Newsroom

The San Diego Board of Supervisors today approved a proposal to modernize County technology and capture up to $7 million in ongoing annual taxpayer savings. This comes as San Diego County confronts a difficult fiscal year driven by deep federal funding cuts that threaten healthcare, food, and other services for thousands of County residents.

In response to the ongoing Tijuana River sewage crisis, the San Diego Board of Supervisors today recommended funding for infrastructure repairs at the Saturn Boulevard hotspot - a known source of toxic airborne emissions - and critical public health studies.

With beaches in Imperial Beach closed for a third consecutive year, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today approved the establishment of a County Pollution Crisis Chief position to bring urgency, accountability, and coordination to the County’s response to the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved the Civil Liberties Enforcement and Accountability Rules (CLEAR) ordinance to restrict federal immigration agents from accessing non-public county spaces.

San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer this morning ordered County flags to be lowered to half-mast through the conclusion of this week’s Board of Supervisors meetings in recognition of the tragic deaths of Renée Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, resulting from recent federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis.

Today, San Diego County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre announced a l proposal advancing immediate infrastructure action at the Saturn Boulevard hotspot, alongside critical public health studies, accelerating the County’s response to the Tijuana River sewage crisis.

As national scrutiny intensifies around deaths in ICE custody and limits on federal oversight of immigration detention facilities, San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer has directed the County to conduct a public health inspection of the Otay Mesa Detention Center under California law.

The inspection will be conducted by County public health officials pursuant to California Health and Safety Code §101045, which authorizes counties to inspect detention facilities operating within their jurisdiction to ensure compliance with basic public health and sanitation standards.

At a time when electricity costs are rising across California — driven by escalating wildfire mitigation mandates, infrastructure upgrades, and climate-related risks — the San Diego Community Power Board tonight unanimously approved electric generation rate options designed to limit price increases and keep Community Power’s most affordable tier up to 10% lower than SDG&E’s generation rates.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, reappointed today as Chair of the San Diego Community Power Board, led the effort to prioritize affordability and protect residents and small businesses from even steeper utility cost hikes.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer tonight was unanimously reappointed chair of the San Diego Community Power Board and will continue leading the Board’s efforts to expand clean energy, lower power bills, improve customer service, boost transparency about energy sources and launch programs for solar/battery adoption and energy efficiency. 

Community members will once again gather Thursday morning outside the federal building in downtown San Diego as part of an ongoing, peaceful weekly action calling for due process, transparency, and accountability amid growing concern that the federal government is operating without adequate oversight or respect for constitutional limits.

As federal funding becomes less reliable and costs continue to rise, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today approved a targeted pilot aimed at reducing avoidable maintenance and construction expenses.

The action, introduced by Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, is part of the County’s broader effort to closely examine operations and identify savings where possible before making difficult budget decisions.

The San Diego Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved California Special Assistant Attorney General Damon Brown as the new County Counsel, who comes to San Diego with two decades of experience, including public safety, civil rights, consumer protection, immigration, education, and voting rights. 

At its first meeting of 2026, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today unanimously voted to reappoint Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer as Chair of the five-member Board, signaling a commitment to stability and continuity as the County faces a challenging budget year driven by major federal funding cuts.

Ahead of a weekend expected to include demonstrations nationwide following the killing of a U.S. citizen and mother in Minneapolis, San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer urged San Diegans to raise their voice in protest peacefully, safely, and with care for one another.

After a national joint search, California Special Assistant Attorney General Damon Brown has been selected to lead the County Counsel’s office pending a vote by the Board of Supervisors on January 13.

With one in four SDG&E customers already behind on paying energy bills, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today passed Chair Terra Lawson-Remer’s proposal that will help solar developers expand small scale affordable, clean power to customers in disadvantaged communities to lower their electricity bills. 

In San Diego County where its pristine coastline is essential to its identity, the Board of Supervisors today went on the record to strongly oppose the Trump administration's reckless proposal to expand offshore oil and gas drilling for 2026-2031, that will be costly, destructive and puts beaches at risk of another devasting oil spill that makes people sick and drives a stake through San Diego’s tourism economy. 

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today received its First Quarter Operational Plan Status Report, which outlines early fiscal trends for the year and identifies areas where departments must adjust spending or financial plans. Despite continued budget uncertainty at the federal level, most County business groups are pacing within budget and are on track to finish the fiscal year in good financial standing.

To ensure that seniors and people with disabilities can continue receiving consistent, high-quality care at home, today the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a new labor agreement that strengthens recruitment and retention for the region’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) caregivers.

The County Board of Supervisors approved a major expansion of its Emergency Medical Services Corps program today, strengthening the region’s pipeline of future Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), paramedics, and first responders — industries that are short-staffed and expected to face increased demand in coming years.  

Residents in the city of Encinitas tonight stood their ground at a robust ‘Peoples Hearing’ vowing to fight the Trump Administration over plans to renew offshore oil drilling on the San Diego coast.  They have no intention of backing down. 

San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, who represents almost the entire coast of San Diego County, joined their protest at the Encinitas Community Center. 

The following statement was released by San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer on President Trump’s plan to open California’s coast to new oil drilling.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today took a major step to legally block the Trump Administration from cutting off Medicaid funding for hundreds of thousands of San Diegans trying to get critical health care services like cancer screenings provided by Planned Parenthood and other local clinics. 

With federal cuts from the Trump Administration threatening food assistance, housing support, and healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of San Diegans, the Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved Chair Lawson-Remer’s plan to launch a first-of-its-kind partnership between the County and San Diego Foundation to protect essential services.

The grand opening of the Kettner Crossing affordable homes for Seniors is a clear sign that San Diego County is following through on its promise to put government land to work for the public good. 

California has begun issuing full November CalFresh benefits for 5.5 million residents statewide — including nearly 400,000 San Diegans — after a federal court ordered the Trump Administration to release funds it unlawfully froze during the government shutdown.

County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe  joined members of San Diego’s Congressional Delegation and leaders from Feeding San Diego and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank today to deliver an urgent message:

In what will be a major breakthrough for mental-health and addiction treatment and a model for other California counties, San Diego County is gearing up to build a new, integrated Behavioral Health Wellness Campus in the Midway District. The state-of-the-art facility will offer medical treatment and support services in one location — serving everyone from an unhoused veteran in crisis to an adult working to overcome addiction. The whole-person care campus in one location will be a model for other counties in California.  

Halloween is around the corner, but one “costume” has been generating real fear for months — and posing a real threat. Across the country, people posing as federal immigration officers are showing up at homes, flashing fake badges, and threatening residents for profit.

San Diego is on the verge of becoming a national model for civil rights protections as the County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a landmark ordinance designed to protect civil liberties by drawing firm legal boundaries against discriminatory and warrantless federal activity.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today finalized a reserve reform ordinance with a second and final vote, expanding the County’s recognized emergency reserves from $692 million to $1.327 billion. The action aligns County policy with national best practices and strengthens San Diego’s ability to protect vital services as federal cuts threaten healthcare, food assistance, and housing programs.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 today to expand the County’s Immigrant Legal Defense Program (ILDP), ensuring that unaccompanied immigrant children will not be forced to face deportation court alone after the Trump administration eliminates federal legal aid.

Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer announced a bold proposal today to expand San Diego County’s Immigrant Legal Defense Program (ILDP) and protect unaccompanied immigrant children from facing immigration court without a lawyer.

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.

I’ve heard from residents with safety and noise concerns about new American Airlines service out of Palomar Airport, and raised these issues with County staff at Wednesday’s hearing.  I’ve also heard from residents who are excited for the opportunity to skip the long drive to San Diego International and instead take a more convenient flight out of Carlsbad.

Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer released the following statement today in response to a letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notifying San Diego regional leaders that it will not further assess the Tijuana River Valley for use of its “Superfund” tool, which is used by the EPA to clean up hazardous waste in communities across the nation. 

As Vice Chair, I will continue to preside as Chair of the County Board of Supervisors. Just as I have done in previous instances when the Chair was absent, I will fulfill the obligations of this role as described in the County Charter. 

Terra Lawson-Remer was sworn in to her second term as County Supervisor this morning. The Vice Chair of the Board cast an eye to the future as she laid out an agenda to improve quality of life in the region.

Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer released the following statement

Over the last few years, I’ve worked with the community, my colleagues on the Board, and the San Diego County Sheriff to add more mental health services and staffing to reduce jail deaths.

With the holidays here, the last thing we want to think about is working. But not only is work not going away, the nature of our jobs could be undergoing fundamental changes — with or without our input. 

Sending a quick note this week to wish you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving!

As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, we have some news to be thankful for. We also have some turkeys we’re dealing with.

Let’s start with the turkeys, shall we?

After Tuesday’s historic election where Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer earned the honor to once again represent San Diego County, she was back in the office Wednesday taking calls and beginning to put in the early work on strategies to protect San Diegans from the expected extremism of a second Donald Trump term as President of the United States.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is reviewing a petition sent by San Diego County residents and elected officials asking the federal government to evaluate whether the polluted Tijuana River Valley may be eligible for Superfund designation.

Terra Lawson-Remer is on a mission to investigate the Tijuana River Valley as a potential Superfund site.

What are 500 of your fellow San Diego County residents demanding? What policy did we pass this week after a deadlocked vote? And what product is being unsafely mislabeled in our community? Unlike many of life’s questions, these have answers – and they’re all right here. 

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, joined by county residents and regional leaders on Coronado Beach Thursday morning announced they submitted their request for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate the Tijuana River Valley for possible Superfund designation.

Earlier this month, the Board of Supervisors chose to delay submitting a petition with a 3-2 vote, but Supervisor Lawson-Remer didn’t want to delay so she mobilized regional leaders and 500 residents to sign the request that was mailed Thursday morning to the EPA Region 9 Administrator Martha Guzman.   

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously to pursue legal action against corporations the plaintiffs claim are responsible for the Tijuana River Valley sewage pollution crisis. Supervisors voted on the measure, proposed by Terra Lawson-Remer and Nora Vargas, after hearing a staff presentation on county efforts to help residents affected by pollution.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and the Democrat majority of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today passed a policy 3-1 for County staff to draft an ordinance that ensures any gun dealer that seeks a contract with the County complies with all state and federal laws, along with several other parameters that will be spelled out in the ordinance. 

The policy passed today was originally brought to the Board of Supervisors on October 8 for consideration, but it stalled due to a 2-2 vote. Supervisor Lawson-Remer decided to reintroduce it because all five members of the Board were present on Tuesday.  

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today supported a policy co-docketed by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas to pursue litigation involving the Tijuana River Valley. It passed by a vote of 5-0. 

The passage of this policy means that the County’s legal counsel every 90 days must present the Board of Supervisors updates and available opportunities to pursue lawsuits against any potentially responsible parties for damages caused to the Tijuana River Valley, Estuary and Marine Preserve, and the surrounding neighborhoods. According to the policy, options should include, but are not limited to the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.      

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who represents coastal communities from Carlsbad to Coronado, wants the county to flex its legal muscles to remedy the Tijuana sewage crisis. On Tuesday, she will ask her colleagues to explore whether the county should sue or join lawsuits against “any potential responsible parties” for “damages caused to the Tijuana River Valley, Estuary and Marine Preserve, and the surrounding communities,” according to the supervisor’s agendized proposal.

No matter the obstacles, I’m not stopping our work to make our region an even better place to live. Check out a new project to help local veterans and unhoused individuals, and also let me know if you will you sign our petition below?

Construction is underway at a former hotel in San Diego’s Midway District which will be turned into an affordable housing development for people who were formerly unhoused. According to a release Thursday from the office of San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, the county has pledged up to $42 million in capital loans to the city of San Diego and the San Diego Housing Commission for this project, along with others.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) officials today toured the construction of Pacific Village, a former hotel in Midway that the City of San Diego and County is turning into a 62-unit affordable housing development with supportive services for formerly unhoused people.

The County of San Diego successfully pursued litigation against opioid manufacturers, winning more than $100 million, and is on track with a lawsuit against a ghost gun company that violated State laws. Now Supervisor Terra-Lawson-Remer wants the County to get involved legally in holding corporations responsible for the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis accountable, and on October 22 a policy to do it will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors.   

Litigation is a powerful tool in the fight for environmental justice, empowering communities to hold corporations accountable for damages while securing firm commitments to halt ongoing pollution and prevent future harm. A prime example is Anderson v. PG&E in Hinkley, CA, famously portrayed in Erin Brockovich. The case not only secured a $333 million settlement for residents harmed by toxic groundwater contamination, but also compelled PG&E to accelerate investments in environmental cleanup and remediation to stop further damage and prevent future contamination.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is recruiting San Diego County residents who have been impacted by the Tijuana River crisis to sign on to her petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to request testing to determine if Superfund designation is warranted for the Tijuana River Valley. 

Since last Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting when a majority of the Supervisors decided to delay the request, the Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors has been mobilizing support for the petition. Residents who live across the region are encouraged to sign the petition and share their story about how they have been impacted, which will then be submitted to the EPA along with the formal request on September 24. To join the petition residents can visit the website:  www.SupervisorTerraLawsonRemer.com.

All angles, all hands on deck: that’s my approach to the homelessness crisis, and we’re seeing results. 

• We are moving people from homeless encampments to safe housing and protecting our communities and environment. 

• We are increasing our capacity to provide critically needed mental health and drug/alcohol addiction help people on the streets get off them.

One of two properties in the Ocean Beach-Point Loma area that are undergoing conversions to provide housing and supportive services to homeless people is about to open, with the other on track to debut early next year.

A 2024 count tallied 10,605 people countywide without a steady roof over their heads, a slight increase from 2023, and more than 6,100 people who were unsheltered, an 18 percent rise. Altogether, the two properties will add 75 new permanent housing units.

Progress is being made to move individuals experiencing homelessness from both the San Diego Riverbed and the Sweetwater Riverbed.  To date, 179 people have been moved from the two riverbeds into permanent or temporary housing, and 1 person has been reunified with their family. On average about 20 people per month since January have been moved from riverbeds.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today advanced a new behavioral health project to build 49 new bed recuperative care beds in the region, including 16 beds at a new unit at the former Volunteers of America location in National City. An estimated 1,000 San Diegans annually will be able to recover in these beds temporarily while receiving mental health or addiction treatment.

Today’s action is a follow up to Supervisor Lawson-Remer's successful proposal in January to earmark $8 million in America Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds to expand critically needed recuperative care beds in the region. This will be combined with $12.4 million in grant funds secured from the state. The primary customer is people who are already experiencing homelessness, or at risk of becoming homeless.

 Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer today declined to vote in favor of the County of San Diego putting its “ceremonial support” behind Proposition 36. A County of San Diego staff analysis concluded that at least $14 million in State funding for mental health, addiction treatment, and homelessness programs would be lost if Proposition 36 passes in November.  In addition, Prop 36 would result in a minimum of approximately $58 million annually in additional criminal justice system costs, which would need to be reallocated away from other County investments in affordable housing, homelessness services, and mental health and addiction treatment programs.

Supervisor Lawson-Remer, who has been instrumental in the County’s historical increases in behavioral health and homelessness services, could not support Proposition 36 due to these significant negative fiscal impacts on essential County service programs.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer will pursue Superfund designation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) without delay by submitting a petition with regional colleagues. Supervisor Lawson-Remer, in partnership with Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, National City City Councilmember Marcus Bush and Mayor Ron Morrison, and others, including the Chair of the Air Pollution Control District Jack Shu, will join Supervisor Lawson-Remer in petitioning the EPA to assess the Tijuana River Valley for potential Superfund designation.

 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

Two problems decades in the making, and two big updates on those issues in today’s email. And please join me in supporting Domestic Violence Awareness this October.

The best time to help someone from becoming homeless is before it happens. This is why I’m so excited that a partnership I’ve spearheaded between the County and philanthropic community to prevent people from losing their home is showing encouraging results. 

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.

Jennings is one of hundreds of people who’ve so far received help through a recently expanded program for residents about to be evicted or who recently ended up on the streets. The approach, known as diversion, generally offers a single payment that can cover anything from an apartment deposit to car repairs, and proponents believe it can serve as a cheaper method for reducing homelessness.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s effort last year to increase funding for the Regional Task Force on Homelessness` (RTFH) Diversion practice is paying off. In just seven months, from January to July 2024, 244 San Diegans were kept from becoming chronically homeless. .

“Homelessness diversion is yielding great results at nominal cost,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “These efforts are crucial in keeping our community members housed and preventing the spiral into chronic homelessness. I am proud of the work we’ve done and remain committed to supporting these vital programs. 

Homes for the homeless, beds for the sick, and fighting for better care for our kids. 

From adding more than 200 new homes for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to significantly increasing our capacity to care for those in need of inpatient psychiatric care, to increasing mental health and substance disorder access for the region’s young people, we took some big votes this week. Check it out:

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has asked cities in her north coastal district to pledge funding to help purchase more air purifiers for residents in South Bay coastal communities affected by the Tijuana Sewage Crisis. For every dollar a city pledges, Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s Office will match it using County of San Diego grant funds.

In the letter sent this week to four cities – Encinitas, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Supervisor Lawson-Remer, who is also Vice Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, wrote in part:

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors moved ahead with the implementation of the Sustainable, Equitable, and Local Food Sourcing Policy, a plan led by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in December. The Board voted Tuesday to receive an update on the policy’s progress so far, while identifying next steps. The landmark policy promotes investment in local food sources by requiring the County to follow six core values in food procurement: local sourcing, equity-informed sourcing, elevated labor standards, organic or regenerative certification, low-carbon intensity, and nutritional co-benefit.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a policy proposed by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to maximize services, infrastructure investments, and staffing for children, youth and transition aged youth (0-25). “This is another vital step in our continued commitment to deliver the best behavioral health services possible in San Diego County,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer. “We are sharpening our focus on kids as a way to move further upstream in our service delivery. This will yield better results, and ensure more San Diegans have the best quality of life possible.”  

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a series of actions on Tuesday to take a critical step forward in enhancing behavioral health services for the region’s residents. These key actions will further the development of a new psychiatric inpatient facility and crisis stabilization unit at the UC San Diego Health East Campus Medical Center (formerly Alvarado Hospital). The facility will add 30 new inpatient psychiatric beds, serving adults with severe mental health crises who require 24-hour observation and intensive treatment, along with short-term crisis stabilization services. The partnership, led by Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, is designed to address the growing need for behavioral health services in the region, specifically for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced significant progress in addressing the region’s homelessness and behavioral health needs through the development of three new permanent supportive housing projects funded under the State of California’s Project Homekey. The County of San Diego partnered with the City of San Diego and the San Diego Housing Commission to apply for money for four projects in the third round of Project Homekey funding, three of which have now received $55 million instate dollars. The County of San Diego also pledged up to $32 million in capital loans to the San Diego Housing Commission for these projects and has committed to providing behavioral health services for the project’s residents.

As hectic and challenging as our lives are, it’s important to remember that being a kid is no walk in the park either. As a parent and County Supervisor, I know how important it is to ensure our kids have the mental health and addiction treatment resources they need to thrive.

Yesterday Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer convened a meeting with the involved agencies and researchers to discuss how to best collaborate and share information amongst the different groups and agencies working to address the odors and health effects of sewage from the Tijuana River Valley.  The region is experiencing a public health crisis and Supervisor Lawson-Remer is committed to responding with urgency to protect public health.

No one would expect to come away scared after attending a library convention.Yet the prevailing theme at this year’s American Library Association conference, held in San Diego June 27 to July 2, was book challenges and bans, and the takeaway was indeed frightening. Librarians and library staff are facing not only challenges to books but also menacing harassment and threats to their personal safety.

As part of the County’s new policy to promote National Banned Book Week (September 22-28) at all 33 County of San Diego Libraries, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is hosting a special event at the Encinitas Library on Monday, September 23, 2024 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. During the event, attendees can participate in a special reading of a “banned book,” meet the author and receive a copy of their book, and peruse the library’s new “banned book” display.

Standing with behavioral health providers and parents at a Rady Children’s Hospital location that provides mental health services, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced a policy to leverage an existing county tool (Optimal Care Pathways) that’s used for adult behavioral health services, to maximize services, infrastructure investments, and staffing for children, youth and transition-aged youth (0-25).

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.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer presented and passed a motion to better protect residents and neighborhoods from any possible risks associated with battery storage facilities during the San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday. Buffer Zones will be mandatory between Battery Storage Facilities & residential neighborhoods.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed a resolution in support of California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s “People of California v. Exxon Mobil Corporation, et al” lawsuit. The resolution passed with a 3-1 vote, with only Republican Supervisor Joel Anderson voting against it. 

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.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer wants the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to join California Attorney General Rob Bonta in standing up to the oil companies and trade associations for deceiving people about the industry’s impact on the climate crisis. Supervisor Lawson-Remer has introduced a policy and resolution backing Attorney General Bonta’s “People of California v. Exxon Mobil Corporation, et al” lawsuit. 

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday to join a growing trend nationwide to restrict youth access to social media platforms. After failing in a split vote last month, with Chair Nora Vargas absent, the board once again took on the matter Tuesday. This time, the proposal to explore suing social media companies over their platforms' effects on young people's well-being passed on a 3-2 vote along party lines.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today backed Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s policy for the County to step-up its support of schools districts by making its mental health experts and other resources available to the County Office of Education as policies are developed to limit cell phone access in the classroom.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today in a 3-2 vote passed Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s policy to have all 33 County libraries carry nationally recognized “challenged and banned” books; put them on display at every library during Banned Book Week in September; and support California Assembly Bill 1825 to prevent public library in the state that gets state funding from banning or restricting materials based on their topics or the views, ideas, or opinions expressed in them.  

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 today to examine the fiscal impacts that Proposition 36 would have, if passed, on key mental health and addiction treatment services, including those for K-12 students, in San Diego County.

It is important to do everything we can to protect the social-emotional health and well-being of children,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, a parent and Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “I am extremely concerned that social media companies are deliberately creating algorithms that negatively impact the mental health of teens and youth, in order to maximize their profits. I am proud that today our County took action to hold opportunistic social media companies accountable and push them to change the way they do business.”

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced today two actions her office is taking to help school administrators and parents keep students focused on their studies, and protect their mental health. The first: a policy for County of San Diego mental health experts to help school districts develop plans to curb cell phone usage in schools.

“Stealing is wrong. These policies will crack-down on organized retail theft rings, protect our local businesses, and ensure consumer safety. They will prevent crime rings from selling stolen goods online and protect the small businesses owners I represent,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “On behalf of my constituents, many thanks to Governor Gavin Newsom and the Legislators for being tough on crime.”

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer today outlined her policy for the County of San Diego to protect the rights of residents to read books that have been “challenged and banned” in other states, and ensure they are accessible at all 33 County of San Diego libraries, from Solana Beach and Encinitas to El Cajon, Alpine and Bonita.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and County of San Diego Behavioral Health Experts today celebrated the tremendous progress their Mobile Crisis Response Teams (MCRT) have made in delivering mental health care to residents. Of the 7,800 unique individuals served by MCRT, 12% are youth under age 18; 16% are over age 60; 72% live independently; and 18% are homeless or unhoused.

We must continue taking swift and aggressive action on the crises of mental illness, addiction, and homelessness on our streets. I stood firmly with the Governor against delaying the implementation of Senate Bill 43 last December when this came to the Board for a vote, and I was the lone vote against canceling the 150-cabin project in Spring Valley that lost us $10M in state funding.

Don’t let its appearance fool you. While it looks like one of those easy-bake oven toys, it's designed to create deadly weapons. One of these devices can turn simple slabs of metal into homemade components for deadly semiautomatic firearms, including AR-15s and AK-47s...

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who supports clearing homeless encampments and moving people into shelters where they can receive treatment and help, reiterated her commitment to support the City of San Diego’s efforts to expand homelessness shelters with the help of County behavioral health services.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the San Diego County Board of Supervisor today approved a 45 year lease agreement between the County and City for the now dilapidated Mira Mesa Epicentre. The agreement, championed by Supervisor Lawson-Remer, means the County will begin renovating and eventually operate the recreation center for youth and families.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer while presiding as Chair over the San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting enacted stricter rules in accordance with the Board’s adopted Rules of Procedure, which resulted in the meeting running smoothly. The actions were taken as a precaution in light of the recent political violence that took place in Pennsylvania over the weekend.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today authorized its Behavioral Health Services experts to pursue some of the $6.38 billion in funding the State of California is making available.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s policy to empower its Chief Administrative Office and County Counsel to explore opportunities to file lawsuits against social media companies was blocked by the Republicans on the Board of Supervisors.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe secured the support and acknowledgement of colleagues on the progress made toward increasing Medi-Cal Reimbursement Rates to Improve Healthcare.

Today the County Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s plan to crack down on Wall Street investors manipulating the local housing market and increasing the cost of living. “We need to safeguard housing for renters, first-time homebuyers and working families,” said Supersvior Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors.

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.

The county supervisor said she will introduce a plan to sue real estate investor Blackstone, alleging tenant harassment, price fixing and gouging. The company says it's made massive improvements.

 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.

A troubling trend has emerged in the housing market over the last few years. Large corporations and Wall Street investors are increasingly buying up our scarce supply of homes — driving up prices for their own profit and making the housing affordability crisis worse. 

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer today announced she and her team will be attending several events in July, including local summer concerts starting Friday, San Diego Pride Parade, and other key community events across the greater San Diego region.

Mental health experts warn habitual social media use is nearing addiction levels and contributing to the youth mental health crisis. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, a parent, wants the County to join a growing national push to hold social media platforms accountable by initiating or joining existing litigation to protect youth mental health.

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Monday announced she will bring a proposal to the Board of Supervisors aimed at protecting young people from being victims of the “addictive algorithms” of social media.

Mira Mesa’s abandoned Epicentre building is on the cusp of new management as city leaders have OK’d a real estate deal that will allow the county to remodel and reopen the long-shuttered property fronting Mira Mesa Boulevard. The action tees up the lease’s consideration by the County Board of Supervisors on July 17.

For decades, people have dutifully paid their insurance premiums, trusting that when disaster strikes, their insurance companies would stand by them. However, recent decisions by major insurers to abandon homeowners, renters and businesses across California, including in San Diego County, have shattered this trust.

New budget, new steps to fight pollution, and a new… report card? Read on to see the big things that happened this week! This week my colleagues and I approved a $8.5 billion County budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. 

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Monday detailed a policy intended to get the county Health and Human Services Agency to examine health impacts of the Tijuana River sewage crisis on South Bay residents. Along with leaders from Imperial Beach and Coronado, Lawson-Remer explained how she wants to see increased data collection beyond those coming into direct contact with polluted ocean water. 

San Diego County government leaders came together Tuesday night to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with an event that included special lighting on the County Administration Center building downtown. Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer, Nora Vargas and Monica Montgomery Steppe joined members of the county LGBTQIA Employee Resource Group at Shine Bright with Pride.

The county launched the rental subsidy pilot program, meant to help older adults stay in their homes and connect to other services, in early 2023. It’s now accepting applications for 160 more households. Participants must be at least 55 years old, pay more than half of their income on housing costs and have a household income at or below 50% of the area median income.

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.

San Diego County officially launched Pride Month today with the "Shine Bright With Pride" event, hosted by Chairwoman Nora Vargas, Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, and the San Diego County LGBTQIA Employee Resource Group. The event was a vibrant display of community solidarity and recognition of LGBTQIA+ contributions.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer secured the support of her colleagues in passing a policy today to have the County help address possible airborne contamination from the Tijuana Sewage Crisis by expanding data collection, examining health impacts on residents beyond direct water exposure, developing stronger decontamination protocols for sewage-contaminated floodwaters.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today passed its $8.5 billion fiscal year 2024-2025 budget. After today’s vote, the Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors issued the following statement: “This budget reflects the new, proactive direction our County has been heading for the last three and a half years, since I was elected” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer, Vice-Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “When you look beyond the dollar figures you see a budget that prioritizes the environment, that addresses homelessness, and expands opportunities for mental health and addiction treatment.

A more robust system of tracking and assessing the public health impact of the Tijuana Sewage Crisis may be in the works. A proposal designed to substantiate the impact of the pollution may open new avenues for relief – and funding, said County of San Diego Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who will bring it to the board at its June 26 meeting.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer voted against rescinding the plan passed in March to set-up 150 cabins in Spring Valley to address homelessness in that area. After casting the lone “no vote” today, the Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors released the following statement: “Scrapping plans to build tiny cabins was the wrong decision,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer. “There is no alternative plan and no guarantee the State will give us the $10 million. This feels like a big loss in the fight against homelessness."

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer says it’s time to figure out how many residents are being impacted by bacteria in the air. She wants to study the number of people who are getting sick by ZIP code. Lawson-Remer believes it’s not just residents who live near or along the Tijuana River Valley where most of the untreated sewage enters the U.S. before flowing out into the ocean.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Monday detailed a policy intended to get the county Health and Human Services Agency to examine health impacts of the Tijuana River sewage crisis on South Bay residents. Along with leaders from Imperial Beach and Coronado, Lawson-Remer explained how she wants to see increased data collection beyond those coming into direct contact with polluted ocean water.

Joined by leaders from the cities of Imperial Beach and Coronado, County of San Diego Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer today outlined her policy to get the County Health and Human Services Agency more involved in examining health impacts on residents beyond direct water exposure. The Supervisor’s policy would expand data collection and develop stronger decontamination protocols for sewage-contaminated floodwaters.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Monday detailed a policy intended to get the county Health and Human Services Agency to examine health impacts of the Tijuana River sewage crisis on South Bay residents. Along with leaders from Imperial Beach and Coronado, Lawson-Remer explained how she wants to see increased data collection beyond those coming into direct contact with polluted ocean water. 

The yellow warning signs about sewage flowing from Tijuana, Mexico and into the Pacific Ocean have peppered the shorelines of Imperial Beach for more than two years. Mayor Paloma Aguirre, who said she has been coughing for over a month due to the pollution, joined San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer on Monday to announce the latest plan to combat the health crisis.

We know it’s bad, but how bad is it? This is the conundrum we’ve been dealing with recently as it relates to the environmental catastrophe from the Tijuana River Valley. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. This is especially true when it comes to the pollution from the other side of the border that is fouling our oceans, coastlines, and communities. 

Nearly 100 residents from Pacific Beach and Mission Beach flocked to Bar Ella last evening, as San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the Pacific Beach Town Council hosted a one-of-a-kind event. The "Ultimate Appetizer Showdown" offered residents a relaxed setting to connect with Supervisor, sample culinary delights, and learn about investments in stormwater infrastructure upgrades to safeguard local beaches and bays from pollution. 

San Diego County may soon expand its efforts to investigate potential public health risks from the cross-border sewage crisis. The Board of Supervisors next week is expected to consider a policy that would lead to developing various strategies to better understand how air-borne contamination near where Tijuana sewage reaches South County may be making people sick.

On June 12 at Point Loma High, more than 100 children and adults rode away to Point Loma, Ocean Beach, and other neighborhoods with new bicycle helmets thanks to Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the County of San Diego, Scripps Health, the San Diego Bike Coalition, Point Loma Rotary Club, and Ride the Point.

As the region’s temperature starts to heat up, the County of San Diego has opened its annual Cool Zones program. Cool Zones provide older adults, people with disabilities, and people with health concerns free, safe air-conditioned shelters to visit to escape extreme heat. Cool Zone sites include the County’s 33 branch libraries, community centers and other locations across the county.

Last night, more than 100 children and adults walked away from Point Loma, Ocean Beach and other neighborhoods with a brand new bicycle helmet thanks to Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the County of San Diego, Scripps Health, the San Diego Bike Coalition, Point Loma Rotary Club and Ride the Point.

Upgrading the County’s stormwater infrastructure to protect the local water supply and prevent pollution and toxic runoff from contaminating our beaches, bays and coastline is one of my highest priorities. In my first three years as your County Supervisor, we as a County invested more than $200 million to help keep our communities safe from unchecked pollution and sewage that threaten the closure of our beautiful beaches and waters. 

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer joined her colleagues on the County Board of Supervisors today to pursue a $20 million federal grant to clean up and enhance the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park. Supervisors agreed to partner with the YMCA of San Diego County to seek an Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved $23.3 million to build an East Region Crisis Stabilization Unit, which will offer treatment services for those needing urgent mental health care.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the County Board of Supervisors voted today to approve funding to develop and construct an East Region Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), and also authorized County staff to contract with Exodus Recovery to provide behavioral health treatment at the 16-bed psychiatric health facility jointly funded by the County and Tri-City Healthcare District.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and her colleagues on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today unanimously confirmed Ebony Shelton will become the new County of San Diego Chief Administration Officer beginning June 14, 2024.

Longtime San Diego County finance official Ebony Shelton became the county’s first Black woman chief administrative officer Tuesday, after county supervisors unanimously agreed on her appointment. “We’ve been working really hard as a board over the last four years to steer this county in a new direction, and I think you are so prepared and so ready to continue in advance and deepen and accelerate that work,” Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer said.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved the establishment of an Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Artificial Intelligence and Transformative Technologies. According to the proposal, the subcommittee will develop appropriate recommendations and actions on AI-related policies, review new technology procurements and data initiatives that involve an AI system, and review the governance for proactively managing and monitoring new AI advancements.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention (SD4GVP) held a press conference today to kick off Wear Orange and Gun Violence Awareness Weekend and highlight recent successes in preventing gun violence locally. They were joined by representatives from GIFFORDS Law Center and Team ENOUGH.

Here’s a disturbing trend we are working to address: homelessness is growing among older adults. People over 55 represent 29 percent of our region’s unsheltered homeless population. This is something we can’t accept and I’m committed to doing everything we can to help these seniors in need. Help me spread the word: there is a new wave of help to keep seniors from ending up homeless.

More than 120 new apartments are opening this week for low-income older adults, the first of nearly a dozen affordable housing projects under way using land owned by San Diego County. There are a total of 126 studio or one-bedroom apartments. Residents of 70 units will have vouchers allowing them to pay only 30 percent of their incomes toward rent.

On this long Memorial Day weekend, please join me in honoring the brave heroes who have given their lives in military service. Amid the festivities and fun of the summer kickoff, let's all take a moment to reflect on the incredible sacrifices made by our fellow Americans and San Diegans.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today called State Farm and other insurance providers who pull insurance coverage a ‘bad neighbor” with a resolution they passed 5-0. “We stood up to insurance companies for San Diegans today by passing this resolution,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors.

Helping people struggling with addiction and tackling the fentanyl crisis were top of mind today as the County Board of Supervisors voted to invest in a new substance use treatment facility. “Drug addiction is ruining too many lives, and this facility will help us make progress on this crisis, particularly as it relates to illicit opioids that are sweeping through our communities,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors. 

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the County Board of Supervisors voted today to pursue a partnership with UC San Diego Health to expand the ability to treat mental illness and drug addiction in the region. The proposal will provide new and vital inpatient acute psychiatric services at the university’s East Campus Medical Center, formerly known as Alvarado Hospital. As part of the agreement, an emergency psychiatric unit and a crisis stabilization unit will be established. This initiative will also add approximately 30 to 45 new psychiatric acute inpatient beds for individuals who are Medi-Cal eligible. There are currently 306 beds on site.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today approved a significant policy by Supervisor  Terra Lawson-Remer aimed at rectifying long-standing inequities within the County's racial and ethnicity data systems, focusing particularly on improving the representation and accuracy of data concerning Asian American & Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) communities.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has been hearing from residents  who are angry that State Farm and other insurance agencies will no longer offer renters and homeowner insurance  to them starting in July 2024. One of Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s own staff members is also a victim of this effort by the insurance agencies to punish homeowners in order to leverage their negotiations with the State of California.

Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day, a time to honor individuals serving across all branches of our military. While Memorial Day and Veterans Day receive a lot of attention, I wanted to uplift that May 18 is about showing appreciation for those who are currently serving our nation. They sacrifice so much for our country and we want to do everything we can to support them when they retire from active duty. So when service members become veterans,  the County of San Diego is here to help. 

More than 100 children and adults from Carlsbad and surrounding areas gathered at the La Costa Paloma Community Room Wednesday evening, eager to participate in a bike safety event hosted by San Diego County Supervisor Terra-Lawson-Remer. Children left the event equipped with shiny brand-new bike helmets, courtesy of Scripps Health, along with a greater awareness of safe cycling practices.

U.C San Diego undergraduate and graduate students have an exclusive opportunity to win a RAD Power Bikes Electric Bicycle, helmet, lock and warranty. There are 15 opportunities to win. Associated Students teamed up with Circulate San Diego, the County of San Diego and the County’s representative for the UC San Diego area  Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to bring this opportunity to campus.

If the speed limit is 25 MPH, drawing a “1” on the road sign doesn’t make it legal to drive 125 in a school zone. Yet gun manufacturers are following a similar scheme, hoping that a new paint job — literally – will let them defy common-sense gun safety laws we’ve fought to pass in the County of San Diego. I have four words for these shady dealers of death: not on my watch.

When San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer first saw the Coast Runner milling machine being marketed as some state-of-the-art product for creative people in California, she was livid. “The idea that you could take the same exact product that is designed to kill people, put a different packaging on it, and suddenly it’s not lethal and not illegal? That is just offensive,” Lawson-Remer said.

The County of San Diego and national gun safety group GIFFORDS Law Center have partnered on a lawsuit against Defense Distributed who sells its gun manufacturing device illegally in California. The partnership between the County and GIFFORDS is a direct result of a policy led and passed by San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer in June 2022 to seek out opportunities to initiate litigation against gun manufacturers.

San Diego County filed a lawsuit on behalf of the People of California against a major ghost gun company: Defense Distributed and related entities Ghost Gunner, Inc. and Coast Runner, Inc. The County is being represented by GIFFORDS Law Center, the legal arm of the national gun safety group GIFFORDS, and by Sullivan & Cromwell LLP on a pro bono basis.

Let's talk budget! The Interim CAO released the recommended 2024-26 budget, which will build upon the solid foundation we have laid over the last three years by investing in vital services to help the homeless, increase access to mental health and addiction treatment, and build more affordable housing for working families.

The County of San Diego’s Interim Chief Administrative Officer today issued her $8.48 billion recommended 2024-25 San Diego County budget. The recommended budget includes many significant investments county wide, including in Supervisorial District 3, which spans from Carlsbad to Coronado. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who represents District 3, released the following statement after the recommended budget became public.

San Diego County unveiled its long-awaited proposed budget for the upcoming year on Thursday, a massive document that avoids the drama afflicting the biggest city government and school district within its jurisdiction. The $8.5 billion spending plan is hundreds of millions of dollars higher than the current-year budget, a 3.9 percent increase, and includes none of the likely cuts confronting the San Diego City Council or the San Diego Unified School District.

The Board of Supervisors today supported Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s policy for the County to collaborate with the City of San Diego to investigate possible County involvement in an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) for the Midway Rising site, and Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) credit sharing models for the affordable housing units.

Enacting a strategy backed by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, five affordable housing projects on County-owned property are moving forward today following a vote by the County Board of Supervisors. “We are leveraging all of the County resources possible to speed up production of affordable housing, keep renters in their homes, and make the dream of homeownership more accessible,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors.

As the City of San Diego contemplates the future of its cannabis equity program as part of its budget, Terra Lawson-Remer and the County Board of Supervisors took several actions today to advance social equity programs to help people negatively impacted by the criminalization of cannabis benefit from the now-legal marketplace in California.

Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe today secured support for their resolution opposing Kaiser Permanente’s attempt to reduce the amount of time their mental health therapists spend with patients. The Supervisors are calling on Kaiser Permanente to provide parity as their counterparts in Northern California for up to seven hours of patient management time. This reduction threatens to impact patient mental health care for residents in San Diego County and could accelerate the trend of burnout in our healthcare workforce.

“Whenever possible and practical, we want San Diego County businesses doing San Diego County work, especially small businesses and veteran-owned businesses,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors.

Today Supervisor Lawson-Remer voted with her Board colleagues to direct staff to investigate opportunities to expand the County’s reach to local businesses. Actions could include outreach, education, and a review of current programs that enhance the ability of local businesses to participate in County procurements.

While I cannot legally comment on closed session deliberations or decisions unless a Board majority votes to allow greater transparency regarding the CAO search, personalIy I do not believe our current CAO selection process is sufficiently transparent or allows enough community voice, and I would strongly welcome an approach that allows all finalists from this search round and the prior search round to be interviewed in public at a public board meeting.

I’m proposing a policy next week to make sure that the County government has a say in ensuring adequate infrastructure is established for the redevelopment of the Sports Arena site. As the regional representative for parts of the City of San Diego that include the Midway district, I want the County to have a voice to make sure that residents in the area, as well as those who would live at the proposed Midway Rising project where the Sports Arena is today, have the infrastructure necessary to accommodate this new development.

As a county supervisor, I have been part of the shift in how the County of San Diego views its responsibility regarding addressing homelessness regionwide. I will not allow anyone to degrade the significant progress our county government has made in being a good partner in helping our unincorporated communities and the 18 incorporated cities address homelessness.

Three years ago, the county launched a pilot program to replace ill-equipped law enforcement officials with mental health experts for those in crisis. The effort started small with just a handful of professionals responding to calls in North County. But it quickly expanded. Today, there are nearly four dozen Mobile Crisis Response Teams countywide handling hundreds of calls for nonviolent emergencies each month.

We love San Diego for our beaches and coastlines. But in the fight to protect them from pollution, I had to leave them 2,600 miles behind this week to urge decision makers in Washington, D.C. to ramp up their efforts to solve the international disaster that is the Tijuana River Valley environmental catastrophe. 

It was a busy and productive week at the Board of Supervisors. We honored 2 great groups with proclamations, met with our Service Employee International Union Local 221 members, and three of our policies were passed by my colleagues!

Increased levels of mental health and addiction treatment at future housing developments the County supports financially is the goal of a policy the San Diego County Board of Supervisors passed today. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, the author of the policy, issued the following statement after the 4-0 vote....

San Diego County Supervisors passed a policy to support California State Senator Steve Padilla’s Senate Bill 1178 to hold corporate polluters in California accountable. The policy, introduced by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas, was approved with a 3-1 vote.                

The County of San Diego supports building affordable housing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Today, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s resolution passed 4-0

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.

Building more affordable housing on public land is a strategy Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has been leading since she joined the Board of Supervisors. On Tuesday, April 9 Supervisor Lawson-Remer will ask her colleagues to support a resolution to build affordable housing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds as part of a partnership between the City of Del Mar and the 22nd District Agricultural Association (DAA).

A lot of positive movement has occurred recently to tackle the Tijuana River sewage crisis at the urging of Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas, and now they want the County of San Diego to support a new effort to hold corporate polluters in California accountable.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer wants to increase behavioral health treatment, including the level of services and hours for on-site case management, for all permanent supportive housing projects that utilize the County’s No Place Like Home funding, or similar funding sources. Supervisor Lawson-Remer is presenting a policy on April 9 for the Board of Supervisors to consider, which is in direct response to the challenges experienced at Windsor Pointe site in the City of Carlsbad.

Your morning coffee. Your afternoon commute. Your annual checkup. They’re all made possible by the work of everyday San Diegans. 

From nurses to teachers to baristas to road repair crews and so much more, workers are the backbone of our community. But when a worker is treated poorly by their employer, it hurts all of us. Think about it like this...

On Wednesday night, 50 residents from Rancho Peñasquitos welcomed Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer for a Meet & Greet at the Hilltop Recreation Center. Together, they discussed homelessness, open spaces and parks, housing costs, housing insurance, and Community Power.

This is the month when we see a lot in our social media feeds about women who have changed the world. But as we celebrate Women’s History Month, what about the women who are making things better in San Diego, right here and right now? 

Ahead of Tuesday’s Supreme Court hearing, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has authored a policy calling for the County of San Diego to secure its emergency stockpile of medication-base abortion treatments Misoprostol and Mifepristone and support a resolution to continue making medication-based abortion treatment available to San Diegans. The Board of Supervisors will consider the policy during its April 9, 2024 meeting.

Local workers who fall victim to wage theft now have a better chance of getting the pay that is due them.

County and state leaders reported advances on addressing wage theft within the region Tuesday outside the County Administration Center.

The County is making progress in addressing the region’s housing shortage and issued permits for more than 1,200 homes last year, according to an update provided to the Board of Supervisors today.

In yet another action to help people move off the streets, the County Board of Supervisors authorized the creation of new shelter sites that will serve up to 211 people every night. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer joined her colleagues in approving the design, development, and construction of sleeping cabins and a safe parking site for recreational vehicles to serve homeless individuals in unincorporated parts of the region.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is actively working with Affirmed Housing, the City of Carlsbad and County of San Diego staff to increase security and ensure the proper level of care is delivered to the 24 chronically homeless, severely mentally ill people who reside in the Carlsbad-approved Windsor Pointe housing development. The Supervisor’s Senior Policy Advisor testified during tonight’s Carlsbad City Council meeting.

After discussion with medical providers in San Diego County, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer says she is convinced that the region is leaving Medi-Cal reimbursement on the table, and that’s money that could be used to improve the reimbursement rates that fund care for nearly 1 million San Diego County residents.

The Board of Supervisors today approved a proposal from Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to explore how we can enhance healthcare access and quality for San Diegans while reducing prescription drug costs for Medi-Cal and Medicare recipients. The proposal confronts the critical issue of low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, which has burdened San Diego County’s healthcare system and made it harder to access quality care.

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

In a significant move to make quality healthcare more accessible and affordable for San Diego County residents, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer today announced a new initiative to confront the critical issue of low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, as well as to reduce prescription drug expenses for San Diegans.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Monday announced a new initiative intended to make quality healthcare more accessible and affordable for county residents. Her plan is to increase reimbursement rates for Medi-Cal recipients and reduce the cost of prescription drugs for San Diegans.

Deliver results to San Diego County’s most pressing problems. Change the county’s culture to serve more people and communities, better.  

Over the last three years as the supervisor representing District 3, those are the things my office has been doing to create a more healthy, sustainable, equitable, inclusive, and liveable San Diego County. We’ve compiled a comprehensive report on our progress.

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.

This week we pushed the County to move with greater urgency on two major issues that matter to us: making homes more affordable and tackling the mental health and homelessness crises on our streets. I voted on Tuesday to advance the implementation of the California State Senate Bill 43 conservatorship law, build affordable housing, and increase local capacity for behavioral health workers. 

In a statement, board Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer said her colleagues “made the right decisions today.” “Investing these dollars into the long-term success of SB 43 and the expansion of our behavioral health workforce was the right way to leverage these funds,” she added. “We will now also be able to act with greater urgency to address rising housing costs.”

The Chairwoman and Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors today flipped the script on their colleague’s effort to urge President Joe Biden to close the U.S. - Mexico Border, using a substitute motion that nullified his policy and replacing it with sending a letter of support for a Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill to Fix the Border. The vote was 5-0 in favor of a bipartisan bill.

San Diego County is taking action toward improving local public safety services, specifically within the San Diego County Probation Department. In a document submitted by County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, they detailed actions to prioritize the mental health and well-being of probation officers.

Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas today secured support for their policy to examine ways to enhance San Diego County Probation Department staff wellness and mental health. Taking this action will help ensure probation officers are in the best position to support people on probation, help them not to re-offend, and become productive residents of the county.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has pushed for the County of San Diego to move with greater urgency when implementing the SB 43 conservatorship law, building affordable housing, and increasing local capacity for behavioral health workers; and today $35.6 million in leftover COVID-19 stimulus money was directed toward these initiatives.

Three big items… two new ways for us to connect… all in one newsletter. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening at the County Board of Supervisors next week!

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer will hold a Community Meet and Greet in Coronado on Tuesday, February 27 at 6:15 in the Black Box Theater at the Coronado Performing Arts Center, 650 D Avenue.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, issued the following statement after Chairwoman Nora Vargas completed her second State of the County Address at Southwestern College in Chula Vista on Wednesday, February 21.

We showed this month that the radical gun lobby no longer has the votes on the County Board of Supervisors to thwart common-sense gun safety reforms. After a partisan block last year, last week we were able to secure three votes on the Board to approve common-sense proposals to advance gun safety and reduce firearm violence.

County of San Diego Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer calls to temporarily cease HRC meetings and activities until the systemic issues that have plagued the volunteer commission since its reinstatement in 2020 are thoroughly addressed. 

Statement from Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer regarding Imam Taha Hassane being on the County’s Human Relations Commission.

After a previous failed attempt, the county Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to adopt a plan that aims to reduce gun violence in the region, including establishing an advisory group and hosting community town halls. In a statement, Lawson-Remer said county residents support common-sense gun safety reforms. “Educating gun owners about safe gun storage, and parents about how to have difficult conversations with other parents about what gun storage looks like in their homes, will save lives,” she added.

The assessment will look into the feasibility of employing various locations as temporary refuges for the homeless. The potential setups include small cabins, large tents, or safe parking lots. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, the sponsor of the measure, emphasized the urgent necessity to provide shelter to hundreds of homeless individuals.

San Diego County leaders are exploring what land could quickly host temporary homeless shelters amid a regional shortage of beds and ongoing discussions about cracking down on encampments. “We still have hundreds and hundreds of people unhoused on our streets every single night who need and deserve a place to sleep,” Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, the measure’s sponsor, said from the dais.

There is no universe in which hate or intolerance of any kind has a place on a commission that is about improving human relations. The Human Relations Commission was reconstituted as a response to the heinous Chabad of Poway synagogue shooting, and addressing antisemitism in our county must remain a central focus of the commission. 

Today the County Board of Supervisors approved commonsense proposals to advance gun safety championed by Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer. The proposals had previously failed by a 2-2 vote, with Democrats Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas in support while Republicans Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond voted down the initiatives. Today’s vote included Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe who was seated in late 2023 to fill the Board’s vacant fifth seat, and voted in support of the item in today’s 3-2 vote.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer on Tuesday passed a policy, with the support of her colleagues, for an evaluation of County sites for emergency housing options, focusing on sleeping cabin villages, sprung shelters, safe parking, or repurposing existing structures for homeless services. The 5-0 vote also authorized County Staff to seek potential partners interested in bringing homeless services to the sites.

The County of San Diego is acquiring 100 shelter cabins for homeless San Diegans, and model shelters were on display Friday. Next week, County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer will introduce a policy that would make county land available for homeless shelters, potentially including the Pallet shelters.

Today, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer welcomed Pallet shelter CEO Amy King to the County Administration Center to display two new shelters: The S2 Sleeper (70 sq ft.) and S2 EnSuite (120 sq ft.). Today’s event was part of an 11-city California roadshow. 

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer was the driving force behind what’s called the Sustainable, Equitable and Local Food Sourcing Program. It launched in early December. “We’re the county. We’re here to be a partner... we should be spending to support our local economy," Lawson-Remer said.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously passed a financial aid proposal for child care providers, including help with start-up costs. Board Vice Chair Lawson-Remer said those operating child care businesses in the county continue to struggle, which she has observed as a working mother.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today passed Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer's resolution to Proposition 1 “Treatment not Tents” on the March 2024 ballot. The vote was 3-2 in favor. 

The majority of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today passed a resolution supporting Governor Gavin Newsom’s Right to Safety Amendment. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s resolution was backed by Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe. 

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas today passed a policy to provide $1.25 million to help new childcare providers with start-up costs focused on infrastructure, along with another $750,000 for creating a County database of providers to track those that open and close, and peer-based mentorship for providers. 

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, among the three who voted to support Prop. 1, said that while the county has spent heavily on local programs to address mental health care, substance abuse and homelessness problems, a broader effort is also needed.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced Monday she will bring a resolution to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday to support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $6 billion bond measure to modernize the Mental Health Services Act.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced today she will bring a resolution to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, to support Governor Gavin Newsom's plan to modernize the Mental Health Services Act. She was flanked by Chairwoman Nora Vargas, San Diego,  City Councilmember Raul Campillo, Crystal Irving, President of SEIU Local 221 and medical professionals. 

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer on Tuesday is presenting a resolution of support at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for Governor Gavin Newsom’s effort to modernize the Mental Health Services Act.

Kids – they’re a lot of responsibility (Yes, as the parent of a four-year-old, I recognize this is the understatement of the century). 

But kids aren’t just a responsibility for parents like me....

A resolution to support Governor Gavin Newsom’s Right to Safety Amendment is coming back before the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, January 23. 

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, the author of the resolution, is taking another shot at securing support for the Governor’s common-sense addition to the United States Constitution. 

A proposal from Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to expand access to high-speed internet was approved by the County Board of Supervisors today. Without this push to speed up broadband projects, San Diego County may have a harder time meeting requirements to qualify for the unprecedented amount of federal funding made available for broadband investment during the pandemic.

Adding an additional 100 recuperative care beds and helping San Diego County workers with increasing health care costs were strong enough ideas to get the immediate support of county supervisors Tuesday. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer brought forward the idea of moving quickly on recuperative care as an “evergreen” project.

A series of recommendations by Vice-Chair Terra Lawson-Remer with leftover federal stimulus money today was approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, including $8 million to build a new 100+ bed recuperative care facility for people experiencing homelessness and $13 million for workforce wellness one-time payments to address the impact of projected increases in healthcare costs.

In the fight against systemic homelessness in San Diego County, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is trying to rally the Board of Supervisors to make a generational investment to get people off the streets.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to retain its current leadership roster, with Nora Vargas as chairwoman, Terra Lawson-Remer as vice chair and Joel Anderson as chair pro tem. Lawson-Remer, who represents District 3, made a motion to keep Vargas as the board's leader.

The County Board of Supervisors advanced a proposal today to help prevent homelessness among seniors aged 55 and older. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer cast a vote to create a shared housing program for seniors, an idea from Supervisor Joel Anderson that the Board first approved in August 2023. 

The Chair, Vice Chair, and Chair Pro Tempore for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors is now set. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer will continue to be Vice Chair, Supervisor Nora Vargas will continue to be Chairwoman and Supervisor Joel Anderson will continue to be Chair Pro Tempore.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors can increase recuperative care homeless bed capacity and reduce overcrowding in hospital emergency rooms, create workforce housing for County employees, and address previously identified shortages in the behavioral health workforce at their next meeting on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has said she plans to this month formally propose county investments in step-down beds for homeless patients to support SB 43 implementation.

Another recuperative care center for unhoused residents also being proposed by Supervisor Lawson-Remer

San Diego County has awarded $42 million to nine affordable housing developments intended to provide 872 new homes, it was announced Tuesday.

We cannot sit idly by while people struggle. It’s morally abhorrent to not implement Senate Bill 43 and let people die on our streets without the care they need and deserve. We must always do everything we can in our power to act with the utmost urgency to address the No. 1 issues our constituents are concerned about.

The County celebrated the beginning of construction on a new affordable housing complex in San Ysidro. The Iris at San Ysidro will feature 100 units ranging from one to three bedrooms, including 15 fully furnished units reserved for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. 

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer today sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, to formally support their proposed new anti-monopoly patent rules to take on profiteering drug manufacturers and make life-saving medications available to the public at lower prices.

Four members of San Diego’s Congressional delegation led by Rep. Scott Peters are asking the local Veterans Affairs office to issue more housing vouchers amid a rise in homelessness among people who served in the military. “We are doing everything possible to remove the barriers,” County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said.

To celebrate Hanukkah, tonight, Monday, December 11, Supervisor Lawson-Remer will host the 2nd Annual County of San Diego Menorah Lighting beginning at 5 p.m. inside the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the County Administration Center.

Happy Hanukkah! If you are celebrating like me, I hope you are able to find time for reflection, connections, and joy with your family and friends during this important time of the year. 

On Tuesday, the county approved a 100-unit project that will use public land in an effort to decrease senior homelessness. “In the face of truly alarming numbers of homeless seniors, we are using public land to create homes specifically for older San Diegans,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer voted to support the County of San Diego providing an additional $3 million in federal funding to support migrant families seeking asylum, but before casting her favorable vote, she asked several questions meant to ensure the resources the County is providing are being used effectively.  

The County Board of Supervisors approved more affordable housing for seniors in the region today with the authorization of a 100-unit project using public land owned by the County of San Diego.

A plan championed by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to move the County of San Diego – one of the region’s largest food buyers – toward cultivating, purchasing, and serving local food took another step forward today.

More people in the coastal region, and throughout San Diego County will receive the housing support they need because Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and her colleagues on the Board of Supervisors voted today to expand recovery housing for homeless individuals enrolled in County addiction recovery programs.