Happy July!
I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day weekend and are enjoying the summer! As the weather heats up, please remember to stay hydrated, protect yourself from the sun, and take a moment to learn the signs of heat-related illnesses. Stay safe and take care out there!
Upcoming Events
Care Fair - Nominate a Mental Health Hero!
As my office gears up for our flagship event, Care Fair, we want to hear from you! We're looking for individuals and local organizations that have made a meaningful impact on the mental health of our community. Whether it's a school counselor, a doctor, a nonprofit leader, or simply a neighbor who's always willing to have tough conversations, anyone can be a Mental Health Hero by helping break the stigma around talking about how we truly feel.
Please take a moment to nominate the mental health heroes in your life before the window closes. Eight honorees will be selected to be recognized at our Care Fair in Santa Cruz on September 20. We are also inviting local mental health resource providers to participate by sponsoring a booth. We can't wait to celebrate these incredible people who make our community stronger and healthier.
Viva Parks - Butcher Park
Team Pellerin will join the City of San Jose's Viva Parks activation at Butcher Park on Tuesday, July 29! Viva Parks is a series of free events focused on health and wellness resources, physical activity, and community engagement. Join us outside from 6-8 pm.
AD28 Farmers' Markets
One of my favorite aspects of summer in California is the abundance of Farmers' Markets and local produce! Head to a farmers market over the weekend and support our local farmers and agricultural workforce.
Wednesdays
- Downtown Santa Cruz | 📍 700-798 Cedar St, Santa Cruz | 🕙 1 pm - 6 pm
Tuesdays
- Felton | 📍 120 Russell Ave, Felton | 🕙 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Sundays
- Los Gatos | 📍 Main St & N. Santa Cruz Ave | 🕙 9 am - 1 pm
Saturdays
- Morgan Hill | 📍 3rd St & Depot St | 🕙 9 am - 1 pm
- Scotts Valley | 📍 5060 Scotts Valley Drive | 🕙 9 am - 1 pm
- Willow Glen | 📍 Willow Glen Elementary | 🕙 9 am - 1 pm
- Westside Santa Cruz | 📍 Mission St Ext & Western Dr | 🕙 9 am - 1 pm
Other Community Events This Month
Legislative Updates
Many of my legislative proposals are moving through the Senate, with AB 414 (return of security deposits) and AB 583 (allowing nurse practitioners to sign death certificates) on their final floor votes before heading to the Governor's desk. You can learn more about my full 2025 legislative package on my website and track each bill's progress by clicking the links attached to the bill numbers.
The Legislature begins summer recess on July 18, and I'm looking forward to spending more time out in the community before we reconvene on August 18. See you soon!
Budget
Despite tough circumstances, I'm proud of the budget agreement reached between the Legislature and the Governor. Even with limited resources and constant threats to our state by Trump, we've stayed focused on our priorities - delivering a budget that invests in what Californians need to keep leading the nation economically: family care, homelessness prevention, education, and public safety.
I want to take time to share some district specific wins and budget victories I actively played a role in this year:
- Five Branches University in Santa Cruz educates and trains practitioners in Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture. Alumni and faculty reached out to our office to express concerns over the possibility that acupuncture would no longer be a covered Medi-Cal benefit. The final budget preserves acupuncture as a Medi-Cal benefit.
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County is one of 11 distributors that is a part of the states food and diaper bank network. The diaper banks reach families in need beyond just new infants. Size 4 or larger (toddler sizes) represent over 60 percent of diapers distributed through these channels. The cost of diapers is upwards of $100 per month per child, and 57 percent of parents and caregivers reported missing an average of 4 days of school or work per month because they did not have enough diapers to drop their child off at childcare. We invest $7.4 million to support this network in the upcoming fiscal year to support the state's diaper bank network, and glad families right here in AD 28 will continue to receive support.
- Shortly after the Governor released his budget in January, my local public health officers flagged concerns about the lack of proposed funding to the MyCaVax system. This is an important public health information technology tool used to allocate, track and manage vaccine supply and distributions across the state. Annually, it supports the ordering and distribution of over 10 million vaccine dosses to more than 7,000 providers. Recognizing the need to ensure we support this critical infrastructure, I worked with the County Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC) to secure a little over $31M in the budget to support his system.
- In June I co-hosted a webinar with Assemblymember Addis and the Alzheimer's association on the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's. Related to this, in partnership with the Michael J Fox Foundation we preserved the $3M previously allocated to the California Parkinson's Disease Registry. This registry helps advance research and data collection to help us better understand and treat Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
- Our beautiful Downtown Library applied for funding from the State Library under the "Building Forward Infrastructure Grant." These grants help pay for capital projects for public library buildings that address critical maintenance needs, improve energy efficiency and sustainability, extend digital access, and expand physical access to library facilities. The library is looking to use the money it has been awarded to replace an existing facility. Although the library has been awarded the money, it has not been appropriated and there was rumor the administration may want to take all of the unappropriated money from this grant and return it to the General Fund. Happy to share that the budget protects these dollars and ensures Santa Cruz will get funding.
- Recognizing that fires ignite year round, not just seasonally, we are transitioning 3,000 seasonal fire fighters to year-round fire fighters. Good news for our district!
- At the end of May, I met with the CEO of the 418 Project, and organization that does all sorts of great work from providing low cost performance space to showcasing original performances. They brought to my attention that the May Revise proposed cutting $11.5 million from the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund. This fund is meant to support small nonprofit performing arts organizations in hiring and retaining employees by reimbursing a portion of their payroll cost. To the 418 Project, losing their grant meant cutting cut 30% of staff hours and weakening their capacity to keep the building open. Happy to report that the budget we sent to the Governor last week preserves funding to the program.
- In 2022, California created the Healthy School Food Pathway (HSFP) program. HSFP provides a unique educational opportunity and hands-on experience in scratch-cook operations to support both new and existing school food professionals in procuring, preparing and serving healthy and freshly prepared school meals. Los Gatos Elementary School District, Morgan Hill Unified School District, Santa Cruz City Schools and San Lorenzo Unified School District are Healthy School Food Pathway host sites. Recognizing the benefits of this program, I was successful in securing funding to ensure this program is able to continue to train and uplift more of our school lunch workers.
- The Victims of Crime Act Fund (VOCA) is at the center of California's response to supporting victims of crime, relied on by local governments, law enforcement, and service providers to fund resources that provide care to those facing the traumatic impacts of being a survivor of crime. The Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center reached out concerned about a loss of funding would mean for the work they do to support victims and survivors in the district. The budget appropriates $100 million to backfill the loss of federal dollars.
Past Events
4th of July
I had a wonderful 4th of July celebrating independence at Morgan Hill's 150th Freedom Fest and soaking up the festive spirit at Boulder Creek's classic block party. It was such a joy to see families lining the streets, kids waving flags, and neighbors coming together to share in the simple joys of community.
I'm deeply grateful for these opportunities to connect with folks across our district. To me, honoring this day isn't just about fireworks and parades--it's about renewing our promise to liberty and freedom for all, and committing to the ongoing work of building a nation that truly lives up to its highest ideals. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate, and for reminding me why I love serving this incredible community.
Tails & Trails with Gail
Thank you to everyone who joined me for Tails & Trails with Gail at San Vicente Redwoods! It was such a joy to connect with neighbors while exploring this stunning landscape as it continues to recover and renew after the CZU fires.
Big thanks to the Santa Cruz Land Trust for their incredible stewardship and for making sure spaces like this remain accessible for our community to enjoy. If you haven't had a chance to visit yet, San Vicente Redwoods offers a mile of dog-friendly trails plus another 8.5 miles to explore.
Taking Care of Business - Boulder Creek
Throughout the year, I have the pleasure of touring business districts across Assembly District 28. These visits, which my team and I like to call "Taking Care of Business," are a chance for me to meet with the small business owners and staff who give our communities their unique character and heart.
Last month, I had the opportunity to spend some time in Boulder Creek, visiting local shops and hearing firsthand about their hopes, challenges, and the incredible work they do every day. A big thank you to the Boulder Creek Business Association for helping make this tour possible!
July is also Independent Retailer Month, and I look forward to recognizing some of the amazing local retailers who serve as pillars of our communities. Supporting our small businesses means supporting the people, dreams, and stories that make our district such a special place to live. I can't wait for more stops in the months ahead!
Constituent Services
As your elected representative, I'm here to serve you in a variety of ways. One of the most important is helping you navigate issues with state agencies.
Whether it's the DMV, Franchise Tax Board, EDD, Disability Insurance, or another state department--we're here to help. Contact my office through my website or by calling:
📍 San Jose District Office: (408) 264-2848
📍 Santa Cruz District Office: (831) 425-1503
Please don't hesitate to reach out. My team is ready to support you however we can.
Warm regards,
Gail Pellerin
Assemblymember, District 28
