Quick recap
This was a Pacific Palisades Democratic Club forum for Assembly and State Senate candidates. The meeting featured candidate introductions and Q&A sessions, with Deborah Klein-Lopez being the only Assembly candidate present as her opponent Kelly Honig had an emergency and couldn’t attend. For State Senate, the candidates participating were Erika Lagria, John Erickson, Ellen Evans, and Brian Goldsmith, with Mike Newhouse joining later. The forum covered topics including wildfire recovery in the Palisades, housing shortages, AI job displacement, healthcare access, and construction methods following recent fires. Candidates discussed their experience, endorsements, and specific plans for addressing the district’s needs, particularly around rebuilding efforts and state legislative priorities.
Next steps
- Jennifer: Send questions to Deborah Klein-Lopez via email (deborah@dekleinlopez.com) for written video responses to forum questions, to be posted on the club’s website.
- Jennifer: Post video of Kelly Honig (Assembly candidate who could not attend) answering the same forum questions as Deborah, on the club’s website.
- Zennon: Introduce/pursue legislation or action to establish a climate resiliency district for the Palisades/Malibu area, including use of tax increment financing and bulk purchasing of materials for fire recovery.
- Zennon: Drop website and in-person event details in the chat for further candidate engagement.
Summary
Democratic Club Forum Planning
Jennifer and Pacific discussed the format for an upcoming Democratic Club Forum, noting that only one candidate for Assembly, Deborah Klein-Lopez, would be attending due to her opponent Kelly Honig’s emergency absence. Jennifer explained they would start Deborah’s session early to make up for the time lost and offered Kelly the opportunity to submit a video answering the same questions. Jennifer clarified that some questions would be repeated for different candidates and introduced Deborah as the sole assembly candidate present.
Deborah Klein-Lopez Forum Introduction
Deborah Klein-Lopez, Mayor Pro Tem of Agoura Hills, introduced herself at a Democratic Club forum, highlighting her local roots, experience in education, homelessness services, and climate initiatives. She discussed her background serving on the Clean Power Alliance board and working in Sacramento for state legislators. When asked about representing Pacific Palisades specifically, Deborah shared her familiarity with the area and emphasized the need for the state to provide faster and more equitable support for communities recovering from climate disasters, using the Palisades Fire as an example.
AI Workforce Development Strategy
Deborah discussed how California can address job displacement from AI by investing in workforce development and apprenticeship programs to help workers transition to new roles. She emphasized the importance of preparing the workforce for emerging AI positions across different industries. Deborah also highlighted her experience with similar challenges at Clean Power Alliance regarding the transition to a green economy. Regarding construction and fire safety, Deborah suggested that the state could play a larger role in promoting consistent, evidence-based building practices to prevent repeated mistakes in rebuilding after disasters. She noted the need for better coordination and resources at the state level to ensure safer construction practices across different jurisdictions.
Housing Development in District 42
Deborah discussed the challenges of housing development in District 42, which is predominantly mountainous, and emphasized the need for a balanced approach between state priorities and local jurisdiction control. She highlighted the lack of resources to accommodate increased density and proposed creating a collaborative framework involving multiple government layers to address housing and recovery issues. Maryam inquired about recovery districts and state legislation, to which Deborah responded that she supports exploring state-funded recovery districts and has experience with joint powers authorities to streamline processes. The discussion also touched on wildfire insurance coverage and the potential for a district office on the Westside.
Political Candidate Forum Discussion
Deborah Klein-Lopez discussed her experience in unified decision-making processes and cost-effective financing, emphasizing her decades-long leadership in relevant spaces affecting California. She committed to prioritizing rebuilding the burned office in the Palisades and ensuring a dedicated field representative for the area if elected. Following this, the meeting transitioned to introduce Eric Alegria, a candidate for the State Senate race, who highlighted his extensive experience in public service, including roles as mayor of Rancho Palisades and current school board member. Alegria discussed his plans to address wildfire prevention, healthcare access, and public safety, emphasizing collaboration with other legislators. The discussion concluded with questions about insurance coverage for high-risk fire zones and managing coyote populations, to which Alegria provided insights from his past experiences in local government.
24th Senate District Candidate Forum
The meeting featured a candidate forum for state senate candidates in the 24th Senate District, focusing on issues affecting the Palisades community following the recent wildfires. Candidates discussed solutions for housing shortages, fire resilience, insurance challenges, and healthcare access. Key topics included simplifying housing development processes, implementing evidence-based fire prevention methods, and stabilizing insurance markets. Several candidates emphasized the need for proactive leadership and locally driven coordination in the rebuilding efforts. The forum also addressed questions about endorsements, party affiliations, and specific policy proposals, with candidates sharing their plans to address ongoing challenges in the district.
Mike’s Senator Campaign Qualifications
Mike discussed his key qualifications for the senator role, emphasizing his expertise in land use, rebuilding, and climate resilience. He addressed the homelessness issue, advocating for a balance between enforcing anti-camping laws and providing services. Mike highlighted his endorsements from various groups, including law enforcement and environmental leaders, and shared his previous experience running for local offices. He defended his vote for a senior center in the Highlands and explained how his role on the LA Planning Commission would inform his approach in the state legislature. Regarding housing, Mike proposed a statewide adaptive reuse ordinance and incentives for building affordable housing in areas with existing infrastructure and transit.
Senate District 24 Candidate Debate
The meeting featured closing statements from two candidates for Senate District 24. Mike emphasized his background in environmental policy and land use planning, highlighting widespread endorsements from law enforcement, environmental groups, and local officials. Shy Roy, a cardiologist and former president of the LA County Medical Association, discussed his experience in healthcare and community leadership, including his work on climate change issues after losing his home in the Palisades Fire. When asked about Prop 19, both candidates expressed concerns about its flaws, particularly regarding the one-year timeline for grieving families and the impact on heirs. The discussion concluded with a question about healthcare rights, where Shy Roy addressed the current Medicaid cuts and their impact on access to care in the district.
Policy and Recovery Strategy Discussion
Sion discussed his approach to addressing policy challenges, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based decision-making and engaging with diverse stakeholders, including small business owners and community leaders. He addressed concerns about Prop 19, agreeing that the one-year timeline was too short and expressing willingness to work on extending it. Sion also proposed using his platform to raise awareness about the coyote population issue and leveraging local leaders to disseminate information. Regarding recovery from the fires, Sion outlined plans to stabilize insurance, promote affordable fire-safe construction, and ensure effective use of state funds for rebuilding, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in the recovery process.
State Senate Candidate Forum Discussion
Zennon Elliott Crowe, a candidate for State Senate, introduced himself at a community forum and discussed his background growing up in Pacific Palisades and his experience in advocacy and politics. He outlined his plans to address housing affordability by supporting climate resiliency districts, expanding clean energy sources, and having the state build affordable housing directly rather than just providing tax credits to non-profits. When asked about Prop 19, Zennon agreed it needed reform and suggested addressing the root causes of property tax issues in California. He also proposed creating a climate resiliency district in Pacific Palisades to help with recovery and prevent future wildfires.