Hello and a happy October to the Fighting 48th. I represent the 48th Assembly District in the California State Legislature. This term marks my 10th year as a legislator in the California State Assembly. It is an honor to serve more than 498,000 residents in our district and collaborate with nine cities in the San Gabriel Valley. I am excited to share our September 2026 newsletter, giving you a monthly reflection on happenings throughout the district and Capitol!
District Updates
100th Anniversary of Route 66 Parade with Duarte
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What a wonderful day celebrating the 100th anniversary of the legendary Route 66! It was so fun to participate in the City of Duarte’s annual Route 66 Parade and Street Fest as we celebrated a century of history, community, and traditions that make Assembly District 48 so special. Thank you to the Duarte community for coming together and making the celebration memorable for everyone!
Facility Visit, Solventum: Monrovia
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It was a pleasure visiting Solventum’s facility in Monrovia, meeting its dedicated employees, and presenting a State Assembly resolution recognizing the company’s contributions to our community. It was great to tour the manufacturing floor and see firsthand how orthodontic and dental products are made- right here in Assembly District 48! Thank you to the entire Solventum team for welcoming me, sharing your work, and highlighting the jobs, innovation, and investment you bring to the San Gabriel Valley.
Fresenius Medical Care: West Covina
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Thank you to Fresenius Medical Care in West Covina for inviting me to your facility, to learn more about the new hemodiafiltration (HDF) therapy now available in our district. It was especially meaningful to speak with patients and staff and hear about their experiences firsthand. Access to innovative treatments can make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and their families, and I’m encouraged to see this advanced therapy available to patients in the community. Thank you to the Fresenius team for welcoming me and for the compassionate care you provide to patients every day.
Elwyn Residential Home: Covina
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It was a privilege to tour one of Elwyn’s residential homes in Covina, where I was able to learn about their work and mission. The dedicated staff at these residential locations provide compassionate, 24-hour care that helps adults with support needs live with dignity and independence. Visits like this are an important reminder of the value of investing in services that help individuals live safe, meaningful, and fulfilling lives in their communities.
Field of Glory: Azusa Library
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The City of Azusa hosted its annual Field of Glory event in partnership with the Azusa Library earlier last month. I was proud to see the Freedom Flag center stage on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Thank you to the Azusa Rotary for displaying the flags, your ongoing dedication to memorializing and uplifting the heroes of 9/11 and remembering those we lost.
City of West Covina Fire Department Badge Pinning Ceremony
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My team was honored to attend the City of West Covina Fire Department’s Badge Pinning Ceremony in September. Congratulations to the firefighters who were promoted and the new firefighter-paramedics who were sworn in. Their courage, dedication, and commitment make a meaningful difference in the lives of our families every day. Thank you for keeping our community safe and being there when our residents need you most. We are so proud to support and celebrate our local heroes.
Azusa Police Community Academy Program
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Congratulations to the 2026 graduates of the Azusa Police Community Academy Program! Thank you for investing in stronger relationships between residents and the police department, what a positive way to foster community building and public safety.
West Covina Unified School District: Performing Arts Center
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My team was honored to join the West Covina Unified School District for the grand opening of its new Performing Arts Center. Congratulations on this wonderful achievement. We look forward to seeing all the great things our students will create, perform and produce here.
Azusa City Library Adult Literacy Recognition Night
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In September, the Azusa City Library held its Adult Literacy Recognition Night and celebrated the incredible accomplishments of adult learners in our community. Congratulations to the graduates and newly naturalized citizens for reaching this important milestone!
Central Metro Place Ribbon Cutting
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Congratulations to Central Metro Place on its ribbon cutting in the city of Baldwin Park! These 54 one-bedroom apartments for individuals age 62 and above are an amazing addition for our seniors. Thank you to the Retirement Housing Foundation for providing affordable housing in Assembly District 48!
Capitol Updates
Raising of the Freedom Flag
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September 11, 2026, marked the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, and the Freedom Flag was flown at the California State Capitol. In 2026, California officially recognized the Freedom Flag as our state's symbol of remembrance for 9/11 through ACR 225. Seeing it raised at our Capitol brought that effort full circle and offered a sobering, yet beautiful reminder of what goodness can persist in the face of tragedy. The Freedom Flag honors the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the heroic first responders who ran toward danger, the men and women who protect our freedoms, and the unity our nation showed in the days that followed. As more Americans are born without a living memory of September 11, preserving its history and honoring those we lost becomes even more important. May this flag serve as a lasting reminder of our promise: We will never forget. A special thank you to the Freedom Flag Foundation for its partnership and dedication to this incredible cause.
Legislative Update
Additional Bills Signed by Governor
AB 2429: Childcare: mental health consultation services
AB 2429 modernizes the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) model by updating program requirements to allow more flexible, tailored approaches that better target resources and support children’s social-emotional development. AB 2429 reduces the minimum required classroom observations conducted by ECMHC consultants from two observations per program year to one observation per program year, while still allowing consultants to conduct additional observations as appropriate. The bill also removes the mandatory requirement that programs administer the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) screener for every child participating in a classroom receiving ECMHC services and instead makes use of the screener optional, enabling a more flexible and tailored application of the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultations model and enable greater proliferation of its use.
AB 1983: Continuing care retirement communities: repayable contracts
AB 1983 would allow Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) to offer an alternative “sequential order” repayment method, under which entrance fee repayments would be prioritized according to the order in which residents’ contracts are terminated. This approach provides former residents and their estates with greater certainty and transparency about their place in the repayment process, while requiring CCRCs to maintain a separate account dedicated exclusively to funding these repayments.
Resources
October is National Book Month
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National Book Month, celebrated every October in the United States, highlights the importance of reading, writing, and literature. It’s a time to reflect on how books shape our lives, encourage literacy, and strengthen communities.
During this time, I would like to reflect on one of the most meaningful pieces of legislation I have carried out, AB 1454, which will help transform the way in which reading is taught in California schools. As a teacher, an advocate of evidence-based literacy and as an English learner, I’ve seen firsthand the life-changing power of investing in our students – and the lifelong consequences faced when they do not get the instruction they deserve. AB 1454 puts California on a successful path to advancing our literacy goals and is the necessary step in righting wrongs that have led to so much inequality, and the unnecessary suffering illiteracy can cause. National Book Month, is an awesome way to celebrate the value of learning to read and the doors this fundamental skill opens.
For more information on resources in the community, please take a look at one of our local nonprofits, Monrovia reads. Monrovia reads, was recognized as one of our nonprofits of the Year honorees: https://monroviareads.org/
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Nearly half of all adults in California will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Together, we can break these cycles of abuse and stop it from happening in the first place. This month, take time to reflect on healthy relationship skills and to teach these skills to someone else so that we can support healthy relationships for ourselves and for future generations. Let's build a world where healthy relationships are the norm.
If you or someone you know is abused by their partner or their family, please reach out to your local domestic violence organization. A partnership we strongly enjoy working with is YWCA SGV, whose website is: www.ywcasgv.org.
Or you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224. For plain-language legal information, visit womenslaw.org.
For more information from California’s statewide coalition, visit: https://www.cpedv.org
Drop: A Free and Fast Way for Californians to Protect Their Privacy
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Californians now have a simple, free way to protect their personal information with the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), a new tool from CalPrivacy. Instead of tracking down hundreds of data brokers that collect and sell your data, you can visit one state website and send a single request directing all registered data brokers to delete your information and stop selling it. Using DROP can help reduce spam and scams, limit tracking and unwanted ads, and shrink your digital footprint, all while keeping your information secure. Data brokers started processing requests as of August 1, 2026. Get started today: privacy.ca.gov/drop.
While we are proud to showcase our efforts which bring needed services to our communities -- the work does not stop here! Each month, we will be sharing additional information regarding upcoming legislation, community events, and highlighting local leaders in the 48th Assembly District. Be sure to check your inbox for the next newsletter. Want real time updates? Follow our social media platforms to get timely updates and all things about the #Fighting48th. See you then!
