Back at the end of 2023, my office launched a survey to gather your thoughts. 1,452 people responded to our survey which was conducted via mail and online. That's 1,452 out of 477,655 constituents that I have the honor of representing.

Every opinion matters. Your feedback helps me understand your top priorities. Survey respondents' top 3 concerns were public safety, homelessness, and housing affordability - issues that I'm working hard to address at the State Legislature.

That said, there are some caveats to note. The survey is certainly not a statistically representative sample, and it does come with limitations. With respect to demographics, for instance, we only know the breakdown of where people reside, without data such as age, gender, race, etc. But it can offer us some insights if we have the understanding that it is not the end all be all of the public opinion in Assembly District 24.

Here are some issues where the survey showed majority support:

• 69.5% of respondents support reducing corporate money in elections
• 64.9% of respondents support increasing gun control
• 57.5% of respondents support imposing a wealth tax on those with $50+ million net worth
• 55% of respondents support climate change mitigation
• 52.5% of respondents support increasing state investments in public transit

Here are some issues where the survey showed mixed results, with a large amount of respondents feeling "neutral":

• 44% of respondents support while 26.4% oppose increasing taxes on corporations
• 40% of respondents support while 21.4% oppose increasing protections for animal welfare
• 30% of respondents support while 25.2% oppose LGBTQ+ rights and safety
• 27.1% of respondents support while 20.5% oppose expanding Project Roomkey

Reflections

Tackling the homelessness and housing affordability crisis has been a key focus of mine since I was elected to office in 2020. Housing is a human right. Unfortunately, the crisis is only getting worse with so many being priced out of the communities they grew up in. It's why I've been working on a range of housing legislation to address the issue, from creating social housing for all to protecting homeownership opportunities and incentivizing the development of more housing.

In the face of tough budget cycles, the state must consider all revenue solutions before cutting essential programs or pausing infrastructure investments. One of those solutions is my proposed wealth tax on the ultra-rich that's supported by over half of the survey respondents.

Reducing corporate money in elections is another key issue supported by survey respondents. Big money in politics is corroding our democracy. Corporate campaign cash is buying results on the ballot and influence they can wield. We have to rebuild voters' confidence. Over the last few years, I've been working to enable public campaign financing, rooting out corporate money in politics, and protecting our elections from undue influence by foreign actors.

As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I can tell you that our rights are under attack nationally and even in this state. Marriage equality, protecting trans youth, and keeping our progress as a bastion of queer rights will continue to be a personal focus of mine.

Our state is among the leaders in the country when it comes to common sense gun safety. California has a 10-day waiting period on firearm purchases as a safety precaution, and the inventory of weapons on the market is limited compared to other states. If a gun owner becomes dangerous or abusive, law enforcement is also equipped with Red Flag Laws. I hope more states, if not DC, will learn from our policies that have made it one of the safest states in a country that has historically prioritized weapons over children's lives.

Whether it be legislation related to gun control, domestic violence or theft, I will continue to advocate and support public policy that seeks to improve public safety in California.

Your Thoughts?

Again, this dataset is a convenience sample, but I hope it sheds some insights and motivates YOU to share your thoughts in the next survey too.

What do you think of the results? Do these results align with your personal beliefs?

Your feedback helps inform my decisions and policies at the State Legislature. Feel free to reach out to my office via email at assemblymember.lee@assembly.ca.gov or my website about your thoughts on the survey. You can also call my District Office at (408) 262-2501. I hope you participate in our next survey.

Thank you to all those who completed the 2023 survey.

Sincerely,

Alex Lee
Assemblymember, 24th District