First, I’d like to wish you all a happy new year and also to thank you for awarding me the opportunity to represent you in Sacramento for another term. Currently, I’m hard at work with my Capitol office as we finalize my 2019 legislative package that contains an assortment of legislative proposals that have come to me from my constituents, issues-based advocates, and my staff. Over the next few months I will be spending my time introducing this work to you and asking for your input. Until then, I want to share the exciting news from Sacramento. At the beginning of this month, I was tapped by Speaker Anthony Rendon to serve as the chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.
Some of you may ask, “So what exactly does the Natural Resources Committee do?”
The Committee has jurisdiction over legislation moving through the Assembly that concerns air quality, climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, the California Environmental Quality Act, coastal protection, forestry, land conservation and oil spills, as well as solid waste and recycling. In other words, it covers everything that is, comes from, and affects our environment. As the chair, it will be my duty to set the agenda, when and what bills are to be heard in Committee, and to play a large role in setting the overall priorities of the committee. It will be my job and responsibility to not only consider the concerns of our district, but of all Californians. Working with my colleagues on the Committee, I will have to possess a deep and rounded understanding of the impacts legislation will have on communities throughout our state and be prepared for when the impacts and benefits on one district directly conflict with another.
As a Committee, we will undoubtedly be looking at heavy, complicated topics such as fire prevention and restoration, water management, sources of renewable energy and how we can continue pushing forward on the path to a completely carbon-free future. For each issue, we will have to carefully consider the concerns of our own communities, other districts, and keep the future of our state in mind, in order to ultimately decide on the best course of action.
It will also present a great opportunity and challenge to learn more about these topics from statewide advocates, from my colleagues and from you. I welcome you to reach out to me through my district office to share your thoughts and knowledge, to request a meeting, or to invite me to an event on any number of the subjects under the Committee’s purview.
I am deeply humbled by this appointment and I fully accept the additional responsibilities to the people of California. It is no secret that protecting our natural lands and habitats, fighting climate change and accessing safe drinking water, clean air, and a host of other environmental concerns have always been a passion of mine and are among my top priorities as a legislator. While many other issues throughout our state can be debatable, variegated and inherently divisive, taking care of the one and only planet we’ve got can bring us together. It’s a matter where you see a lot of teamwork and bipartisanship. And while it is true that we do occasionally disagree on how to get there, I believe we are all united in a common, inarguable goal – we want to live in a cleaner world.
I look forward to embracing this leadership opportunity with this unifying and solutions-driven sentiment in mind.
As always, I would love to answer any questions or to hear your thoughts, ideas, or concerns.
Please feel free to reach out to me, for any reason, through my district office by phone (818) 558-3043 or email Assemblymember.Friedman@assembly.ca.gov.