WELCOME

Dear Friend,

The legislative season is quickly winding down and there is still much to be done before the legislative session ends on August 31. By this time my colleagues and I will have weighed in on over 2,000 legislative proposals. Some of these bills are critically important to the well-being of our state, including my proposal, SB 1212 which will interconnect all of California with a call center offering emergency and other basic services to residents. When a person dials 2-1-1, they will be able to get answers regarding employment, human health services, emergency shelter availability and other services.

I strongly encourage you to contact your elected representative with any questions, concerns or comments you may have on any legislative matters. Your opinion makes a difference and would like to assure you that I continue to keep your views in mind when considering bills that come to a vote of the full Senate.

Thank you in advance and I look forward to continue working hard for a great California.

Sincerely,

Ben Hueso
State Senator
40^th District

CALENDAR

Legislature Reconvenes from Summer Recess

Casa Familiar Abrazo Dinner

International Youth Day

World Humanitarian Day

Senior Citizen's Day

Women's Equality Day

Last Day of Legislative Session

IN THE KNOW ...

Vice Chair of the Latino Caucus Presents Nelva Perales with the Legislative Caucus Foundation Scholarship Grant

Senator Ben Hueso presented Nelva Perales of San Diego with a $1,000 grant on behalf of The California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation CLLCF Scholarship Program. The Foundation awards $25,000 annually in scholarship funds to eligible students admitted to or currently enrolled at an accredited college or university.

During the presentation Senator Hueso, who currently serves as the CA Latino Legislative Caucus Vice-Chairman stated, "Access to a quality education can provide an incomparable foundation for a students' future. This year has been our most competitive applicant pool yet, and I congratulate the students for all that they have accomplished. I am proud that the Foundation is able to support students as they strive to achieve their goals."

In its second year of operation, the CLLCF Scholarship Program received over 250 applications from throughout California. Winners were selected from the highly competitive pool of applicants, and evaluated using the following criteria: academic performance, personal statements, extracurricular activities, leadership positions held, special awards and honors received and work history. Each winner received a $1000 scholarship for educational purposes.

The California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation is a charitable, non-profit established to promote and advocate on behalf of the Latino community in California and to educate the public about Latino culture, heritage and issues of importance to Latinos in California.

Senator Ben Hueso Attends Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of Second Pedestrian Crossing
in San Ysidro

State Senator Ben Hueso joined leaders from both sides of the border to mark the grand opening of San Ysidro Port of Entry Second Pedestrian Crossing.

During the event Senator Hueso stated, "We are breaking ground on the second pedestrian crossing in San Ysidro today. This is a monumental step which could not have materialized without the efforts of multiple agencies and grassroots organizations working together on one common goal."

The Pedestrian West Facility (PedWest) in El Chaparral-San Ysidro began processing northbound pedestrians on July 15, 2016. Travelers to the United States are now able to cross through the west side of the El Chaparral port of entry and reach the new Pedestrian West entry building and the new Virginia Avenue multimodal transit facility in San Ysidro. PedWest will eventually process southbound pedestrians and include a multimodal transit center in Tijuana as well.

Virginia Avenue Transit Center as currently conceptualized will be a new intermodal transit center that accommodates taxis, buses, jitneys, pedicab and privately owned vehicles (POVs) dropping off and picking up passengers.

Senator Hueso Attends Second Annual Beach Pier Swim and Paddle Event

Senator Hueso attended Mayor Serge Dedina's Second Annual Pier Swim and Paddle Event located in Imperial Beach, followed by the Mayor's Breakfast, a tradition before the opening day of the Sun and Sea Festival.

Over 100 swimmers and paddlers, including Senator Hueso, participated in the 1.5 mile stretch around the Imperial Beach Pier. Senator Ben Hueso recognized volunteers for their efforts in preparing the Sun and Sea Festival, which features sandcastle sculptors and a community parade.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT ...

Senator Hueso Honors Andrea Skorepa

Please join me in recognizing the many accomplishments of Andrea Skorepa at Casa Familiar in San Ysidro. Casa Familiar is a non-profit community development agency that offers social services, affordable housing, educational programming and community organizing through forums and workshops.

Ms. Skorepa is a dedicated leader and has been a strong advocate for rebuilding and empowering the community of San Ysidro for over 36 years. As a result of her tireless work and dedication, Andrea has an impressive record of career and civic achievements that has earned her the admiration and respect of those persons who have had the privilege of associating with her. She is a trailblazer and will be deeply missed when she retires this year.

Thank you for all of your hard work and for all of your contributions to our community.

Senator Hueso Congratulates Olympians from the 40th Senate District

Please join me in congratulating Desiree Davila, graduate of Hilltop High school in Chula Vista and Charles Jock from the community of City Heights, both of whom will be competing in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games this August. Ms. Davila will be representing the United States in the Marathon event and Charles will be joining the U.S track team. It is an honor to represent these hardworking athletes who live in the district. Best of luck to these incredible athletes and safe travels!

WHAT'S NEW ...

San Diego Region to be Awarded $49 Million for Border Freeway and Connectors Project

The U.S. Department of Transportation is slated to award SANDAG and Caltrans $49.28 million to complete phase 2 of State Route 11 (SR11) in Otay Mesa along with two southbound connectors linking SR 905, SR 125 and SR 11.

Senator Hueso stated, "We need to continue to push for infrastructure improvements in our ports of entry. By connecting our state freeways at the port of entry, cross border trucks have a greater opportunity to travel more conveniently and safely while providing our region with an economic boost."

This border infrastructure project is critical to facilitating the growing volume of trade between the United States and Mexico, and alleviating chronic congestion along the San Diego-Tijuana border. SR 11 will eventually connect to a new state-of-the-art border crossing, known as Otay Mesa East. The goal is to operate this port of entry (POE) with a 20-minute border wait time to reach primary inspection.

The newly completed phase 1 is already providing traffic relief in the border area. Trucks departing the existing Otay Mesa Port of Entry's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility now have direct access to the state highway system. Phase 1 also connects cross border trucking and industrial facilities on the eastern end of Otay Mesa directly to the highway system. Previously, trucks relied heavily on local roads, such as La Media Road and Airway Road, to get around.

Generating Cost Savings on Energy Efficient Upgrades

Energy efficiency upgrades can sometimes feel daunting, but tap into Energy Upgrade California's Go Green Financing to help you easily find the best financing options available for your project. The website allows California residents and businesses to browse a database of financing solutions and filter the various options down, making it easy to get in touch with a lender in your area that fits your upgrade needs.

Go Green Financing is an unbiased third-party marketplace for finding energy project-related financing solutions for both single family residential, multifamily, small business, local government, and other non-residential properties in California.

To get started, create a personalized MyEnergyUpgrade action plan to help you identify your energy goals, whether they are to save money, reduce your carbon footprint, or increase the health, comfort and safety of your property. Then you can use the Finance Decision-Making tool to help rank, prioritize and choose from the many financing options, which are available for nearly all credit scores!

Have questions? Click the "Support" button at the bottom right of your screen for real-time assistance defining your energy goals and finding the best solution for your financing needs.

Bright Idea! Try bundling multiple projects for greater efficiencies and larger savings, you may be surprised to see how much you can do! Share your bright ideas here: brightideas@energycenter.org

For more information on how Energy Upgrade California is helping residents and small businesses save money and Stay Golden, visit EnergyUpgradeCA.org.

Imperial Valley Cooling Zones

Imperial County has 30 Cool Centers for residents that need a cool place to stay during the hottest hours of the day. Please click on the link for an area near you!

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