Dear Friend,

Great news! My bill to ban corporate-owned single-family homes passed the State Assembly. AB 2584 will give families a better opportunity to buy their first home. If someone's dream is to be a homeowner, then they should have a fair opportunity to achieve that goal. The bill will protect the limited stock of for-sale homes by banning large corporations that own more than 1,000 single-family homes from purchasing additional single-family properties.

With late May being a key deadline for bills to pass their house of origin, AB 2584 is one among 10 of my bills that are now in the Senate. These bills will help tackle the housing crisis, address the inequities faced by the LGBTQ+ community, ensure clean drinking water, and much more. I'm excited by what we'll continue to achieve together, and I'll keep you updated on my bills' progress!

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Month

May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, and it was a great opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our communities. It was my honor to recognize seven community leaders for their contributions alongside co-host Santa Clara Board of Education Trustee Victoria Chon.

Our honorees have dedicated themselves to making AD24 a better place, from volunteering at their local library and advocating for Asian American representation to mentoring English learners and promoting public health.

Honorees:

• Judy Tokubo, a volunteer in many roles, including as the secretary of the Newark Library League
• Camille Valerio, Senior Program Manager and Designer at LEAD Filipino
• Candice Tran, Branch Manager for Berrysa and Alviso Branch Libraries with the San Jose Public Library
• Krista Castillou, Principal at Toyon Elementary School
• Jasmin Basrai, COO at Haller's Pharmacy and Medical Supply
• Thy Hope Luong, San Jose District 4 Youth Commissioner
• Dr. Seema Sehgal, Washington Hospital Healthcare System

I also wanted to take this opportunity to share the stories of the unsung heroes that I recognized in April. Assembly District 24 is truly blessed with the contributions and dedication of our community members!

Assembly District 24's Inaugural Youth Art Contest

Thank you to the talented artists who participated in my first Youth Art Contest! I was impressed with the students' creativity in illustrating the theme "A Home for Everyone." The artwork of the winners will be featured in my Capitol Office, and I'm excited to host them at the State Capitol for their achievement!

NBC Bay Area - A closer look: Warning for children using anti-aging skincare

I authored AB 2491 to protect our youth from the unnecessary risks of using anti-aging products. The multi-billion dollar beauty industry has the responsibility to take meaningful action on this problem. As NBC Bay Area reports, I've sent a letter with 19 state legislators to the industry, calling on them to share concrete actions to prevent children from buying anti-aging products.

Jacobin - Social Housing Can Work

Both Vienna and Singapore have shown that social housing is effective in housing their residents at scale. It's past time that California, and more broadly the U.S., looked towards their housing models to solve the housing crisis. As I told Jacobin in an interview, "If the status quo persists, even at my current lifestyle and compensation, I can't afford to buy a home or live comfortably in my own district."

Social housing can bring a much needed paradigm shift for California to provide housing as a human right. I've traveled to Vienna and Singapore over the last two years to learn about their social housing policies. I'm excited to return to Vienna this summer for another social housing delegation, and I'll be sure to share my lessons learned with all of you!

The CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project reached tens of thousands of low-income Californians. Unfortunately, the program came to an end in mid-April due to the lack of funding, but I've requested $30 million in state funding to revive the EBT Pilot Project. Check out my explainer to learn more about this important program!

Energy costs have been rising for Californians, and roughly a quarter of Californians are unable to afford their energy bills. Covering the costs of wildfire mitigation work has been a key driver of increased rates, but I understand that these charges are becoming a financial burden for far too many Californians.

I co-authored AB 1999 to limit increased charges by preventing the California Public Utilities Commission from establishing an income-graduated fixed fee for the big three utilities. The bill proposed to cap fixed-rate costs at $10 a month and $5 for low-income customers in the California Alternate Rates for Energy program - an amount far lower than what has been proposed under several income-based rate plans.

While I'm extremely disappointed that AB 1999 died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, I'm committed to lowering energy costs for all Californians. The fight goes on at this time of urgent need. Over 2.4 million residents statewide are behind on their energy bills, and over the past decade, PG&E customers have seen their rates rise by almost 130%.

If you are having trouble paying your gas or electric bill, you can reach out to PG&E to see if you are eligible for their discount programs by visiting www.pge.com. You may also call (866) 743-2273, or email CAREandFERA@pge.com.

Lastly, the California Department of Community Services & Development offers the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to assist with high energy bills. Please call (866) 675-6623 for more about LIHEAP.

In Your Service,

Alex Lee
Assemblymember, 24th District