NEWSLETTER

Dear Friend,

Happy New Year!  In this edition of my newsletter, we'll take a look back at the highlights of 2017, and preview what's on the agenda for the upcoming year.

But first, I'd like to extend my deepest gratitude to the first responders and firefighters who battled the recent wildfires in Southern California. We owe them our sincere thanks.

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy 2018,

BEN ALLEN
Senator, 26th District
   

The December wildfires that hit Southern California were a grim reminder that we must all think ahead and be prepared. We are fortunate that the fires in our immediate area did not do widespread damage, thanks to the efforts of our amazing firefighters and first responders. But we know that this type of fast-moving wildfire may become the norm rather than the rare exception, so please review these helpful tips on how to prepare to evacuate your home on short notice. 
 

I am proud to represent so many people who value civic participation and are actively engaged on the issues of our time. This year alone, my office received more than 10,000 comments from all of you about legislation and policy challenges facing the state. We appreciate your input, so keep those letters and phone calls coming! We are also here to help if you encounter a problem with state government. My office has assisted more than 600 people who've had problems with Med-Cal, the DMV, unemployment insurance and more. If you are experiencing trouble with these or other state departments, we'll be happy to look into it for you. You can reach us through our website, or send us an email.

Senate District 26 Woman of the Year Jacqueline Caster

One of the highlights of the year was the celebration of our Senate District 26 Woman of the Year. This year's honoree was Jacqueline Caster, president and founder of the Everychild Foundation. Under her leadership, this organization has served more than one million Los Angeles children suffering from disease, disability, abuse, neglect or poverty. She exemplifies the best of our community, and I was honored to celebrate her leadership, philanthropy and service.

(Top) We concluded our holiday toy drive in the lobby of the beautiful Pacific Theatres at the Grove. (Bottom) Santa Monica Firefighters at Fire Station 3 helped distribute toys we collected to local children and teens in need.

Thank you to all who participated in our Holiday Toy Drive. Through your generous donations, we collected more than 1,000 toys and distributed them to low-income children and the children of fallen or wounded military members.

I was honored and humbled to receive the "Democracy Defender" award from California Common Cause, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization that advocates for ethics, elections, campaign finance and transparency reform. I am passionate about improving the transparency of our electoral system and advancing progressive change, and to be honored for this work is very gratifying. Read more.

From left: Secretary of State Alex Padilla, California Common Cause Executive Director Kathay Feng, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez and me.

I had the opportunity to address the South Bay Aerospace Industry Alliance, which is an exciting new group created by the South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce to support local aerospace jobs and coordinate the community's efforts to support the Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB). The base has been discussed as a potential target for closure or consolidation by the federal government several times in the past 25 years. As vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Defense and Aerospace, I am actively involved in making sure the state does its part to keep LAAFB, and the jobs associated with it, in the South Bay.

I had several bills signed into law by the governor, most notably a measure (SB 50) to give the state a mechanism to block the sale or lease of federal lands in California, such as Yosemite and Redwoods National Park. I authored a historic reform of the Off-Highway Vehicle program (SB 249) that enables people to continue to enjoy this activity but added new environmental protections to prevent the degradation of nature and habitat areas that it has caused for decades. I was pleased to author SB 541 which will help local cities capture and treat the stormwater pollution that harms our coast and the marine environment, and SB 150 that puts teeth into local plans that address vehicle pollution – a major contributor to climate change.

I'll renew my efforts to end the use of non-recyclable polystyrene (Styrofoam) takeout food containers which are extremely harmful to marine life and the ocean environment. We will be seeking to extend the Film and Television Tax Credit program that is so important to our Southern California economy. I'm working with my colleagues to counteract the disastrous decision by the Federal Communications Commission to eliminate "net neutrality" that will jeopardize open access to the Internet. We've introduced legislation to enable the state to block any attempts by the federal government open up our coastline to offshore oil drilling, and I've coauthored legislation to enable Californians to continue to receive a tax deduction for their state and local taxes. Read the LA Times article.

Community Hikes

We had a great turnout for our Runyon Canyon and Griffith Park community hikes. What could be better than an informal discussion of the issues while enjoying the great outdoors?

Go Blue!

Joc Pederson promised me the Dodgers will bring us the trophy next year.

College Day Attendees and Volunteers

My office helped more than 100 young people apply for college and financial aid at our college resource fair at Fairfax High.

Walk to End Alzheimer's Disease

Walk to End Alzheimer's in Santa Monica.

Grand Opening of the WACO Theater Center

With Tina Knowles Lawson and Richard Lawson at the Grand Opening of the WACO Theater Center (Where Art Can Occur), a space that will empower artists within the diverse communities of Los Angeles and provide hands-on mentoring for underserved students.

Services for Those in Need

At the groundbreaking for the new Louis and Richard Dreyfus Center on Fairfax Ave., a facility which will expand support for Jewish Family Service's programs serving the homeless, elderly, and vulnerable community members.

Torrance Airport Tour	Beverly Hills State of the City
Touring the Torrance Airport.	With Beverly Hills Mayor, Lili Bosse, at the annual state of the city address.

Rolling Hills Estates 60th Anniversary	Center for Media and Design Grand Opening
City of Rolling Hills Estates 60th anniversary celebration.	Grand opening of the Santa Monica College Center for Media and Design campus.

Our Wedding

Last but definitely not least, I married my smart, kind, and beautiful wife Melanie in October. We are grateful for the support of family and friends as we begin this journey together.