keep it in the ground,“ rather than subject fossil fuel extraction and refinement to market incentives. Pricing schemes like carbon taxes concede the underlying legitimacy of incentivizing activity that plunders the planet, place people at risk en masse, and place corporate profits above public health and a viable life for future generations.

My goals revive bolder alternatives to carbon taxes than the previous generation of policymakers were unwilling to consider. For instance, as the mounting global climate crisis grows increasingly dire, we must be willing to not only make substantial public investments in renewable energy infrastructure, but also to nationalize fossil fuel extraction companies. B. One factor that has historically slowed the adoption of renewable alternatives is the need to develop more updated infrastructure. To that extent, infrastructure dollars otherwise wasted on fossil fuel industries should be spent on developing renewable energy infrastructure, such as large scale battery installations to allow intermittent wind and solar generation to effectively provide base load power. C. Absolutely. The most straightforward way to encourage business to invest in sustainable practices is to provide tax incentives. In addition, enforcement actions responding to acts of environmental negligence should carry severe costs both to enterprises and individuals with decision-making authority.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
A. The Green New Deal will allow us to transition our unsustainable and outdated energy grid into something that is substantially less harmful. The reality is we are facing an existential threat. Elected officials need to work with science, NOT against it. I pledge to listen to data and our scientists before making decisions on any pertinent issues. B. We have to look into storing much of the electricity generated during the daytime. This can either be a centralized government operation or we can install batteries (e.g., the Tesla Powerwall) in the homes of people with solar panels.
C. • My 21 minutes 21 counties vision plan here has a public-private partnership model, to roll out a net zero, high speed transportation project for the Mega Silicon Valley economy.
• Cap&Trade: Where corporations are given an emissions limit, and they may sell these “emission passes” thereby incentivizing lower emission. Those targets would then be progressively lowered each year
• Subsidies: Subsidizing businesses who adopt sustainable practices

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
I see no continued role for coal and oil plants, and would argue for phasing them out across the board, to be replaced with various renewables. Gas should also know that its days are numbered, but it will take a number of years to bring sufficient renewable generating capacity online, and it will serve a stop-gap function. But the sector needs far better regulation -- large-scale methane leaks should not be shrugged off, they should be tackled like the emergency that they are. In the much longer term I would like to see us move away from hydroelectric power, as dams are extremely harmful to the environment and to wildlife, and aware from nuclear fission, which presents a really thorny problem in its long-lived waste product. But I would expand research into nuclear fusion, hopefully in collaboration with the Europeans (since they have done so much good work in this area), and see nuclear fusion as a viable long-term power source if we can crack that nut. And, needless to say, I am for massive investment in renewables (more on this below). B. At present renewable power generation does not come close to our needs, and I am in favour of substantial federal investment in generating capacity and in delivery systems (as with “smart grids”). But generation is only half the problem -- how to we store the power, or move it to where it is needed? A better, more efficient power grid would help, but we need major investment in battery research and development. The US surrendered a lead in battery tech. (and in solar tech.), and we ought to get those back -- and can, if we have a federal government which cares about science again.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
A. All students regardless of their family income should be able to access and enroll in STEM courses. The most crucial federal policy to ensure that availability is to resist the encroachment of charter schools on public education resources, and to make college at public colleges free.

Having taken ten years to gain my undergraduate degree mostly through night school, I know all too well how cost remains a barrier to opportunities for too many would-be students.

We are especially eager to support public trade schools that prepare students for participation in green trades such as: solar or electrical installation, forestry & sustainable agriculture, and repairing & retrofitting electronics. B. The Green New Deal will create a massive wave of job creation across green industries. For example, requiring that all public schools install solar panels in their parking lots would create thousands of new jobs in the solar industry for veteran electricians. The improvements in envisions to transit infrastructure alone could drive a generation of prosperity, in much the same way that the interstate highway system did in the last century.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
A. As an immigrant engineer, I understand the value of education as the fundamental component of American success. Yet education in the United States lags behind many countries of the world. We have to fix that. I was on the California Computer Science Implementation Panel that is rolling out a K-12 Computer Science curriculum by 2022. As a Silicon Valley techie, I continue to run an entrepreneurship education and robotics bootcamp to empower our youth with STEM. I will work to make education accessible and available. I will support the expansion of early childhood education to give the best possible start to all children. I will continue promoting STEM and entrepreneurship education opportunities for our youth. I will also work to expand vocational, career & technical education, while making public colleges much more affordable. I will propose programs that will provide an opportunity for our high school graduates to be productive in the American workforce, to address the needs of our local economy. B. We need to invest in broadband. A very important imperative. Here is my policy towards that. Here is my plan to grow our economy. We need to seed Silicon Valley's innovation success to other parts of California and America, so that our working-class families share in the economic prosperity. As your next congressman, I will implement the "21 minutes to 21 counties" Mega Silicon Valley vision plan to address our tough challenges. I will host monthly roundtables with valley CEOs to ensure Silicon Valley's continued success. I will invest in education and mentoring of our youth, and launching Entrepreneurship Incubation Centers to nurture start-ups. I have already launched youth Lego Robotics and Entrepreneurship programs, and served on the California Computer Science Strategic Implementation panel for K-12.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
A. Our ranking in STEM education has been on the decline. This is unacceptable for the richest nation in the world, and we must enact sweeping reform to our education system, starting at the most basic level. First we must abandon the backwards incentives of No Child Left Behind. Struggling schools should receive more funding, not less. Along with this we have to step away from standardized testing which incentivizes teaching to a test rather to holistic understanding of a subject. The evidence is clear, and we know that bubble-tests are not the way to educate the future of America. Second, we have to acknowledge the systemic role which race plays in the education system. The effects of segregation are still being felt to this day, and education in particular districts contributes to the 10-to-1 wealth disparity between white and black families. Third, we must increase the pay of teachers so that they can focus on giving our kids quality education, and not have to focus on how they are going to afford school supplies from their own pocket. It should not be the case that the richest nation in the world ranks among the lowest in teacher pay. Fourth, we should take a cue from other countries which have reversed their low scores, for example by decreasing classroom hours and homework, providing nutritious lunches for all, and adopting more innovative instruction techniques. Finally, as regards higher education, public universities should be tuition free, as so many of them once were, and student debt should be forgiven. We need to encourage more people to take on the education for science careers, and so long as that comes with decades of extreme debt, it will remain out of reach for too many bright young minds. All of these reforms would increase the quality of education in the United States in a way that is more equitable and accessible. B. We need directly to invest in Americans again, and there are many ways to get at that.

Better education in areas like our district could attract more high-tech. businesses to move in. But we need also to set the kind of regulatory climate which demands innovation and new developments -- if we, for example, say that fossil fuels need to be phased out by X date, and offer tax and cash incentives for investment, jobs will spring up for many in the field. But we should also be looking hard as a universal basic income, as setting a guaranteed minimum would allow more people to enter professions which attract them, but which might not offer the best pay. This needs to become a republic of letters -- a country which respects the sciences and offers a better lifestyle to those who wish to engage in research. I know PhDs who are literally sleeping in their cars because the pay is too low and the rent is too high.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
Everyone deserves healthcare as a matter of right. Nobody should have to sacrifice their health because they can’t afford care or medicine.

Medicare for All would end the era of predatory for-profit healthcare, and acknowledge the human right to healthcare already well-established across the rest of the world. By creating an equitable single-payer healthcare system funded through tax dollars, instead of a complex web of insurance co-pays, deductibles, and administrative bureaucracy, Medicare for All can fundamentally fix our failing healthcare system while saving $2 trillion dollars over the next ten years.

Anna Eshoo, Democrat, District 18:
As Chairwoman of the House Health Subcommittee, I’ve undertaken several efforts to improve public health including:
· Successfully pushing for record funding for medical research to develop new therapeutics, vaccines, and tests for COVID-19. Congress provided over $5.5 billion to medical research to fight COVID-19, including $3.5 billion to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a priority of mine since I wrote the original legislation to create BARDA and its private-public partnerships that enable research to go beyond the lab bench into the lives of patients;
· Addressing youth use of tobacco and e-cigarettes by passing a bill through the House that would ban all flavored tobacco, including e-cigarettes, and prohibit online sales of e-cigarettes; and
· Reducing maternal mortality and closing racial disparities in maternal health outcomes by passing bills through the House that would improve the quality of maternal care as well as help extend Medicaid coverage for mothers for a full year postpartum.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
One of my policy priorities is establishing Medicare for All. Countries that rank higher than the US in happiness, GDP per capita, economic freedom, and medical quality have all implemented single-payer healthcare with significantly better results than the US at a cheaper cost. 30 million American families don’t have access to health insurance, and those who do are burdened by high costs; like other advanced Western countries, it’s time for the US to adopt universal public healthcare.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
The health care insurance system in the US is broken. We rank 35th in the world in population health, with a system more comparable to Tunisia than to any rich country. We let tens of millions of Americans go uninsured and underinsured. It is long past time to implement what most industrialized nations have -- a humane, cost effective approach to covering everyone. I support the Medicare for All proposal. Studies have shown that a single payer system can cover all Americans, deliver better health outcomes, and do it all for much less than what we are spending now. We let too many people die because of lack of coverage -- health care should be understood as a human right. I have no issues with private health care providers, but the parasitic insurance industry needs to go.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
A. Pharmaceutical and health insurance companies are making record profits, prioritizing lucrative drugs, hiking prices of critical life-saving treatment, and relentlessly pursuing higher premiums.

The pandemic threatens to make things even worse. Pharmaceutical companies are poised to prioritize profit on a vaccine even as they receive hundreds of millions in public funding.

To put an end to insurance and pharmaceutical profiteering at the expense of sick Americans, we need merely allow the government to leverage its substantial purchasing power, as currently prohibited by policy.

Ultimately, we favor nationalizing the pharmaceutical sector, precisely because the market has proven itself so unable to balance safety with the profit-focused goals of private enterprise. B. Direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs is not only inherently ethically fraught, but also contributes to the unsustainable economics of corporate pharmaceuticals. Government scrutiny to ensure accuracy is entirely appropriate.

Anna Eshoo, Democrat, District 18:
A. As Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, I helped write H.R. 3 the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which will lower the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to directly negotiate the price of the most expensive drugs in our country, including insulin. This is about economies of scale. Both the VA and Tricare have directly negotiated drug prices for decades and Medicare should be no different. The negotiated drug prices achieved under H.R. 3 will apply to Medicare beneficiaries and everyone who has private insurance. H.R. 3 also increases funding for the NIH to research and develop new cures and it invests nearly $3 billion in new funding for the FDA for drug safety. B. The U.S. should ban direct-to-consumer TV advertisements for prescription drugs. Direct-to-consumer advertising creates consumer demand for new, expensive, and sometimes inappropriate prescription drugs, which why the American Medical Association has advocated for a ban on direct-to-consumer drug ads for the past five years. The United States is the only OECD country, besides New Zealand, to allow drug manufacturers to advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers and pharmaceutical companies spend over $4.5 billion in direct-to-consumer ads annually, which is money that could be spent on lowering drug prices or investing in drug research and development.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
A. Medicare for All will help aid in R&D; the vast majority of drugs proven to work have been made and researched by the NIH rather than private corporations. The research and creation of drugs is already being funded by taxpayer dollars for the most part via NIH. Pharmaceutical companies waste the majority of their funding on sales and marketing instead of research, Medicare for All can help encourage the R&D of vital drugs while also allowing the government to regulate price and safety. A win-win! B. The government should take whatever steps necessary to ensure the safety of its citizens and this includes reducing the spread of misinformation wherever possible. Accordingly, the government should regulate direct-to-consumer TV advertisements for prescription drugs as necessary.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
A. I would say we do it the same way the rest of the world does it. Americans pay the highest prices for prescription drugs of any country in the world. Those prices are high because we allow direct advertising of drugs, and refuse to negotiate with manufacturers to achieve economies of scale. We also invest heavily already in their research, yet allow the corporation to patent that for which we have already paid, and to raise prices like cartels instead of driving prices down through competition. No other country has this problem -- it is uniquely American, and there are simple regulatory solution to it. B. This one is easy -- they should be banned outright. There is no sane reason to allow such advertising, and pharmaceutical companies manage to be massively profitable all around the world without the ability to peddle their wares directly to the public. Prescription choices should come from medical professionals, not consumers browsing afternoon television broadcasts.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
A. Medicare for All includes addiction response care in primary care. Removing cost as a barrier to care is the single most significant step we could take in policy to make sure that care can be based on evidence, instead of economics. B. Potential fraud or negligence can be addressed through the courts. The federal government should not intervene to undermine evidence-based innovations at the state level.

Anna Eshoo, Democrat, District 18:
A. Congress must pass legislation that provides evidence-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help anyone suffering from opioid addiction. A 2019 National Academies of Science report found that more than 80 percent of the 2 million Americans suffering from opioid addiction are not receiving MAT.

To address this issue, Congress must end the “X-waiver,” which requires physicians to complete additional training and obtain a special license from the DEA in order to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. No other treatment has such burdensome requirements. The X-waiver directly limits the number of clinicians who are able to prescribe life-saving treatment.

In addition, we must address the stigma against people in jails and prisons who need and deserve health care. Federal law prohibits Medicaid recipients from accessing their health benefits while incarcerated. This makes it more difficult for state and local governments to provide MAT to incarcerated individuals with addiction problems. Additionally, when those individuals are released from jail, they are often without coverage and can’t continue treatment despite being 12 times more likely to die of an overdose after release than the general public. Congress should expand Medicaid coverage to help individuals access MAT during and after incarceration. The Health Subcommittee I chair has considered bipartisan legislation to address both of these issues. B. The federal government should be taking stronger action to address fraud, malpractice, and negligence in addiction treatment centers. I supported California’s law against patient brokering that passed in 2018 (SB1228) and think it is a model for the federal government.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
A. I believe in divesting and reallocating funds from the police toward social workers and mental health experts. Too many police-civilian interactions go wrong in cases of addiction, mental health problems, and domestic issues. We need to work with mental health experts who are professionally trained in cases of the mentally ill. Police departments need mental health professionals who are better equipped than policemen to save lives in these cases. B. The government should have greater oversight over addiction treatment centers in order to establish a common standard of treatment. For medical and legal matters the government has strict laws regarding fraud, malpractice, and negligence. Addiction treatment centers are just as influential in people’s lives and should be held to similar standards.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
A. The first step in addressing this issue would be expanding quality health insurance coverage to everyone. The Medicare for All proposal includes mental health coverage for the whole country. It is absurd that we have effectively criminalized mental illness by leaving so many with no coverage until they wind up in jail. There is an unreasonable stigma around mental health and addiction which we must combat through greater availability of preventive care. We have to listen to mental health and addiction experts and go about what treatments are the most beneficial -- not keep locking people up for preventable issues. From the public policy perspective, the best thing the government can do for those suffering from mental health disorders and addiction is to guarantee that quality health care is available for all. That way the only thing that doctors and patients have to worry about is treatment. B. I would like to see a stronger public role in addiction treatment. For me, drug use and addiction to same is a medical issue, not a criminal one, and I would legalize and regulate all drugs. Taxes taken from their sale can then be used to fund public treatment clinics. As to regulation of existing private clinics, the state does have a role in ensuring appropriate quality levels, and quack “cures” should be forced out of the market. This is, again, a place where science can help us in guiding appropriate policy. Treatments that are evidence-based should be allowed to operate, but those based on magical thinking should notbe able to bill themselves as addiction treatments at all.

Shahid Buttar, Democrat, District 12:
This is an arena in which my expertise has been nationally recognized. I’ve briefed Congress twice at the invitation of Members, and also been arrested in the Senate for asking questions raised by the Snowden revelations that no one else has ever asked—and which no one has ever answered.

We must end the era of executive secrecy by adopting long overdue reforms to our “bloated and dysfunctional” national security classification system to enhance transparency and stop security classification (such as “confidential” or “top secret” designations) from being used to evade accountability for human rights violations.

As a child of a migrant family displaced by the human rights abuses of a military government supported by the U.S. military-industrial complex, I am existentially committed to investigate, expose, and oppose any U.S. military intervention abroad. Too many covert operations—from the NSA’s domestic dragnet to the CIA’s international torture abuses—undermine U.S. diplomatic strength and inflame international hostility, whatever the perceived tactical objectives.

I continue to advocate for the public unredacted release of the CIA torture report whose continuing censorship prompted even Sen. Dianne Feinstein to decry a constitutional crisis. Finally, beyond eroding executive secrecy to expand democratic transparency, I also favor restoring rights to privacy. We need to restore the warrant requirement subjecting the executive branch to independent review before collecting intelligence information about people unsuspected of any offense, close the backdoor search loophole, and subject both national security agencies and domestic law enforcement to rigorous oversight and impartial justice. For instance, in the dozens of known cases in which agency personnel and contractors abused the government’s powerful surveillance tools to monitor their former lovers or spouses, there should be transparent criminal prosecutions.

Anna Eshoo, Democrat, District 18:
The unregulated mass abuse of personal data online is simply unacceptable. The U.S. needs a strong privacy law, and it's why I introduced the Online Privacy Act, which is considered the strongest privacy bill introduced in the House or Senate. My legislation creates privacy rights, ensures abuses will be investigated and laws enforced, and restores individuals' trust in technology.

Rishi Kumar, Democrat, District 18:
As our world becomes more and more centered around the Internet, the US needs to enforce strong data protection and consumer rights (my policy) which reflect Constitutional ideals. Net neutrality is an important part of our democratic process as it upholds our constitutional values of free speech. Congresspeople are also responsible for holding tech giants accountable when they step over boundaries with respect to people’s privacy. As a hi-tech executive myself, I am far more equipped to understand how these tech companies operate and where to hold them accountable.

William O'Mara, Democrat, District 42:
To put it bluntly, the news media in the United States has steadily declined to the point where it is little more than a series of propaganda wings for corporations and special interests. A major step in protecting our democracy is to put in place policy to address this problem. I propose reenacting the fairness doctrine. Where both candidates and issues alike are concerned, news organizations should be required to maintain balance and present competing viewpoints. The current system prizes the free speech of corporations over the public interest, which has the overall effect of limiting freedom of speech for ordinary Americans who lack the financial resources to start a competing news network. In addition, news organizations should be required to enforce a strict “firewall” between their ownership and their editorial boards, such that advertising and corporate interests do not influence the content. In protecting rights to privacy, the government must stop its overreach with things like the PATRIOT Act and its mass indiscriminate surveillance. In addition, we should pass legislation granting full legal control over our own data, such that companies are not able to profit off of our likeness, DNA, or search history without our consent and without sharing the profits. In order to remain a country that values democracy and individual liberty we must respect the right to privacy and end policies that infringe upon those rights.


James Just, Libertarian, District 7
Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46
Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64
Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
I was lucky enough to be raised in a house where the use of the scientific process was a daily occurrence. Due to my step-father being a science teacher and researcher at a university I had the opportunity to be instructed in the use of the scientific process for self-education at an early age and was constantly listening to stories about his work and learning new concepts from him.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
A. My family has been most affected by cancer, and my mother is a cancer survivor twice over. Oncology and Gynecology have kept my family alive and whole. I am also a credentialed teacher and have taught science to middle and high school students throughout my career. B. None yet, but if elected I would seek out expertise on subjects where my knowledge is limited.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
The aspect of science that has most affected my family and I have been environmental concerns. I have been living in a district with a quarter of California’s oil refineries- I live less than 3 miles away from the largest refinery on the West Coast and have been affected by the flares and the pollution. I have a young child and care about their health. I have students that I worked with as a public school teacher who were drinking unclean water and living on toxic superfund sites. Not addressing environmental concerns with the urgency that it calls for is making people sick and shortening people’s lives, including my family’s. B. I have never had to vote on a bill as this is my first run for elected office. However, as a former Science teacher and Science Department chair, as well as being married to an engineer, my husband and I value Science deeply- we don’t listen to the background noise, but instead do our own independent research- only looking at what is evidence based and widely accepted by the scientific community- before deciding who to vote for or how to vote on a proposition, for instance.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
A. I have always loved science! I studied math at Pomona College where I graded, tutored, and participated in original research. I integrated my love of science and liberation struggles when I began working with pregnant and birthing people. As a licensed midwife and lactation consultant I provide feminist, anti-oppresive, evidence informed healthcare.

My personal passion in science is public education and translating research into common knowledge as well as policy and practice in physiological birth and breastfeeding. I earned an MA in Maternal-Child Health Systems and look forward to participating in epidemiological research in the future (when I am not in the final months of a campaign!)

On a personal level, science touched my life during my pregnancy with my daughter Lucía. My water broke 10 weeks early, and I benefited from excellent evidence-informed medical care and consultation with perinatologists, midwives, neonatologists, and other care providers. I was able to birth my daughter 5 weeks later, safely and without complication. I fought hard to protect my ability to give birth physiologically and protect my daughter’s ability to be with me for uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact immediately, with absolutely no separation from me. I also will fight hard to protect science informed practices in general - from climate to healthcare to education to economics.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
No answer provided at this time.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
I believe that much more work needs to be done with respect to collaboration between states to reduce the effects of climate change. In California we can see the smoke from fires and the effects temperature and precipitation changes have had on our daily lives and businesses. In other areas of the country, the changes are less acute. Because of this, there exists fundamental doubts about the gravity of the situation and just how dangerous it is for each and every person in our society. Bipartisanship, collaboration, and the will to work for small wins (incremental plastic use reduction) while pursuing larger ones (switches to renewable energy and carbon neutral policies) is vital.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
Climate change is a global phenomenon that will have very regionally specific consequences. Building stronger relationships with other states is a critical way that we can help build our resiliency moving forward. For example, building regional energy grids can help us better deal with regional incidents like fires or heat waves and ensure more stable energy distribution across California and the region more broadly. As our federal government deals with political gridlock and struggles to enact meaningful environmental reform, many state governments are moving ahead and experimenting with potential solutions. It is critical that we are sharing our successes, failures, and other lessons learned with each other so that we can move forward effectively and quickly to more thoroughly address climate collapse. This will allow us to also discuss how regional climate change will have national and international effects and be able to distribute resources and production capacity - whether with energy, agriculture, or other resources - in order to improve our resiliency.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
The CA legislature can lead with model legislation A California Green New Deal would begin to decarbonize and restructure the economy for the Western region of the US. My climate platform is available on my website.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
With decades of warning California sits unprepared to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change. Basic mitigation strategies need to be implemented, along an investment in a more robust rapid air response but these should not be policies mandated by the state, the role of the state should be supportive, Scientists, activists, business, local political leaders and average citizens all need to have a seat a the table and work through the issues specific to their area, The most effective solution is one where you have local buy-in, you get buy-in by building trust, and you do that with full and open discussions.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
​I would do my best to contribute to more proactive policies and collaborate with any and all experts that have something relevant to say. We also need to make sure that the Federal management of lands in CA is aligned with our fire prevention strategies.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
For all of our environmental policies, it is critical that we work closely with ecological scientists to pass laws that will be effective and practical. It is critical that we work towards long-term solutions to wildfire management and prevention, not merely emergency response. I support Jackie Fielder’s proposal to create an Indigenous Wildlife Task Force and to pursue other novel methods to bring evidence-driven approaches to long-term management. I envision a State Assembly that helps facilitate conversation and provide structure and resources for scientists, policymakers, firefighters, and other stakeholders to come together to determine the most effective ways forward in long-term ecological management.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
I support wildfire policy that involves direction from and collaboration with indigenous fire management experts, ecological scientists, labor, and environmental justice communities most vulnerable to wildfire danger.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
No answer provided at this time.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
​A. A multi-pronged approach is needed: 1) ensuring that we keep as many of the natural environmental barriers intact as possible. 2) Massive engineering projects like seawalls and surge barriers are needed. 3) Continuing with environmental policies that reduce carbon emissions and non-renewable resource usage. 4) Urban planning and design need to undergo some shifts to ensure that the above three policies and projects are integrated into the planning process. B. ​I would need to do more research on this topic.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
A. Many organizations are already releasing guidance and suggestions for how California can best prepare for rising sea levels and other impacts of climate change. Just this past December, a California Legislative Analyst report outlined ways that our state government can support and enhance local efforts, including creating regional plans for adaptation, supporting local efforts, and providing access to information and technical support. I fully support the model they outlined and believe that our state government needs to help empower local governments to address rising sea levels. It is especially important that we acknowledge the ways that rising sea levels will also contribute to inland flooding and ensure that governments are aware of and preparing for that as well. We must help provide information, financial and technical resources, and other support to local governments - as well as providing a platform for collaborations across the state - to ensure that we are properly prepared for rising sea levels. B. There are many adaptive management frameworks that we must adopt in our vision for managing biodiversity and natural resources in California. It is critical that we do our best to increase ecological resilience; increase adaptive capacity; and invest in research, monitoring, and forecasting so that we can be prepared for what is to come. Through a Green New Deal for California, we must invest heavily in biodiversity conservation and management, including monitoring, restoration, and study. We must also create platforms and structures that allow for increased coordination, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing across organizations and different stakeholders. We must also expand state funding and create easy-to-access funding streams for individuals and organizations looking to adopt sustainable methods or get further involved in this work.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
A. We need investment in wetlands restoration and in support of coastal communities preparing for planned retreat, prioritizing funds for environmental justice communities first. B. I support rewilding and restoration efforts, in consultation with indigenous experts and marine scientists.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
I believe that it is essential that California, particularly Southern California, invest in infrastructure to meet water needs for Californians. As it currently stands, much of the snow runoff and other water resources of the Northern part of the state are diverted to Southern California. However, in years where there is a leaner snowpack not even this is enough and it leads to shortages throughout the entire state. I think that we need to look, even down to the local level, at building more water retention systems, water recycling programs, and construction of more desalination plants to meet the water needs of all Californians. One way that we may be able to incentivize municipal governments to take up more responsibility would be grants or tax credits if they can prove that they are increasing water availability in their jurisdiction (whether through increased retention, recycling, desalination, etc.). In order for greater efficiency, we need this to be a program spearheaded at the local level so that people with intimate knowledge of the needs of each community can lead the way on this issue at the local level and ensure accountability of the program.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
Well, I do not support subsidies for any industry. I do, however, encourage farmers to adopt more sustainable practices, including crop diversity and planting crops that need less water, as well as retaining more rainwater on their properties if possible, implementing practices to protect against soil erosion and degradation, and using a greater percentage of natural pesticides for their crops rather than harmful chemicals. I believe that a combination of these practices can improve their resource conservation and reduce agriculture-related pollution that will benefit both our environment and the people of California.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
​​Farming is not prevalent in the district that I will be representing, but my district is less affluent than others and would be affected by dramatic rises in food costs. Agriculture is a backbone industry in California, and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that it is held accountable for resource conservation and pollution. However, farmers are underrepresented as a group and laws are often written with a lack of understanding of both the operations of a farm and also the needs of the farmer. We need to ensure that our committees that are crafting legislation are listening to their constituents to ensure a balance of statewide environmental benefit and a consideration of small business survival and manageable food costs.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
I believe that the government has a responsibility to inform, support, encourage, and make feasible, and require more sustainable agricultural practices. Studies suggest that food accounts for approximately 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions; a majority of those emissions stem from livestock and fisheries, crop production, and land use. Right now, our economic system is set up to encourage resource depletion, extraction, and unsustainable agricultural practices, and it is the government's responsibility to step in and institute policies that will benefit our long term health and wellbeing. Agricultural and land use reforms must be an important part of any environmental legislation for California. We should create incentives for efficient water and fertilizer use, pay farmers to preserve land for wildlife connectivity, and come up with meaningful incentives for other practices like crop rotations, encouraging plants over livestock, and more. We should be collaboratively building these policies with farmers, scientists, land use experts, indigenous people with area expertise, individuals in the supply chain, and others who play a role in farming.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
California should cease all subsidies to the agriculture industry that support practices that use excessive water and release carbon into the atmosphere, while incentivizing and subsidizing regenerative and indigenous agricultural practices that sequester carbon and conserve water.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
A. I believe that we need to improve our grid. Utility companies need to stop being protected by their cronies in government. For too long, they ignored their liability to maximize their profits and it has resulted in the deaths, displacement, and negative effects for millions of Californians as fires started by faulty electrical equipment rage across the state and power shut offs cut off access to vital services. If these companies cannot handle the responsibility for their actions, they can be broken up and sold off into regional utility groups, which exist in many states already and provide better accountability, reliability, and service to their customers. Now that we have the technology to where hydroelectric systems don’t need massive dams, and nuclear energy has innovated to become much safer, it is also time for us to pursue these sources to increase our energy supply as our grid finally becomes modernized. Adding more diversity of energy supply sources adds additional failsafe’s should one be compromised to ensure constant supply of energy to Californians. B. No answer given at this time that is any different from the previous question’s answer. C. Given how much the utilities are already subsidized and how much support they get through cronyism from their allies in government, I don’t believe that they should get more direct financial support; especially not when the state has already virtually eliminated their liability. I believe that energy companies that want to modernize their infrastructure and practice more sustainability should be applauded and perhaps we can look at a tax credit program if they can do that and make their systems safer. I am not in favor of subsidizing them more though.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
​​A. First, I would want to understand what is unique about California’s energy situation that causes consistent supply issues during summers and go from there. I would also want to write/enforce/market legislation that responsibly diversifies and upgrades the power grid. B. Recognizing the limitations of certain types of renewable resources is critical to solving the issue. I also think that going beyond grid and storage increases/upgrades to provide direct incentives to consumers and businesses to reduce energy consumption. Right now, the system seems to focus on raising rates during certain periods, but we should also provide direct, easy to claim credits if consumption is reduced during critical periods. C. See above

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
A. Climate collapse is making it abundantly clear that we must divest from our fossil fuel economy and instead invest in renewable energy. This will be challenging and expensive for our state, but not nearly as expensive or deadly as failing to act. I believe that we need the state to take control of energy management. We already have a precedent in California of creating Community Choice Aggregation models, where local governments can lead local energy procurement. We must figure out how to improve connectivity while also creating opportunities for local control. California has begun closing gas power plants, but we haven’t adequately replaced those with clean energy alternatives. We need to drastically increase our renewable energy sources and create a wider margin in order to account for fluctuations in energy during heat waves, fires, and other natural events. We must also be smart in how we build these sources. For example, solar energy is less useful during peak energy use times at night; other sources of renewables are less efficient during high temperatures. It is crucial that we create systems that allow politicians, engineers, energy suppliers, grid operators, and other experts to collaborate and communicate effectively so that we can invest in solutions that will work. It is critical that we invest in these solutions now in order to address climate change and create sustainable solutions for generations. B. We need a multipronged, evidence-driven approach to this issue. We must explore solutions such as improved batteries and energy efficiency, reduced customer demand, improved storage and distribution options for solar energy, regional coordination to improve energy distribution, and continued investment in research and development for clean energy generators and transmission technology. In particular, we must work towards regional coordination with our energy supplies. Many nearby states are able to make better use of different types of renewable energy - including hydro- and wind-power - that can complement one another. This is critical, especially as we consider localized events like heat waves and fires that may harm energy production in any given region and as we consider the different pros and cons of different types of renewable. C. Yes. These sorts of incentives and resources must be part of a Green New Deal for California. It is critical that we provide businesses access to infrastructural improvements that they may need in order to be more energy efficient and that we then tax individuals who refuse these improvements or who continue using unsustainable practices. We must make these changes affordable and practical for smaller businesses that might not have the funds to invest in these changes on their own. We should also work to provide grants and low-interest loans to individuals and organizations who are pursuing sustainable businesses, such as community gardens or wildlife restoration projects.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
A. I support phasing out all fossil fuel energy production. B. I will focus on microgrids, investing particularly in building community scale renewable power plants in environmental justice communities first. I support public utilities reinvesting all capital into infrastructure upgrades and good green jobs, not to shareholders. I support R&D in community scale energy storage methods. C. I support a Green New Deal, with massive public investment in decarbonizing our entire society and economy. Public contracts with private businesses and organizations should only be available to entities that implement sustainable practices.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
A. I think that one of the best ways to do this is to start introducing these skills at lower age groups. There is no reason we can’t start teaching CAD programs, and actual occupational skills at lower grade levels so that students not only learn basic skills but can choose from a variety of supplemental classes to find out what they are gifted at. In the high school years, I would also recommend that children be introduced not only to private companies or government agencies at career fairs, but give the trades a greater presence. Many children that either don’t have the capacity or desire for a university or don’t want the associated debt are very gifted when it comes to skilled trade labor that doesn’t require expensive tuition, allows them to earn while they learn, and actually pays very well once they are out of apprenticeship. Sadly, many students are not ever made aware that they have these options and end up getting lost in the cracks of our educational system. B. Eliminate regulations and taxes that drive companies and jobs out of California so that people don’t have to leave the state to find work and affordable living. We have great schools in California that turn out thousands of talented students in these fields every year, but if we continue to drive their prospective employers out of the state they will be forced to leave as well. Decreasing the regulations that serve as barriers to entry in California would also allow for more startup businesses to begin with fewer issues and actually stand a chance to make it in the market, even if there are larger competitors already in the field. This will give small businesses a fighting chance that they currently don’t have in California and also allow for the creation of more jobs as well as job retention within the state.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
​​A. ​Start with young girls and minorities. STEM has both gender and racial gaps, and focusing on engaging these two groups not only closes these gaps, but it also provides better pay equity since STEM jobs often pay much higher and are more in demand than jobs in other industries. B. I think that CA needs to be a friendlier state in terms of small business startup costs (I would repeal all costs in the first year). We need to protect worker security, safety, and pay but we also need to ensure that companies want to do business in CA and that we hold on to the aviation, tech, agriculture, and manufacturing companies that we currently have.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
A. As a former STEM teacher, this issue is a personal passion of mine. We need a multipronged approach to ensuring all students have access to high quality STEM courses. Firstly, we need to broaden and evaluate what knowledge we value and how we teach it. We should be incorporating broader understandings of STEM - including indigenous understandings of land management and other environmental studies - and analyze who is benefiting from our current portrayals of STEM. There are already innovative groups, like an LA-based organization called STEM to the Future, that are using STEAM as a pathway to liberation, exploring how STEAM can be used to help develop the world we want to live in and solve the problems that matter to us. In addition to diversifying our curriculums and evaluating our approach to STEM education, we also need increased funding for extracurricular activities. As a teacher, I fought to get funding to start my school’s FIRST Robotics Club. As a teacher in a lower-income, under-estimated community, this was the first club of its kind. Opportunities like these do not only expose students to STEM, critical thinking, and problem solving, but it also creates opportunities to build relationships with other adults and mentors in the community. Building out these support networks of individuals who can have casual conversations about how students are doing, college decisions, etc. is extremely important for young people. B. Passing and implementing a robust Green New Deal for California is one important way for us to improve and incentivize jobs available in STEM in our state. We need more individuals who are involved in research and development for renewable energy, who are creating plans for how to physically move us from a fossil fuel economy to a renewable energy economy. We also need individuals who are trained in environmental science - waste, water and land management, sustainable agriculture, and more - to assist us in creating, implementing, and evaluating real plans to move us towards sustainability. In addition, we need large technical advancements in our government. We are still processing paper applications and recertifications for benefits. We are relying on physical cards for food stamps. We are requiring individuals to apply separately to different benefits, asking the same questions multiple times across departments. We are taking months to process unemployment insurance claims. We need individuals with technical backgrounds to help us develop ways to safely and effectively build out government technology to meet modern day needs.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
A. We must gain more revenue for California schools by taxing the wealthiest and highest earning Californians and corporations. We also need to desegregate our communities and schools and provide excellent education for all. B. We need a Green New Deal to support new graduates as well as workers from fossil fuel and other industries that are shifting, and cocreate future high quality jobs by investing in mass scale electrification of residential and commercial properties and industry, carbon sequestration in agriculture and forestry, and other sectors.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
No answer provided at this time.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
​​Medi-Cal pays a fraction for the same services that Medicare pays. In turn, Medicare pays a fraction of what private insurance pays. Closing these gaps is paramount to any discussion regarding private vs. public options and quality of care.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
The gap in racial health outcomes is unacceptable, and it’s critical that we pass anti-racist public health measures that address these trends and promote equity. One way I would like to approach this would be by investing in and increasing incentives for community-based clinics, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color. It’s important that we provide affordable, nearby options for people to access healthcare services. It is particularly important that we build systems where people can get care from people who look like them and people who speak their first language. Community clinics can also be a gathering point for local community health workers who can work with individuals on long-term care needs, chronic health management, and generally providing culturally appropriate health care information to individuals across the community.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
I will prioritize both public health and the public provision of healthcare. I support single payer healthcare; investing in the healthcare workforce by primary care provider education programs at our CSUs and community colleges; supporting multiple pathways to healthcare jobs; and prioritizing programs to recruit and retain providers who are from medically underserved communities to provide culturally congruent care.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
No answer provided at this time.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
A. ​I would start (and currently abide by) by not taking any money from the lobbyists and interest groups representing the pharmaceutical industry. Balancing safety, price, and development cannot be done if the loudest voice you hear is from the industry itself. I believe that if drug companies develop a drug using government grants or resources, then their profits should be capped on that drug. I also believe that access to drugs is crucial and price increases over a certain threshold should be banned or heavily regulated especially in cases where drug copyrights have been acquired or changed hands. B. ​I think advertising of prescription drugs should be banned on TV and I would also tighten or eliminate marketing on social media and streaming platforms as well.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
A. It is highly important to encourage research and development, especially living presently in the time of a pandemic this has become even more urgent and imperative in finding a vaccine as soon as possible. The issue with pharmaceuticals is always the profit incentive that the CEOs and upper management make, which is exorbitant- many times these profits are made directly from wrongfully increasing the prices of drugs, having the profits directly going to upper management. Here’s what we must do: we encourage research and development by making sure we have a workforce that is ready to meet the challenges of the future. This means we need a highly educated workforce, with ample STEAM opportunities for our children while they are in school. I started and mentored a FIRST Robotics team in Watts and saw the direct impact of this on my students’ learning the skills of research, design, technology and more and also inspiring them to pursue this as a field. Our government must invest in opportunities such as these and invest in our kids to ensure that every child from the time they are born has access to project based learning, fully resourced schools and teachers that are supported. We must also continue as a government to increase our dispersal of grants to researchers and research proposals. We must however remove the profit motive by implementing policy that will lower the price of prescription drugs, so that the prices of these drugs are not wrongfully raised. We must also have strict safety standards and make sure companies are frequently audited to ensure that they are implemented. We must instead provide incentives for pharmaceutical companies who do the best research and development of drugs that are safe and effective, thereby encouraging R&D as an incentive instead of profit. B. I believe that while we have to respect freedom of speech, however, when it comes to drugs which have the potential to have either a highly positive or highly detrimental effect on a person’s life, we have to ensure as best as is possible and allowed within our local, state and federal laws, that we make sure the most accurate information is shared with our consumers. I think that good, accurate advertising will only happen from pharmaceutical companies when we create a system that removes the profit incentive from pharmaceutical companies and instead give them incentives for creating the most safe, effective and well priced drugs as a government. As long as the motivation is to increase the sale of drugs, I believe that the ads that consumers see will focus on selling a drug, even if it isn’t highly effective and potentially not well tested or ready for the market.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
A. I will prioritize both public health and the public provision of healthcare. I support single payer healthcare; investing in the healthcare workforce by primary care provider education programs at our CSUs and community colleges; supporting multiple pathways to healthcare jobs; and prioritizing programs to recruit and retain providers who are from medically underserved communities to provide culturally congruent care. B. Government should be able to regulate, including prohibit, direct-to-consumer TV ads for prescription drugs. I also support the World Health Organization International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, enacted in full or in part by 84 countries since 1981, but not the United States.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
A. Barriers to intervention in the programs themselves with all of the hoops and paperwork that people have to go through are actually some of the biggest obstacles between people and the mental health care they need. We need to focus more on early intervention in people’s mental and emotional health issues and one way that we can do this is by setting up a network where people can get direct payments every month for their therapists rather than having to go through the arduous tasks, repeated and unnecessary screenings, and burdensome amounts of paperwork that keep people from getting the care they need when they need it. By removing barriers and allowing direct-to-therapist payments we can prevent emotional health issues from becoming serious mental health problems. B. The government already has the tools necessary to deal with issues of fraud, malpractice, and negligence. The problem is that they overcomplicate the bureaucracy and don’t actually use the systems in place to deal with them appropriately. This negatively impacts patients and customers that need access to care and are not receiving proper help when problems arise.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
Ensuring that first contact with the mentally ill or addicts is a trained professional is step 1. Collaborating with police agencies as they have in Denver, Miami, and Houston to come up with solutions that don’t endanger any affected party or unnecessarily expose them to prison would be the direction I would take legislation.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
We need to completely revolutionize the way that we think about and address mental health disorders and addiction in our existing systems. First, we must think about the overlap between mental health and policing. Far too many times, mental health crises are addressed with guns as opposed to trauma-informed, professional care. Defund the police movements are providing a critical opportunity to shift towards responses that center health, wellbeing, and safety. We see these issues show up in our jails and prisons as well so dramatically that publications like The Atlantic to say “America's Largest Mental Hospital Is a Jail.” We must invest in transformative justice and alternatives to policing and incarceration that value healing and accountability and that connect individuals to the resources they need. We must also think critically about how we approach social service provision for those with mental health disorders. There are currently many people who are unhoused who suffer traumas that contribute to mental health disorders and addiction. Therefore, expanding housing and healthcare access are key examples of opportunities that we must pursue to advance mental health care in California. We must also work to lessen the burden of applying and recertifying for critical benefits that individuals need. We should create single applications that help individuals apply and qualify for multiple benefits at one, reducing the time and mental stress that the application and recertification processes take.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
I support decriminalization of possession of drugs of abuse and an expansion of behavioral health service availability. I support universal single-payer healthcare including comprehensive behavioral health and addiction and recovery programs, as well as programs to recruit and retain behavioral health providers from BIPOC communities and LGBTQIA+ communities in particular.

James Just, Libertarian, District 7:
By not enabling politicians and other people in power to easily manipulate the systems designed to serve the people. Gerrymandering, technological manipulation, corruption, and the influence of special interests in politics need to be eliminated as much as possible to protect the democratic process. Regulations, while often promoted to safeguard the public’s interest, often exist to provide loopholes for big business to get around them and manipulate or extract the information and profit they seek at the expense of individual privacy rights.

Lanira Murphy, Democrat, District 46:
​I think that our democratic processes are protected by laws that give individuals their privacy rights. I do not think that these are in conflict with each other. Right to privacy laws should be strict and always favor the individual except in extreme cases.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Democrat, District 64:
We will have our individual rights to privacy protected once our government begins to strictly regulate and place restrictions on companies like Facebook who have access to much of our personal information right now, and can essentially manipulate us and persuade us in unhealthy and destructive ways. This is especially pertinent today in the digital age and our global economy, where our personal privacy, and our elections have the potential to be so manipulated by outside sources. We must hold these companies accountable in any way we can.

Sarah Davis, Democrat, District 78:
For more information for readers: https://www.votesarahdavis.com/issues/.


Ann Ravel, Democrat, District 15
John Laird, Democrat, District 17
Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21
Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33

Ann Ravel, Democrat, District 17:
A. My father, Albert Miller, was Head of Department/Professor of Meteorology at San Jose State. Growing up, the sciences were a matter of daily discussion. While in High School I even helped edit his textbook - ‘Elements of Meteorology.’ B. While I’ve not held legislative office, I was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice when the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred. I surveyed the disaster from a Navy plane and worked closely with scientists to understand the scope of the disaster, so we could hold those responsible to account for the damages and remediation. My portfolio at the Department of Justice also included the Food and Drug Administration, and I consulted with scientists regularly on a variety of issues, including addiction.

John Laird, Democrat, District 17:
I am coming off of eight years as Governor Jerry Brown’s Secretary for Natural Resources. Whether it was the scientists of the Ocean Science Trust, having a science advisor for oil and gas issues, or being one of the shepherds for the climate assessments done by teams of scientists, I relied on science advice in most major issue areas.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
A. We are witnessing the devastating effects of climate change in real time – something that impacts my family and families across our community. I strongly believe that our politics must catch up with our science. California has long led the way on passing policies that will address our climate crisis, but we need to continue with this bold leadership if we want to make a difference. My opponent, State Senator Scott Wilk, has consistently voted against legislation that would address our climate crisis. He voted against expanding AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, and failed to support AJR 20 Resolution, which declared that California will continue to lead in its efforts to reduce emission of greenhouse gases and fight climate change. Our community is seeing the direct impacts of inaction and underinvestment, with some of the dirtiest air and water in our state, and the highest rates of childhood asthma and COPD. We need new leadership who will treat climate change seriously. B. I am a first-time candidate, but once elected to the State Senate I commit to working with scientists to address the climate crisis. In fact, I have already formed an advisory environmental committee of scientists and public policy experts.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
As a nurse I have studied a wide range of science, math, statistics, and social sciences all of which have help me to think more critically about human behavior, nature, and health.

Ann Ravel, Democrat, District 17:
I think efforts like the Western Interstate Energy Compact, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency have long demonstrated that interstate cooperation is not only possible, but necessary to protect our shared natural resources. In the absence of Federal leadership on Climate Change issues, California can still lead the way on developing renewable energy and establishing new emission standards other States can emulate. We need to work with the legislatures of other states to ensure they follow California’s lead, we cannot solve this crisis on our own.

John Laird, Democrat, District 17:
We has a strong climate team in the Brown Administration, and worked toward specific goals on greenhouse gas emissions, building efficiency, developing new renewable energy in the state’s electricity portfolio, and leading on adapting to climate change already under way. The state has set a next round of goals. We need to step up our activities in meeting these goals.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
California has long been a national and world leader when it comes to solutions to our climate crisis. It is critical that California works with other state legislatures to share what we’ve done, what we’re trying to do and learn from what they’re doing – the more people in positions of power, with knowledge on solutions, who can collaborate the better.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
California legislature can encourage other state legislators to implement the Green Parties Green New Deal as soon as possible. It is imperative that our legislators take quick action now to move away from fossil fuels and implement a jobs program to transition workers to renewable energy jobs. Our legislators must heed the warnings from scientists and stop allowing fracking, coal, and drilling in our Arctic waters otherwise we will suffer worse consequences as evidence by the extreme weather events and fires we are experiencing now.

Ann Ravel, Democrat, District 17:
We need the cooperation and assistance of the Federal Government in managing their 48 million acres, but California can do more to help prevent and mitigate wildfires. Proactive fuel management should be considered an investment in reducing fire risk and severity. California will need the input of experts to model how Climate Change is remapping high-risk areas and to plan accordingly. I always make decisions based on talking to experts, the input of climate and ecological scientists will inform my legislative and budget priorities.

John Laird, Democrat, District 17:
This is one of the major issues I wish to work on as a State Senator. I was a leader on the establishment of the first forest carbon plan among the fifty states – a road map to more ecological forest management. We added CalFire units for prescribed fire, and attempted to expedite the environmental process for healthy forest management 57% of California’s forests are within federal management, and we signed “good neighbor” agreements to take action on federal lands as well. There is much to do here.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
Californians now regularly face destruction and the deadly effects of wildfires. Just this year, 5 of the 6 largest California wildfires in history happened in August and September, and that’s even before our traditional wildfire season. We need a state and federal multi-prong strategy that includes a well-funded and balanced emergency response and ecological management system. We have to do forest management while properly regulating public utilities to reduce risk of starting fires. We also must recognize that climate change and the intensity of wildfires today are inextricably intertwined, and we must work towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
I believe that we must move away from fossil fuels and fracking immediately otherwise all the methods above will not make a difference because our climate will get worse. My role if elected would be to advocate and champion a bill for a Green New Deal in California and it will be in collaboration with ecological scientists.

Ann Ravel, Democrat, District 17:
The Sea-Level Rise Database was a critical first step in identifying sites most at risk. The Ocean Protection Council and other state and local planning agencies must continue this process of process and prepare public infrastructure accordingly. Additional investment is necessary for these adaptation/resilience improvements as we confront the impacts of climate change.

John Laird, Democrat, District 17:
I chaired the State’s Ocean Protection Council for eight years. We spearheaded science on sea level rise and developed guidance for public agencies based on that science. We completed the designation of the largest state network of marine protected areas in state waters off the coast. I signed the ballot argument in the state ballot pamphlet to protect the state’s single use plastic bag law. We were part of a west coast science study on ocean acidification that led to an international coalition against ocean acidification – which I highlighted when I spoke to the United Nations Oceans Conference in New York. I want to continue my work on oceans policy as a state senator.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
A. Our coast is already experiencing the harmful effects from the rising sea levels, and with Greenland’s ice sheet melting to the point of no return, researchers predict it will be the largest single contributor to the rising sea levels. We need to ensure scientists and researchers have the essential resources and tools they need to develop reliable future sea-level projections for our state and municipalities. We also need to elect leaders up and down the ballot who will listen to the science and take bold action to address climate change and its dangerous impacts to our communities. For too long, oil and other energy corporations have help to elect people who will in turn block meaningful climate legislation in order to protect their own profits. Right now, oil, energy and other corporations are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into independent expenditure campaigns against me because they know I intend to push us towards a clean energy economy and closer to being a zero-emissions state. B. We must work with scientists to track and maintain the health of our marine ecosystems.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
We must act now instead of a wait and see plan which what is happening now. We can no longer wait for incremental change because it will be more costly in the long run. We must stop building structures near oceans and local governments need financial support from their state legislators and recommendations from the scientific community on how to best adapt their communities to rising sea levels and the most vulnerable and poorer communities must be included.

John Laird, Democrat, District 17:
As Resources Secretary, I joined with the EPA and Agricultural Secretaries to author the California Water Action Plan. It was a plan of specific actions with an “all of the above” strategy to get to sustainable water supply in California. The 2014 state water bond was negotiated around this plan and was passed by almost two-thirds of California voters.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
I am very concerned about the availability of traditional water resources that have been impacted by climate change, especially because my district has some of the dirtiest water in the state. I would like to explore expanding the use of drip irrigation, incentivize the purchase of efficient appliances, and further research and develop water re-use processes like desalination so that they become more cost- efficient.

John Laird, Democrat, District 17:
Farming subsidies are a federal program, not state – but the state does manage water supply, which is addressed in the previous question. By developing the groundwater management act, and attempting to develop a sustainable water supply, it is the state’s goal to work with farmers on the results from these efforts. It will require farmers to live off of that sustainable supply, and be efficient in water they use. I authored a law during my first legislative service that was the first attempt to measure agricultural water use to understand what the baseline usage should be in planning. The issue of agricultural runoff is a separate issue, and one I would like to continue work on as a state senator.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
Government has an important role to play in incentivizing and regulating industries to reduce pollution and reduce greenhouse gasses. The government should consider both tax incentives and direct regulation to ensure that our farmers adopt eco-friendly practices.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
Our government should stop subsidizing agribusiness and demand they stop polluting the land, air, and water, and encourage farmers to grow organic and plant based agriculture to decrease pollution and improve the health of many Californians

John Laird, Democrat, District 17:
As mentioned in a previous question, I worked in an administration that had a high goal of developing renewable energy, and I was one of the point people on the Desert Renewable Energy Plan, working with the Obama Administration and Energy Commission lead on that. As we develop more renewable energy and decentralize the distribution system, we will have to develop more storage to manage the ebbs and flows of available energy. There is a lot of work to do on this issue.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
A. For the first time since 2001, millions of Californians faced rolling blackouts during the extreme heat wave earlier this August. As the climate crisis continues to impact the availability of energy resources, we need to double our investments in renewable energies to continue driving down the costs for businesses and families. Coal and gas plants should be used increasingly sparingly. B. With the oversupply of energy and utilities now considering shutting off power to customers in order to prevent catastrophic wildfires, we need to support behind-the-meter battery incentives and installations to mimic the successes of the California Solar Initiative. Not only will these backup batteries help store oversupply of energy, but they will also protect vulnerable Californians during blackouts by keeping medications from spoiling and medical equipment powered. C. I strongly support incentives for all Californians to implement more sustainable practices. I would support tax relief for businesses that implement sustainable practices.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
I believe our energy resources need to be taken out of the hands of the corporations and their shareholders who are profiting from the suffering of people in California. We see increases in our rates with an unreliable power grid, especially in the poorer communities. We should not rely on coal, gas plants, hydro- and nuclear power; we should move to 100% clean energy to stave off the climate crisis that is already upon California. Californians are paying some of the highest utility rates but receive horrible service and possible death because of corporate greed.

John Laird, Democrat:
Our entire education system is challenged right now due to the economic downturn and we will have to work hard just to protect the current education resources.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
A. Today, we have too many disparities in our education system -- and funding remains the one real way to solve them. We need to ensure that we have a robust education pipeline that exposes and prepares our students for STEM careers. For high school students, we need to fully fund career pathways and ensure students have access to paid worked based learning opportunities in the STEM field. B. To grow the number of jobs for our STEM graduates, we need to continue to encourage innovation in California by keeping our economy friendly for small businesses and startups in the technology sector. Many STEM jobs are either in the technology sector or in our public universities, so we need to expand those opportunities.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
A. I believe STEM courses should already be part of the curriculum from elementary through high school and trade courses should be started in junior high school. I took a trade course in high school to see if it were a job, I would be interested in doing once out of high school. I believe we should be preparing our young students for sustainable jobs in clean energy and health. The workforce development boards should be working with schools and clean energy businesses and hospitals to prepare students for jobs of the future. B. I believe once our legislators take the initiative to move away from fossil fuels and unsustainable resources and move towards a Green New Deal there will be an abundance of new jobs for STEM graduates and workers in general. We must push our legislators to quickly implement a Green New Deal in California and stop taking campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry.

John Laird, Democrat, District 1:
In my long public service career, I headed a local AIDS service agency at the height of that epidemic. There were countless efforts in that job to deal with adequate public education, and coordination of services between all sectors. We have to back public health in the current pa7ndemic, I would prioritize universal health coverage in the health issue sector.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
COVID-19 has devastated our communities and has exposed the fact that our healthcare system is broken. Californians deserve high quality healthcare. That means we need universal, high quality healthcare for all. We need to lower healthcare costs, force more transparency in medical billing, and find a workable path to universal coverage in California. Currently, the healthcare and pharmaceutical companies prioritize profits over the public good, which often leads to perverse incentives that harm the public (for example, development of treatments rather than cures.) That is something I will fight to chance in the State Senate.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
I would first fund public health which has been gutted and then work towards ending health disparities in California. I would also fight and carry through the senate a Medicare for All bill for all Californians. We must end the for-profit healthcare system in California and our nation. It is shameful that we are the 5 th largest economy, but our leaders refuse to implement a single payer healthcare system in California and the nation. If we had a single payer healthcare system in California right now, we would likely see less people dying of Covid-19. Our healthcare system is based on Jim Crow era policies of who gets healthcare and who does not. We must end the structural racism that plagues our state and country.

John Laird, Democrat, District 17:
This is a difficult balance. I support R &D on vital drugs, but I also support public access to affordable prescription drugs. It is more a federal issue on TV advertisements for prescription drugs.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
A. Right now, pharmaceuticals have sufficient incentive to research and develop vital drugs. In particular, patent protections mean that pharmaceuticals can strike gold if they develop a drug that helps people. Even with reasonable price and safety regulations, pharmaceuticals will continue to research and develop drugs. B. I think it’s important that the government prevent prescription drug companies from lying or misleading the public, which can become dangerous for consumers.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
I believe the role of government in regulating what is being told to consumers about prescription drugs. It should be sound information because we have already seen how misinformation can kill people especially when it is from people who have no medical background.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
A. I believe that in order to provide evidence-based care, we need to sufficiently fund our healthcare system such that people struggling with mental health disorders have case managers and social workers who are readily available and accessible. B. The government should regulate addiction treatment centers to ensure that the staff is sufficiently trained and the center is not defrauding customers. People in treatment centers are extremely vulnerable and susceptible to deceptive and fraudulent business practices and the government has a role to play in protecting them from such abuse.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
A. I very strongly advocate for social workers and public health nures to be more involved with helping people who are suffering from mental health issues/crisis and addiction, and to take some of that responsibility away from police who are ill-equipped to deal with these issues. We also need more funding for community clinics to provide mental health resources such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and wrap around services to keep people employed and housed. Is there a particular partnership that you think would be advantageous in this effort? I believe each city should have community clinics and it should be run be people who live in those communities and understand the needs of the community. B. I think they should play a strong role in stopping these treatment centers from hurting patients. As a nurse I’m required to report if a patient is being abused by a physician, nurse, healthcare worker or family and I’m required to report this to a state entity so our government should be required to do the same and stop fraud, malpractice, and negligence caused by an addiction treatment center. They should not be allowed to continue business and or/be fined depending on the circumstances.

Ann Ravel, Democrat, District 17:
Learn more about my work: https://maplight.org/digital-deception/.

Kipp Mueller, Democrat, District 21:
We need to educate people regarding how to decipher real information vs misinformation. We also need to legislate to properly protect consumer information.

Elizabeth Castillo, Democrat, District 33:
Unfortunately, we have given up a lot of our rights to privacy in the same of safety without much of a fight, and it will be difficult to take it all back unless we demand that our government stop its surveillance of our internet, cell phones, social media, license plates, google clicks, etc., I’m willing to fight to reverse this but it must be a concerted effort by a majority of the people to say enough is enough.