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: Catherine Blakespear
Current job title: California State Senator
Political party affiliation: Democratic
Incumbent: Yes
Other political positions held: City Council, Encinitas; Mayor of Encinitas
City where you reside: Encinitas
Campaign website or social media: catherine@catherineblakespear.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 California state budget is in a structural deficit, primarily due to inaccurate revenue forecasting and an over-extension of government spending a few years ago during the short time we had a budget surplus. Threatened federal funding due to the Trump administration exacerbates our state’s budget problem. While I’m very proud of our state’s progressive revenue system, its reliance on bullish markets and wealth makes it susceptible to downturns. I’m very concerned about the deficit situation and routinely express publicly and privately that we need to be fiscally responsible and live within our means. Having a structural budget shortfall year after year is simply unacceptable.
With around 40% of the state on Medi-Cal, our current budget structure cannot afford the current level of Medi-Cal spending‚ which has grown due to an expansion of the covered population and the cost of pharmaceuticals. Co-pays‚ monthly premiums‚ elimination of coverage for certain pharmaceutical drugs‚ changes to enrollment criteria are all possible solutions.
The legislature has to make hard decisions to get us out of this structural deficit, and we need to do better.
For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
We need to ensure our core services and public goods remain a priority in the budget. Providing infrastructure in a state of good repair, like roads, transit, and parks, is a high priority, as well as prioritizing public safety and education. Funding our UC and CSU system in accordance with the Compact, as well as continuing the expansion of subsidized child care slots, Pre-K for All, and taking care of the environment through climate investments that reduce greenhouse gases and resilience projects.
Lastly, we must absolutely continue to invest in housing of all types, specifically interim and emergency housing, to eliminate our street homelessness crisis.
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. Tackling the affordability crisis: The affordability crisis is forcing too many Californians to choose between groceries, gas, or picking up their prescriptions. I’m focused on tackling the cost-of-living crisis, from creating more options for attainable, affordable housing to expanding access to healthcare and childcare to supporting small businesses that employ our neighbors and keep local economies booming. Everyone deserves the chance to live and thrive here, not just scrape by.
2. Ensuring safe, healthy communities: Public safety means feeling safe, and it starts with stopping crime before it happens and ensuring violence and gun crimes are prosecuted to the fullest extent. I’ll keep working shoulder-to-shoulder with law enforcement while investing in mental health services, addiction treatment, and programs that reduce homelessness and crime before they start. Every Californian deserves peace of mind and to feel safe in their home, neighborhood, and when walking on their streets.
3. Protecting our environment and combating climate change: California is the Golden State because of our glittering coastline, clean air, and green and rolling open spaces. It’s been my mission in public service to accelerate our transition to clean energy, fight climate change, and safeguard our natural resources for generations to come. Why? Because protecting families means protecting the planet. It’s essential to our health, economy, and way of life.
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.)
Last year, I authored SB 710, a bill that was signed by the governor that exempted solar system installations from being assessed on a homeowner’s property taxes on systems installed before Jan. 1, 2027.
Another measure I worked on was to make childcare access easier by removing barriers to childcare services for military families living off base, which would help military and civilian families.
Additionally, ever since I was elected, I have supported measures intended to reduce energy costs on Californians, cut red tape to reduce delays to construction and clean energy projects, help first-time homebuyers, and invest in the state’s career education system, leading to higher wages.
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.)
ICE raiders in our communities are traumatizing to those being arrested‚ and their families‚ and to the communities in which this is happening. California has SB 54, which restricts state and local law enforcement from using resources for federal immigration enforcement except in cases involving violent criminals, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Over the last year, my colleagues and I have vehemently opposed Trump’s weaponization of ICE against good and hardworking people in California, and we’re doing what we can within our jurisdiction to limit ICE’s activity, such as limiting where they can conduct raids, what resources within California they can rent or use, and more. I believe that Trump’s ICE has crossed the line, and as a state legislature, we need to continue ensuring that ICE only goes after dangerous criminals in our communities and advocate for a path of amnesty for the good, hardworking community members.
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 have been a strong advocate for the distressed hospital loan program to ensure that struggling hospitals are sustained in the near term to avoid healthcare deserts. Additionally, I authored SB 1236, which would protect seniors on Medicare Supplemental Insurance plans from incurring high out-of-pocket costs for pre-existing medical conditions.
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.)
I do not support Medi-Cal being expanded to noncitizens during a time of significant budget challenges. Medi-Cal should be a basic healthcare coverage plan that offers critical healthcare coverage for basic services. In times of budget surplus, I do support expanding health care.
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.)
Last year, I secured $1.67 million for the County of San Diego to fund its Homelessness Prevention Landlord Incentive Program for two years. This program provides direct payments to landlords to lower rental costs for veterans who qualify for VASH. Prevention is a critical component of addressing the homelessness crisis.
Building more housing supply is the answer to cooling rent increases and increasing supply. The state is in the midst of reducing building costs through permitting reform, streamlining CEQA for housing developments, and making it easier for jurisdictions to zone and site for housing.
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.)
I think the CEC made a reasonable decision with the information they had available to them, but I respect how difficult that decision is to make. If reducing the refining and distribution margins had led to another refinery closure, California could have addressed one problem while simultaneously creating many more.
As we transition toward our clean energy future, it is going to be increasingly difficult to square climate goals, business as usual, and affordability. We can’t give up on affordability, nor on our climate goals, so we need to think hard about changing business as usual.
I think that could look like targeted support to the most cost- and pollution-burdened communities, shifting our transportation system to rely less on individuals in gasoline-powered cars, and redoubling our efforts to manage this energy transition for the good of all Californians.
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.)
Last year, I was one of the few first senators to call to fund Proposition 36. The Senate was the lead advocate for the $100 million allocated in this year’s state budget for implementation. This year, I am advocating for $400 million for recovery support services and substance abuse diversion services. The legislature will set the policy goals of funding, and the administration and Department of Health Care Services are charged with distributing funds through formula or discretionary processes.
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.)
Every Californian deserves access to health care without discrimination, and the state has a role in making sure that’s the reality, not just the law on paper. I authored SB 477 to strengthen civil rights enforcement, giving the state better tools to investigate discrimination in health care and housing.
California has already established itself as a refuge for families fleeing states that have criminalized gender-affirming care, and I support building on those protections. As federal attacks on transgender health care escalate, we need to make sure patients here can access care without interruption and without fear.
I’ve seen the impact of this work up close in my district, from organizations like Unicorn Homes that support LGBTQ+ youth to advocates working every day to make North County a welcoming place for everyone. The state’s job is to protect people’s ability to live authentically and get the care they need.
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.)
Yes. The state has a responsibility to protect kids online, and I’ve been actively involved in this work. Last session, I co-authored and voted for legislation regulating AI companion chatbots, requiring age verification, mandating warning labels on social media, and building in crisis intervention protocols for young users. All of that is now law.
We need to go further. Platforms are designed to maximize engagement, and kids are especially vulnerable to those design choices. I support requiring platforms to default to the strongest safety settings for minors, prohibiting algorithmic recommendation of harmful content to young users, and giving parents real transparency about what their children are using. Parents shouldn’t have to figure this out alone.
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.)
I am a co-chair of the Technology & The Future of Work Committee for the Council of State Governments West, which fosters conversations in key discussions about the technological advances shaping the workforce and their social and policy implications. I engage with legislative colleagues throughout the western U.S. on the continued evolution and innovation of artificial intelligence, automation, online collaboration tools, and additive manufacturing. California continues to lead the nation in the regulation of AI.
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.)
I take both the data and the lived experience seriously. Crime rates are declining, but that doesn’t change how people feel when they see encampments, open drug use, or individuals in crisis on their streets.
As a former mayor who helped make Encinitas one of the safest cities in California, I know public safety starts with making sure our laws actually work. I’ve passed gun violence prevention legislation to close enforcement gaps, and I’ve focused on the issues that most affect people’s day-to-day sense of safety, especially homelessness. I’ve hosted three policy summits on ending homelessness and authored legislation cutting red tape so cities can stand up shelters faster.
My approach is to enforce the laws we have, support law enforcement, and invest in the upstream solutions like mental health, housing, and substance abuse treatment that address what’s really driving public concern.
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I’m really good at identifying ripe fruit and edible plants. I think I could live on suburban foraging, if forced to do so.