San Diego County is delivering on its promise to build a behavioral health system that meets the region’s biggest challenges — untreated addiction, mental illness, and homelessness. 

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today approved a landmark policy that discourages the use of PFAS “forever chemicals” in County purchases, making San Diego one of the first counties in the nation to systematically restrict toxic chemicals in everyday products. The vote fulfills a promise from Chair Terra Lawson-Remer’s State of the County address earlier this year.

On Wednesday morning, ICE agents arrested a father during school drop-off, within sight of children walking into Park Dale Lane Elementary. Kids saw “armed masked men” take someone’s parent away.

In response to sweeping federal budget cuts under H.R. 1, Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe today proposed modernizing the County’s outdated reserve policy to ensure San Diego can protect critical services when vulnerable residents need them most.

It’s Comic-Con weekend in San Diego. And while I’m not carrying a lightsaber or wearing a cape, we in San Diego do have something new — a bigger shield.

With deep federal cuts now beginning to take shape, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today voted to create a proactive notification system to alert residents when essential and life-saving services are at risk, helping families avoid being blindsided by benefit disruptions.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has approved a new County program to protect small businesses and workers from the rising economic and community damage caused by aggressive federal immigration raids. The Small Business Know Your Rights training program — championed by Chair Terra Lawson-Remer — will equip local employers with the information they need to follow the law, protect their employees, and avoid costly workplace shutdowns.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today elected Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer as Chair of the Board, placing the recently re-elected Supervisor at the helm during a year of growing federal chaos, authoritarian threats, and historic budget cuts from Washington. Her appointment cements San Diego’s role as a bulwark against federal chaos — standing up for families and rights at a time when national institutions are failing.

If you’ve stood in a checkout line lately, you know grocery prices are already hard to stomach.

That noise you heard on the Fourth of July wasn’t just fireworks - it was the sound of a federal hatchet hitting our local hospitals.

San Diegans are sick of sewage - literally.

Toxic air, closed beaches, kids getting pulled from soccer practice because of the smell. We all know the crisis in the Tijuana River Valley is real.

Today, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors adopted a fiscally responsible $8.62 billion budget that protects core services, supports working families, and invests in the people who make government work,  even amid mounting fiscal threats from Washington.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today approved a proposal to advance regional solutions to the Tijuana River sewage crisis and better protect South County communities from toxic exposure.

In a proactive step to safeguard essential services for San Diego County residents, the County Board of Supervisors passed a proposal at today's meeting with bipartisan support, prioritizing the region's most vulnerable residents exposed to potentially devastating impacts at the state and federal levels.

Last month, the U.S. House passed the so-called  “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” This week, we got the numbers. And they’re brutal for San Diego County:

Acting Chair of the County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and District 4 Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe introduced a new proposal today directing the County to prepare for anticipated federal cost shifts. The plan calls for proactive planning to mitigate the operational fallout of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1), recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Let’s not mince words: the Trump administration is occupying the streets of California.

From over-the-top ICE raids in San Diego to deploying the National Guard and Marines to L.A., President Trump has escalated a war of words into a real battle, with soldiers, weapons, and lives on the line.

On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to formally accept $29.8 million in new funding through California’s Proposition 1 program, unlocking two major treatment projects that will expand access to behavioral health and addiction care across the region.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted today to approve a resolution opposing sweeping federal cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), warning that the proposed changes would dismantle San Diego’s innovation economy, stall medical breakthroughs, and eliminate thousands of high-wage local jobs.

Today, San Diego County Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer joined Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre to unveil a new plan to advance and accelerate stronger County action on the ongoing sewage crisis in the Tijuana River Valley.

These militarized immigration raids are transforming our peaceful neighborhoods into war zones. We’re not going to accept San Diego being warped into a battlefield where restaurant workers are rounded up like enemy combatants as law-abiding residents take an afternoon stroll.

On Monday, San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer was joined by top researchers, academic leaders, students, and patients in urging Congress to reconsider deep cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and increase federal investments in the region’s $57 billion life sciences sector.

The County of San Diego took another major step forward in addressing the region’s housing crisis today, voting to advance two new affordable housing projects on surplus County land that will bring 224 new deed-restricted homes to San Diego’s Mid-City neighborhood and downtown Escondido.

On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to support two critical legislative proposals aimed at expanding the region’s ability to confront the ongoing Tijuana River sewage crisis — a decades-long public health and environmental emergency that has severely impacted South County communities.

Today the County of San Diego, led by acting chair Terra Lawson-Remer, authorized a new permanent supportive housing project for individuals with serious behavioral health needs — approving a $12.4 million funding commitment that will strengthen the County’s application for state Homekey+ dollars to bring the project to life.

San Diego County is making real progress in the fight against gun violence — with new data showing that ghost gun seizures dropped 39% in 2024, and both firearm-related suicides and homicides have declined across the region.

In a partisan vote, Republican members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors blocked a proposal to modernize the County’s outdated reserve policy—leaving local communities vulnerable to looming federal cuts that threaten the foundation of services that hundreds of thousands of San Diegans rely on.

Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer praised the County draft budget released by the CAO Ebony Shelton on Thursday for eliminating waste and closing an initial shortfall of $138 million through efficiency and belt-tightening. But she issued a clear warning: without reforming the County’s reserve policy, the proposed budget still leaves vulnerable families exposed to devastating service cuts — just as a Trump-led recession and federal safety net rollbacks loom.

I have promising news to share about the progress we’re making in the fight to reduce gun violence here in San Diego County! 

San Diego, CA (April 23, 2025) —  In a stunning display of denial and irresponsibility, Republicans on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today refused to acknowledge that climate change is real — voting down a proposal that would have affirmed basic scientific fact and called for bold local action in the face of growing climate threats.

San Diego, CA (April 23, 2025) — San Diego County is making major strides in tackling the housing crisis, with new data showing that 84% of its state-mandated housing goal has already been met — just four years into the eight-year cycle.

I was honored to deliver the 2025 State of the County address this week from the beautiful San Diego Natural History Museum

SAN DIEGO, CA (April 16, 2025) — In a sweeping and impassioned address delivered tonight from the heart of Balboa Park, Acting Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer unveiled a bold local agenda to defend democracy, protect essential services, and fight back against a national tide of authoritarianism, corporate capture, and federal collapse.

 San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer doesn’t want the County doing business with gun dealers who are not compliant with state and federal laws. The gun procurement policy she announced today seeks to have the county purchase firearms from companies with a clean record, inspection reports, and who implement strict security measures that prevent theft and unauthorized sales. The Board of Supervisors will vote on the policy that Supervisor Lawson-Remer modeled after the City of San Diego’s recently adopted Ira Sharp Firearm Accountability Act.

Wildfires are a year-round threat in San Diego County, but some top firefighters in the region and county leaders say corporate greed is threatening your fire safety.

More wage theft victims in San Diego County are getting the pay they’ve earned.

County, state and labor leaders delivered that message as they gathered to celebrate workers, and report advances on addressing wage theft.

The extreme federal service reductions being voted on in Congress right now aren’t some far away fight, or Washington politics as usual; if approved, they will going to directly affect you, me, and our entire region.

San Diego County leaders today warned that while the County has strategically bolstered its reserves and narrowed the gap ahead of next year’s estimated $138.5 Million annual budget shortfall with a $31 Million projected surplus at Q2’s close, the unprecedented scale and uncertainty of federal funding freezes will further destabilize the County’s ability to address our region’s challenges.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted today to enhance the County’s long-standing Unsafe Camping Ordinance—first established in 1968—by adding new fire safety measures and protections for critical infrastructure. These updates aim to reduce wildfire hazards, protect private property from fire and pollution, and improve public safety for both housed and unhoused residents.

Acting Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer today called upon the County to send a “Notification of Funding at Risk” to all federally funded program beneficiaries – many of whom may be unaware of threats to these services.

Acting Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer today called upon the County to send a “Notification of Funding at Risk” to all federally funded program beneficiaries – many of whom may be unaware of threats to these services.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer is proposing a new program to notify recipients of federal assistance about potential funding cuts. The initiative, called "Notification of Funding at Risk," aims to inform over one million San Diego County residents who rely on federal programs such as Medi-Cal, SNAP, and CalWorks if their benefits are in jeopardy.

Healthcare is too expensive and too hard to get for too many of us. It’s one of the main issues I hear when talking to folks. This is why I’m excited to share that the County is poised to make significant improvements to how we provide behavioral health, and nearly double our capacity to provide care.

Acting Chair of the County of San Diego Terra Lawson-Remer and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria are calling on the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans to reject proposed Medicaid cuts as part of the upcoming budget reconciliation process which could jeopardize state and local progress in tackling mental health, substance use, and homelessness.

Today, San Diego County leaders convened a Special Board Conference to unveil a five-year framework to expand behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment capacity, outlining a goal of adding nearly 16,000 additional treatment slots by 2030.

Today, San Diego County leaders convened a Special Board Conference to unveil a five-year framework to expand behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment capacity, outlining a goal of adding nearly 16,000 additional treatment slots by 2030.

For years, the number of people becoming homeless has outpaced those finding housing. But new data confirms that targeted, data-driven solutions like the Homeless Diversion Program can change that trajectory.

At a press conference today, Acting Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer highlighted new results proving that Diversion is keeping people housed, saving taxpayer dollars, and moving the needle on homelessness faster and more cost-effectively than traditional interventions.

For years, the number of people becoming homeless has outpaced those finding housing. But new data confirms that targeted, data-driven solutions like the Homeless Diversion Program can change that trajectory.

At a press conference today, Acting Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer highlighted new results proving that Diversion is keeping people housed, saving taxpayer dollars, and moving the needle on homelessness faster and more cost-effectively than traditional interventions.

Since launching in January 2024, Diversion has helped 597 people exit homelessness, supporting 489 households at an average cost of just $3,150 per household—or about $1,660 per person.

In 2023, a woman who had already been deported twice was about to be removed from the U.S. for a third time.

The woman, identified only as Ms. R, was being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center when a lawyer from San Diego County’s Immigrant Legal Defense Program looked over her case and discovered that she had been a U.S. citizen since 1982.

San Diego County leaders today warned that federal funding freezes and new directives from Washington are already disrupting critical local services. With billions more in potential cuts still under debate, essential programs related to healthcare, housing, disaster relief, and public safety remain uncertain.

San Diego County has sued big tech companies for what it calls the detrimental effects of social media on children and young people, joining a growing nationwide chorus of calls to restrict it.

The County of San Diego has filed a landmark lawsuit against Meta (Facebook & Instagram), Snap Inc. (Snapchat), ByteDance (TikTok), and Google (YouTube) for knowingly designing addictive platforms that harm young people’s mental health in order to maximize views and advertising profits. This lawsuit is a bold stand against the unchecked power of tech billionaires prioritizing profits over public well-being.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved Chair Terra Lawson-Remer’s proposal to work with elected leaders throughout the region to convene a Tijuana River Pollution Special Meeting in Spring 2025, in a decisive step to intensify efforts to resolve the decades-long sewage and pollution crisis that has plagued San Diego communities. The special session aims to bring together federal, state, and local agencies, alongside binational stakeholders, to assess progress, identify gaps, and strengthen collaboration.

 Taking decisive action to strengthen regional wildfire preparedness, Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Acting Vice Chair Joel Anderson convened public safety leaders to present a comprehensive plan on emergency preparedness during today’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Following the presentation, the Board voted unanimously to approve critical policies to enhance wildfire response, including the purchase of twin-engine helicopters, water tenders, and advancing innovative brush management initiatives.

 The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today received a comprehensive report detailing the potential impacts of Trump-era tariffs and trade policies on the region’s economy. Acting Chair Lawson-Remer, an economist and former senior advisor to the U.S Treasury Department raised concerns about the ripple effects on key industries and the County’s budget, calling attention to the economic risks posed by uncertain federal trade policies.

Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer today led the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to a unanimous vote approving the creation of the County’s first EmPATH Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. This crucial facility will expand access to mental health care for the South Region, addressing critical gaps in the County’s behavioral health system while providing immediate, lifesaving support to individuals in crisis.

4,000 NEW beds to treat people struggling with addiction and seeking treatment in our community?? 

This week, I joined healthcare and community partners to announce a major step forward in our fight to improve behavioral health care in San Diego County. Together, we’ve submitted 31 Proposition 1 funding applications, seeking over $580 million from the State to build more than 4,000 new behavioral health beds across the region.

Today, Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer joined regional leaders, healthcare providers, and community advocates to announce the County’s support of 31 Proposition 1 funding requests, seeking over $580 million in state funding. 

In its four years of existence, the county's Mobile Crisis Response Team program has grown exponentially and helped thousands of San Diegans, county leaders said Wednesday.

Acting Chair of the County of San Diego, Terra Lawson-Remer released the following statement: San Diego County is focused on prioritizing the safety and well-being of our entire community. 

In my role as acting Chair of the Board of Supervisors, I’m looking forward to a fresh start in working with the public to ensure everyone is treated with respect and dignity. 

I discussed that recently (more below), but first, thank you to everyone who has done so much to help L.A. fire victims. This week, I heard from the community with more ways to help. Here’s one for you to consider:

Our hearts are breaking for our friends and loved ones in L.A. Many people have asked how they can help. Options providing direct aid include the American Red Cross and the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund. Wherever you donate, make sure it's a trusted organization.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced Tuesday she will immediately pursue a federal Superfund designation for the Tijuana River Valley, bypassing her colleagues after they voted to delay any formal decision.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday voted 3-2 to adopt a new Climate Action Plan that aims to steer development toward more urban communities and away from car-dependent exurbs and areas at a high risk for wildfires.

The county Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 Tuesday in favor of a resolution supporting the California attorney general’s lawsuit against large oil companies and one advocacy group.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 and passed a proposal Tuesday aimed at exploring ways to stop corporate investors from buying up large numbers of homes in San Diego, driving up the cost of buying or renting.

 San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said she will ask her colleagues on Tuesday to sue Blackstone, a New York real estate firm she alleges has engaged in tenant harassment, price fixing and gouging.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a budget of more than $8.5 billion for the 2024-25 fiscal year -- adding $46.9 million to the spending plan that was originally recommended in May, with most of the late increase ticketed for public safety and homelessness needs.

In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to support affordable housing units on the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted 4-0 in favor of proposals intended to make quality healthcare more accessible and affordable for residents.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Monday announced a new initiative intended to make quality healthcare more accessible and affordable for county residents.

San Diego County and national firearm safety group Giffords have partnered to sue a company that manufactures devices and software allowing people to build their own firearms, with the lawsuit alleging the company is selling a banned device in California under a new name.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to allocate $3 million to local nonprofits so they can continue to provide services to arriving migrants, with hopes of consolidating such resources in the near future at a proposed migrant center.

The County of San Diego and BRIDGE Housing will join public- and private-sector partners today to celebrate the groundbreaking of Kettner Crossing. This property is the twelfth in the county to be developed by BRIDGE, a nationally recognized nonprofit developer, owner, and manager of affordable housing.

People who work in the business of building and financing housing call it the 'missing middle.'

San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson framed the issue Tuesday morning. “With the average cost of housing in excess of $900,000 ... the average median income is not great enough, cause you need a quarter of a million dollars a year to afford a house that’s that expensive," he said.

San Diego County began providing free attorneys for immigration cases earlier this month after the Board of Supervisors voted last year to fund such a program.

County of San Diego officials and community partners today announced early results and the launch of a broad, public awareness campaign for a program providing a specialized response to people experiencing a mental health, drug or alcohol-related crisis.