Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Rhonda Shader
Current job title: Insurance Agency Owner
Political party affiliation: Republican
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Placentia Mayor/City Council
City where you reside: Placentia
Campaign website or social media: shaderforsenate.com
Do you believe balancing the state budget should rely more on spending cuts, new revenue streams or a combination? Tell us how you would propose tackling California’s projected budget deficit. (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The absolute first priority should be spending cuts. Next, create a more business-friendly environment for our businesses to thrive and create a better economic environment that creates jobs and subsequently income to the state.
For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
A non-starter for me would be anything raising taxes or fees on anyone.
What are the top three most pressing issues facing the state, and what would you propose, as a state legislator, to address them? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
1. Cost of living has increased at a pace that is too burdensome for many. I would not vote for any bill that further increases the cost of living in the areas of housing, healthcare, utilities, gas or food.
2. Education of our children continues to be a top concern for parents, including funding, educational choices and parental rights. I would support bills that prioritize our children and include our parents.
3. Public safety remains a key concern, and the people of North Orange County overwhelmingly passed Proposition 36 and want it fully funded and operational for our law enforcement. I support this call for funding and the priority of victims’ rights and tools for our law enforcement and firefighters to keep people safe.
What specific policy would you champion in the statehouse to improve the cost of living for residents? Would you see this having an immediate impact on Californians or would it take some time? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
An immediate suspension of the gas tax for a temporary period, and in addition, no new increases in those taxes through the automatic inflation that happens each summer. I would call for a freeze on any additional legislation or other onerous requirements of our housing developers and landlords. I would support efforts to lower grocery prices by restricting local ordinances on grocery stores; lowering transportation costs by lowering the gas tax and supporting the use of local fuel sources instead of importing from other countries. I would also support water abundance to help our farmers. I would welcome and support a diverse utility supply from all sources and suspend onerous regulatory requirements in the last five years. I would support the dismantling of the cap-and-trade program that is making all our transportation, utilities, and businesses pass this cost on to consumers. In the end, the people are paying for all of these requirements, and freezing or removing them is the only way to bring people relief.
There have been numerous efforts made in the state legislature to curtail federal immigration enforcement in California, from prohibitions on agents wearing masks to banning federal officers from future employment in a public agency. Do you see any area where the state could better protect its residents from the federal government’s widespread immigration crackdown? Would you prefer the state work more hand-in-hand with the federal government on immigration? Where does the role as a state legislator fall into your beliefs here? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Immigration is a federal government responsibility. As a state legislator, my involvement would be to hold them accountable for conducting enforcement within our state in a legal manner.
Health care costs — like in many other areas — are continuing to rise. What policies, specifically, would you support or like to champion that could lower premiums or out-of-pocket expenses? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I would specifically support legislation in the key areas of administrative waste, unfair pricing practices, more preventative care, fraud and abuse. There is a lot of room for improvement in this industry that is so vital to everyone of us.
Would you support expanding state health care programs to ensure more residents — including those who are not citizens — are covered? How would you propose the state fund such an expansion? Or, how would you propose the people who cannot afford health care still get the necessary care they need without expanding state programs? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Presently, we do not have the funding to cover non-citizens with healthcare. For that matter, there are many citizens who continue to need assistance with health coverage, including but not limited to our small business owners.
As part of combating homelessness, elected officials often talk about the need to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. What policies or programs should the state adopt to make housing more affordable for renters and homeowners? What do you propose the state do to incentivize housing development and expedite such projects? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Every story is unique, but I do support a diversified effort to keep people in crisis in their homes, many of which are already available, including rent subsidies and emergency financial aid. Building more affordable housing projects is important, but I believe the state of California passes laws and regulations that many times causes slower development of affordable housing projects. We need to incentivize home building and not make it harder.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2023 authorizing state energy regulators to penalize oil companies making excessive profits. But the California Energy Commission put off imposing the penalties last year after two oil refineries, which represent nearly a fifth of California’s refining capacity, said they would shut down operations. Those announcements prompted many to be concerned about soaring gas prices. What do you think of the commission’s decision? And how would you, as a state legislator, propose balancing California’s climate goals with protecting consumers from high gas prices at the pump? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
California leadership’s attack on oil companies is misguided, short-sighted and does not accomplish climate goals. This state is not in a position to push out oil companies. They are a key component of our infrastructure in this state. Shutting our oil companies down and then having to import the needed fuel from other states and countries only creates more pollution. We must find better ways to address climate change, and we must weigh the risk and burden to the people in our state against the outcomes of how they benefit from addressing the climate challenges. The Energy Commission was wise to freeze penalties at this time.
In 2024, voters approved Proposition 36 to increase penalties for certain drug and retail theft crimes and make available a drug treatment option for some who plead guilty to felony drug possession. Would you, as a legislator, demand that more funding for behavioral health treatments be included in the budget? How would you ensure that money is used properly? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, I would demand full funding of Proposition 36 on behalf of the people of North Orange County who overwhelmingly voted to pass this proposition. I would ensure the money is used properly by requiring accountability reports from treatment centers and an annual recertification to continue to participate and receive funding.
What role should the state play in ensuring hospitals and doctors are providing gender-affirming care to LGBTQ+ residents? Similarly, what role do you believe the state could play should other states adopt policies that restrict that care? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Although the government, with extensive programs and influence, is likely to play a major role in oversight of health programs, I believe that it should not interfere with or force healthcare treatment offerings or patient choices.
Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Do you believe it’s the state’s responsibility to regulate social media use? Why or why not? And what specific restrictions or safeguards would you propose as a state lawmaker? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I believe that protecting our children is the responsibility of all of us, including the government. Accountability and oversight into the efforts of social media companies to locate and restrict children from certain content is imperative. Also, social media companies should have easy-to-access tools and education for parents, who know their children best, on controls that they can activate.
Artificial intelligence has become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Yet public concerns remain that there aren’t enough regulations governing when or how AI should be used, and that the technology would replace jobs and leave too many Californians unemployed. How specifically would you balance such concerns with the desire to foster innovation and have California remain a leader in this space? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
To be a leader in this space, California must allow AI to flourish and grow. We must continue to work with this industry as it develops and work with them to maintain balance and protection. We must resist our tendency to panic and overregulate.
Statistically, violent crime rates in California is on the decline, but still, residents are not feeling safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in the state legislature in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Since the legislature and propositions have reclassified many crimes, it is difficult statistically to understand people feeling unsafe. However, with the erosion of the prison system and early release, it is no surprise that people in North Orange County do not feel safe. To begin to feel safer, the people asked for full implementation of Proposition 36. Additional measures that would make people feel safer are reinstatement and enforcement, respect for victims’ rights, county jail funding assistance, mental illness facilities implementation, and when setting standards for officers, include them in the conversation; funding for court security; continued rollback of Propositions 47 and 57, and increased paths for a continuum of care solutions.
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I love to sing and am pretty good at it. If there is a karaoke machine at the party, I will sing!