Lawson-Remer Takes Oath of Office - Vice Chair of County Board of Supervisors Outlines Second Term Priorities

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News Date
01/06/25
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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. 

A passionate advocate and nationally recognized expert on economic fairness, social justice, and democratic integrity, Lawson-Remer will continue to represent San Diego County’s Third Supervisorial District, spanning many San Diego communities and the region’s iconic coastline from Carlsbad to Coronado. 

 The following is a condensed excerpt of remarks she delivered today, which outline some of her priorities over the next four years:

“I took this oath on behalf of our community. A community that doesn’t want to go back to the days when the Board of Supervisors was working in the shadows. A community that wants to make sure the County is doing the work to advance fairness, justice, and progress. A community that wants the Board to be a proactive force for good.

I was definitely not born to be a politician, but I was born to shake things up.  And we’ve gotten a lot done in the first four years to dismantle the power structures that perpetuate injustice. 

The election results showed that the people of San Diego County have given us a mandate to continue this work. We’re down one person on this Board, so it’s going to take a little longer to get things done. But that hasn’t stopped us before, and it’s not going to stop us now. 

Over the next four years, we’re going to combat predatory corporations that steal money out of your pocket and hold accountable polluters that take years off your life.

We’re going to fight against microplastics, pesticides, and forever chemicals that are contaminating our water, and bring even more advocacy and accountability to the Tijuana River Valley sewage catastrophe.

 

We’re going to crack down on the apps and algorithms that are conspiring to raise our rents and expand successful programs that have kept seniors in their homes and off the streets.

We’re going to keep a roof over people’s heads to stop more homelessness before it starts, and refocus behavioral health so people can get help before they’ve lost all hope.

We’re going to fight for everyone in the County to be able to see a doctor when they’re sick, and get mental health or addiction treatment when they’re struggling.

We’re going to fight for everyone in the County to have healthcare, and we’re going to create more well-paid jobs so San Diegans can help us do it.

We’re going to bring more oversight to our jails, and make sure people who are in the custody of the County are treated safely as they receive justice.

We’re going to defend the institutions that are working, fix the ones that are broken, and stand up for people whose rights are under attack.

And we’re going to champion not just economic growth, but inclusive growth, so a society as rich as ours doesn’t leave anyone behind. 

 

We live in an era of great change and great division. But there seems to be an emerging consensus point that Americans can actually agree on: our society is underpinned by power structures that are benefitting a disproportionate few, at the expense of the rest of us. It’s up to us to demand that laws and institutions serve not the powerful, but the public. 

This is the work we’ve been doing here in San Diego County. And it’s the work we will continue to pursue. Thank you for your trust. Thank you for your support. And thank you for the honor of serving you.”

In her first term, Lawson-Remer focused on landmark legislation that reduces systemic inequalities. She expanded access to affordable healthcare; strengthened reproductive rights; passed stronger gun safety laws; took bold steps to hold corporate landlords accountable for driving up housing costs; worked on solutions to reduce homelessness; established the region’s first program to help immigrants exercise their right to an attorney; fought to safeguard the coastline and environment; helped to lead the charge to make progress on the Tijuana River sewage crisis; and adopted laws to improve job and labor protections and wages for tens of thousands of workers in the San Diego region.