Elected Representative Update - Assemblywoman Laurie Davies

I am honored to serve the 73rd District in the California State Assembly. Our District includes: Aliso Viejo, Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Las Flores, Mission Viejo, Rancho Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, and Trabuco Canyon.

Prior to being sworn into the Assembly in December, I served as a Councilmember and Mayor in Laguna Niguel. During my eight years on the City Council, I served as a Board Member on the Transportation Corridor Agency. Additionally, I chaired the League of Cities Committee on Transportation, Communication and Public Works. I was elected to the Orange County Transportation Agency, where I sat on the Transit Committee and also chaired the Legislation Committee. I also served on the Board of the Association of California Cities Orange County as President.

As we just marked the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time that we restore our communities with stability and prosperity. My priorities include keeping our communities safe, getting Californians back to work and getting all our kids back to school full time. I have spent my first few months in office working on providing much needed relief from the effects of COVID-19 from authoring legislation, to assisting constituents with EDD issues, to fighting to get our kids back to doing what they love such as playing sports.

During my first weeks in office, I heard the concerns from many local parents that their children were not being allowed to practice or play their sports in local high schools. This resulted in devastating impacts for our children. According to a recent study conducted by the CDC, adolescents aged 12-17 have experienced an increase of 31% in mental health visits. During the last year, children had limited contact with their teachers, friends and missed their athletic sports. In response to this, I sent a letter to the Governor and rallied my colleagues to join me. I partnered with the group “Let Them Play” and I am proud to say that as of March 5, 2021 our kids were able to return to the activities they love. Additionally, my office will be hosting a Teen Mental Health Town Hall on Tuesday, April 20 to help teens and parents learn how to reset themselves for a healthy approach back to normalcy.

With over 1.6 million Californians on unemployment, the Governor has passed the burden on to Legislators’ offices to take on the handling of individuals experiencing problems receiving their unemployment funds. While my office is working with our constituents on resolving their unemployment issues, I have introduced legislation, AB 274, to help combat and tackle the massive fraud reported at the Employment Development Department (EDD). AB 274 would ensure that prepaid debit cards distributed by EDD are equipped with chip-enabled technology. Most credit cards have this as a standard practice to prevent fraud, so I’m bringing this common-sense modification to all debit cards distributed by the EDD.

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) voted to finalize the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) numbers last month and I made it one of my first priorities to advocate for more local control so I introduced AB 617. This measure would allow a city or county to swap RHNA numbers with other localities in exchange for funds.

While we continue to deal with the COVID-19 crisis and work to get our businesses open and help them survive in an overly regulated environment, I am committed to work as your voice in Sacramento. I look forward to working with the BIA to stop the unnecessary government overreach that continues to limit our housing supply. I want to hear from you. Please contact our office at 949-240-7300 or email me at www://ad73.asmrc.org.

With gratitude, Laurie Davies California State Assemblywoman, AD 73

Laurie Davies

California State Assemblywoman, AD 73