by Assemblymember Bill Monning
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As the Democratic candidate for the 17th State Senate District seat, I want to thank Jack McCurdy and the SLO Coast Journal for this opportunity to offer some information on my background and service, observations on the campaign, and my outreach in SLO County.
I am a native Californian and was raised in southern California. I attended U.C. Berkeley and USF School of Law and have worked professionally as an attorney, mediator, and professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and the Monterey College of Law. My wife, Dr. Dana Kent, is a family practice physician who has dedicated her career to the service of the migrant workforce and the working poor of Monterey County. We have two grown daughters and a granddaughter. We have lived in Monterey County for over 30 years and currently reside on the Monterey Peninsula. (Bio available at Bill Monning.org)
As a current member of the California State Assembly, I have had the honor of representing portions of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara counties since my election in 2008 and my re-election in 2010. During my tenure in the Assembly, I have been honored to have served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment (2009-10) and as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Health (2011-1012). I have also served on the following committees: Budget and Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, Judiciary, Natural Resources, Joint Legislative Audit Committee, Environment and Toxics, and the Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media.
The new Senate District 17 was established as a result of the Citizens’ Commission on Redistricting which drew new lines for all California Congressional, Senate, and Assembly districts. The new SD 17 includes all of San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz counties and portions of Monterey and Santa Clara counties. The district is larger than the State of Connecticut, over 6,000 square miles, and includes over 950,000 residents.
For over a year, I have been meeting with individuals, organizations, businesses, elected officials, and others in San Luis Obispo County. I have held meetings and attended gatherings in all of the cities in SLO County and have appreciated tours of Cal Poly and Cuesta Colleges, the California Men’s Colony, Twin Cities Community Hospital, Wild Cherry Canyon, Carrizo Plain, the Salinas River, Diablo Canyon, and a number of small, medium, and large businesses.
I have held meetings with and been hosted by various organizations including but not limited to the Sierra Club, Prado Day Center, Noor Free Clinic, Port San Luis Harbor, Surfrider, the Children’s Resource Network, Latino Outreach Council, and various Rotary Clubs and Chambers of Commerce. I have met with representatives of organized labor including the building trades, in-home support services providers, teachers, faculty, classified employee unions, law enforcement and firefighters.
In addition, I have also met with medical providers, dentists, lawyers and judges, agricultural leaders including winery owners and wine grape growers, and elected officials including mayors, council members, school board members, the Sheriff and members of the SLO County Board of Supervisors.
This partial list provides a sense of the breadth of my outreach and the multi-sectoral focus of my campaign. While we run as partisan candidates, I seek to represent all residents of SLO County and am committed to being available to all constituents should the voters give me the opportunity to represent this beautiful region of the state.
In SLO County I have discovered vital and vibrant community leaders who share a common commitment to the betterment of local communities and the county at large. In the new 17th SD, all four counties share some common characteristics: agriculture, hospitality/tourism, and education are the three largest employers in the region. We share a common ecology in terms of our marine resources, fisheries, mountain ranges, valleys, rivers, plants, and wildlife. I believe that our economic future is directly linked to our environmental stewardship and investment in education.
I am proud of my legislative record and my ability to achieve landmark legislation in many areas including economic, environmental, health, consumer, and veterans’ policy. I have worked to build bi-partisan consensus where possible and to preserve fundamental humane and humanitarian principles in all policies.
We face high stakes in the November election. In addition to key candidate races at all levels of government, California’s future will be further defined by voter turnout and voice on eleven ballot measures. I am supporting Proposition 30 to protect funding to education, higher education, public safety, CAL FIRE, and disability services. I oppose Proposition 32 as I believe it is a deceptive measure, funded by out of state corporate interests that seek to stifle the First Amendment rights of working families and members of unions in California. In light of the Citizens United decision that recognized "corporate personhood" and the right of corporations to make unlimited contributions in the political arena, it is indeed hypocritical to consider that the same free speech rights might be denied to membership organizations and working people in California.
In SLO County, I have supported voter registration and voter outreach efforts to build a strong campaign and have worked to support the re-election of Rep. Lois Capps, whose continued leadership I believe will best represent the interests of families, children, students, businesses, educators, and working people in SLO and Santa Barbara counties.
Should the voters select me to represent the beautiful 17th SD, I will work hard to provide effective constituent services and treat all stakeholders with respect and a willingness to listen.
I recognize that I am a newcomer to the political landscape in SLO County and appreciate the warm and open reception that I have received. I encourage you to check-out my website at Bill Monning.org or visit my Facebook page, Bill Monning for Senate. Thank you.
