What is summer recess? The State Legislature goes into summer recess in mid-July for a month. During this time, I've been spending more time back home learning about different organizations and the work they do, attending events, holding office hours, virtual town halls, and meetings with constituents! Learn more about a few of the organizations in our district below.
Employment Development Department (EDD) Update
As of July 11, Californians receiving unemployment benefits must show that they are seeking employment if they want to continue to receive their benefits. Some good news: EDD will implement a new policy of "conditional pay" which means that instead of waiting to pay benefits while they look into continued eligibility issues, they will be paying the claimants while they investigate these issues.
If you need assistance with EDD, you can begin by filling out this form or calling my office at (408) 262-2501.
Events
If you missed our virtual town hall on wildfire preparedness with CAL Fire, the Insurance Commissioner's Office, Red Cross, and San Jose Councilmember David Cohen, you can watch the recording here.
Conserve & Preserve: Drought Town Hall on August 18th
California is facing the toughest drought we have seen in years. Both Santa Clara County and Alameda County are facing ‘extreme' and ‘exceptional' droughts respectively and this is compounded by Anderson Dam having been drained for earthquake safety. This has led to spiking demand for water and major pushes for conservation.
Please join my office, Santa Clara Valley Water, Alameda County Water District, the CA Department of Water Resources, and the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency for a town hall about the drought and water conservation on Wednesday, August 18 at 4:00 pm. Attendees will learn tips on how to conserve water, conservation programs available to the public, and the severity of the drought.
Wednesday, August 18
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
You can join by Zoom, Phone or Facebook:
Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/081821
Phone: 1-669-900-6833 (Access Code: 968 1127 0443)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/assembly.alex.lee
If you are unable to join, the recording of the town hall will be posted shortly after the event to my website at https://a25.asmdc.org.
Nonprofit of the Year - Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN)
I'm proud to spotlight our Assembly District 25 Nonprofit of the Year: Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN). During the pandemic, they've continued organizing, providing legal services, and supporting our community members.
In the District
I recently held mobile office hours at local farmers' markets in Milpitas and Berryessa. It was wonderful to be able to meet constituents in-person and talk about issues important to you! It was also a bonus to see (and pick up) fresh produce!
Mission College and River of Life Foundation's Pantry in Santa Clara
I recently had the opportunity to tour Mission College in Santa Clara. Our community colleges offer important economic upward mobility options for people of all ages. We're lucky to have an incredible community college like Mission College in Santa Clara! In addition to traditional courses, they also offer hands-on Fire and EMT training programs. I was also able to volunteer with River of Life Foundation's Food Pantry in Santa Clara. They serve hot meals in addition to groceries three times a week. With the pandemic, their demand has surged and they are able to provide food to hundreds of families each day.
Zanker Recycling & Newby Island Facility
I was able to tour the Zanker Materials Processing Facility in San Jose. The site is built on top of the old landfill from the ‘50s and diverts over 80% of all materials from the landfill! The Newby Island Resource Recovery Park in Milpitas is a recycling facility capable of sorting thousands of tons of mixed recyclables, an onsite clean natural gas fueling station, and many other sustainable features including composting!
Calaveras Reservoir & East Bay Regional Park District
Calaveras Reservoir is located primarily in Santa Clara County with a small portion and its dam in Alameda County, which is similar to our district boundaries! It is our system's largest Bay Area reservoir when full and it provides local water storage. I also met with the East Bay Regional Park District to learn about the importance of forest management and the dangers of wildfires, which are dangerously close to urban East Bay areas.
CAL Fire & Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department
California had one of the worst fire seasons on record last year, with parts of Assembly District 25 forced to evacuate during the SCU Lightning Complex fire last year. I met with and toured the Cal Fire SCU Unit facility to learn about their efforts to combat wildfires. Separately, I also met with the Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department, a volunteer department based in Milpitas and had the chance to observe their training. They are an incredible group of volunteers dedicated to protecting 200 square miles of hillside wild lands above Milpitas and northeast San Jose.
Washington Hospital
Finally, I had the opportunity to tour Washington Hospital and Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion which is located in Fremont. Frontline workers have gone above and beyond and continue to do so every day!
These are just some of the wonderful organizations I've been able to meet with so far during recess, and I'm proud of the incredible work that they do.
Hope to see you around District 25 soon!
Alex Lee
Assemblymember, 25th District
