Issues
Prioritizing Our Students and Higher Education
Toni Atkins fought to restore millions in critical education funding lost during the recession and to increase access to higher education for all Californians. Toni was named Legislator of the Year by the California State Student Association and has fought to: Increase General fund spending for education to its highest level ever: $14.8 billion – including $12 million for San Diego State University and $7.4 million for San Marcos School District Strengthen and expand the Middle Class Scholarship to help more students and families afford college — over 3,000 San Diego families were offered scholarships in 2014-15 Pass the Dream Act, allowing Dreamers to receive financial aid, benefiting hundreds of San Diego area students. Ensure California’s higher education segments give …
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A Champion for Equality
Toni Atkins is our state’s first ever openly gay woman Speaker of the State Assembly. She is a champion for equality and LGBT rights and has fought to: Allow transgender Californians official records, including birth and death certificates reflect who they really are Include LGBT cultural competency in continuing medical education requirements Include “gender identity” and “gender expression” in anti-discrimination laws where only the term “gender” currently appears. Ensure transgender students have access to bathrooms in line with their gender identity Modernize California birth certificates by allowing parents to choose to self-designate as “father,” “mother” or “parent” Eliminate the “gay panic” and “trans panic” defenses Urge the FDA to change blood donation policies so they are based on modern science …
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Fighting for Women
From working in women’s health clinics early in her career in San Diego to being elected as Speaker of the Assembly, only the third woman ever to hold the position, Toni Atkins has a strong history and record of fighting for women and women’s health. Toni has fought to: Increase women’s access to reproductive health services Establish a two-year pilot program to strengthen Family Justice Centers, increasing access to services for victims of domestic violence Ensure victims of sexual violence are not required to pay spousal support for their abuser Prohibit the use of dangerous shackling for incarcerated pregnant women and girls Allow victims of domestic violence to alter a wireless telephone contract when the abuser is the accountholder and …
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Building Healthy Communities
Toni Atkins is recognized as a leader in the fight for quality, affordable healthcare. She has authored and passed laws to increase access, lower prescription drug costs and improve care for all. Toni has fought to: Increase women’s access to reproductive health services and maternity benefits Expand healthcare to 180,000 San Diegans enrolled in exchange (Region 19). 270,000 in SD County under MediCal via ACA Expand Medi-Cal for children, and eligibility of full-scope care for pregnant women living in poverty Increase funding for infant care Provide over $3 million for HIV education outreach, screenings, and increasing access to care for underserved individuals Restore 10% rate cut for Medi-Cal Dental Provider Rates Invest in and increase the income limit for AIDS …
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Standing With Our Veterans
Raised in a military family, Toni Atkins has a personal connection to our veterans and has always made the issues important to them and military families a top priority. Through Toni’s leadership, the state provided an additional $3 million in annual funding for Country Veterans Services, made the state “Strike Force” teams permenant, helping reduce the backlog of Veterans benefit claims, helped fund the California National Guard’s Work for Warriors program, helping more than 2,200 find a job. She also passed laws to ensure $600 million in unspent veterans housing bonds would be spent on affordable, transitional and supportive housing for veterans and their families. Toni has represented California’s largest military district for over a decade. Toni will work tirelessly …
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A Leading Advocate for Housing
A champion for housing since her time on the San Diego City Council, Toni Atkins served as Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Homelessness and secured hundreds of millions of dollars for multi-family, veteran, affordable and homeless housing. Toni created the CalWORKS Housing Support Program, investing over $35 million for permanent housing for homeless and at-risk CalWORKS families. She also secured $600 million for affordable rental housing for the homeless, $30 million for multifamily housing and allocated $100 million from the sates general fund for the creation of affordable housing. As our State Senator, Toni will continue to be one of the leading advocates for housing in the Legislature – fighting for the housing needs of San Diego’s families, …
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Fighting for Good-Paying Jobs and Strong Local Businesses
Our local businesses are a vital part of the fabric that makes up our communities. That’s why Toni Atkins has worked to deliver millions in resource and tax credits to help our local economies grow and thrive. Toni helped cut red tape to encourage and allow the creation of fishermen’s markets in San Diego. She also delivered $64 million to San Diego for economic development projects. When Northrop Grumman was competing for federal defense funding through the aerospace tax credit, Toni successfully helped the company qualify to create local jobs. She also worked with local businesses, hosting workshops on the state’s GoBiz tax credit program, which will create more then 6,500 jobs. As our State Senator, we can count on …
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Protecting the Environment
Toni Atkins worked to expand clean and green technology job opportunities, and is supported by the Sierra Club and CA League of Conservation Voters. Toni recognizes that by protecting our environment, fighting climate change and improving our air and water quality we build safe, healthy communities. That’s why she delivered $17 million for the conservancy of the San Diego River and classified it as a permanent conservancy. She also created a California-Mexico Border Relations Council to improve the water and air quality of the Tijuana River Valley, served on the Ocean Protection Council, required state authorities to equitably fight climate change – ensuring disadvantaged communities are not left out, worked with military leaders and environmental advocates to identify and address …