SACRAMENTO – About a week after Gov. Gavin Newsom was sworn into office, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, was on his calendar to outline his list of priorities for the 56th Assembly District.
Garcia emphasized the importance of Salton Sea mitigation, the universal right to safe and affordable drinking water as well as other issues of significance for Imperial Valley, Coachella Valley, and Blythe residents, according to his office.
“First and foremost, I took this opportunity to reinforcte a sense of urgency surrounding the fate of our Salton Sea community,” Garcia said in a prepared statement. “We have a plan, we have secured money, and now we need to focus our efforts on the timely execution of the 10-Year Salton Sea Management Plan. We cannot emphasize enough how crucial this is for human health, as well as the ecological and economic well-being of our region. We cannot afford to delay,.”
Garcia also expressed his enthusiasm for the Governor’s initial 2019-2020 California Budget proposal – particularly his inclusion of a Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund and healthy allocations for family programs and education.
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and Gov. Gavin Newsom
“Governor Newsom shares my commitment to California families and early childhood education. His initial budget established a clear sense of direction, one that is highly reflective of our state’s most pressing needs and values,” Garcia said.
“I am pleased to see the Governor come on board as a strong champion for California drinking water,” Garcia continued. “I look forward to working with him as well as Sen. (Bill) Monning to tackle our state’s deep-seated infrastructure disparities and ensure that safe, affordable drinking water is accessible to all residents.”
As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, Assemblymember Garcia plans to convene a Safe and Affordable Drinking Water joint informational hearing in early February as one of his priorities.
Garcia serves as the chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. He represents the 56th district, which comprises the cities and communities of Blythe, Brawley, Bermuda Dunes, Calexico, Calipatria, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Oasis, North Shore, Salton Sea, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Westmorland.
