SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, praised Gov. Gavin Newsom for having a bolder and better vision for California following his first State of the State address before a joint convention of the California branches of government.
In the Address, Newsom acknowledged the newly announced appointment of Joaquin Esquivel, fellow Coachella Valley native, as State Water Resources Control Board Chair.
In a prepared statement, Garcia said, “Without a doubt, Gov. Newsom has presented a bold vision for California, and highlighted an ambitious agenda of policy priorities that are both reflective of our values and the real, fundamental needs of residents.”
“As a representative for the border community of Imperial County, I highly commend our Governor for right out of the gate giving a strong message on immigration,” Garcia said. “It was very wise of him to redeploy our National Guard resources where they can be of actual use deterring real threats to California such as fire suppression and prevention efforts. Living along the border, we know that there is no crisis related to immigration and border crossings. The true crisis for our community lies with our poor border air and water quality as well as economic development.”
Continuing, Garcia said, “It is encouraging to hear the Governor reinforce his commitment to finding a sustainable solution to meet all of our state water needs. It is a matter of both public health and economic urgency. His voice compliments our collaborative legislative efforts to ensure safe and affordable water access for all.”
“Newsom’s appointment of Coachella Valley native, Joaquin Esquivel as Chair for the California Water Board, bodes extremely well for our district,” Garcia said. “I offer Joaquin my congratulations. His first-hand knowledge of the Salton Sea and our area’s unique water infrastructure issues will greatly benefit our strides. These relationships will be key this year as we delve deep into our state’s water policy framework.”
“Special education is an area near and dear to my heart, and I was pleased to hear the Governor call for further investments in these worthwhile programs,” Garcia said. “He additionally offered our cities and counties the support needed to help resolve their own local housing and homelessness issues.”
“Now the Legislature must come together to meet the task at hand. I look forward to working alongside Governor Newsom, his administration as well as my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. As our Governor said ‘the best is yet to come’.”
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.
