Serving the East Bay: Your New State Senator
Greetings from the Desk of Senator Arreguín
As I begin my first term as your State Senator, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the residents of Senate District 7 who have placed their trust in me. I am honored to represent the East Bay in the State Legislature, specifically West Contra Costa County and North Alameda County. Whether you voted for me or not, I promise to represent everyone.
A lifelong Californian, I am the son and grandson of migrant farmworkers, and was inspired at a young age by the Farmworker Movement and other social movements to create a more equitable society. I grew up in San Francisco during the dot-com era, where I faced housing insecurity and displacement. In spite of the struggles I faced growing up, I overcame the odds and I have committed myself to public service to make the California Dream a reality for others.
Prior to my election to the Senate, I served for twenty years in the City of Berkeley government, including as a Councilmember and as the first Latino elected as Mayor from 2016 to 2024. As Mayor, I stood up to white supremacists attempting to spread fear in communities by establishing the Berkeley Stands United Against Hate campaign, which quickly caught on across the region, the state, and now the country. In addition, I led Berkeley through its largest growth in housing production in decades, switched the City’s electricity sources to 100% renewable, and oversaw a 45% drop in unsheltered homelessness over the past two years after leading significant investments in homeless services.
I have been selected to serve as the Chair of the Senate Committees on Public Safety and Human Services, and also serve as a member of the Business, Professions & Economic Development; Energy, Utilities & Commissions; Housing; Local Government; and Transportation Committees.
I am humbled for the privilege to serve you and look forward to diving into the challenges and opportunities that California faces with the goal of paving a brighter future for all Californians.
First Bill Addresses Housing Affordability
Immediately after being sworn in, I introduced my first bill, SB 9. This bill will remove barriers to support the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Specifically, it removes the requirement that a property owner must live in a property, regardless of whether an ADU is proposed or already exists. SB 9 will unlock thousands of properties to create new homes and will make it easier for people to find stable housing.
In recent years, ADUs have been an effective tool in addressing California’s housing shortage. Since 2016, the State Legislature has passed a series of bills to promote the creation of such units, resulting in nearly 84,000 ADUs being permitted between 2016-2022. In 2022, ADUs accounted for approximately 1 out of 5 new units produced in California. This legislation builds upon the work already underway, addressing housing affordability and the cost of living.
We Are Here to Serve You
The State of California offers a wide range of services for constituents, which you can easily access on my website. My staff is ready to support your needs and assist you in navigating State services. Topics for constituent services include, but are not limited to: Medi-Cal, unemployment insurance, Department of Motor Vehicles, childcare, consumer and government complaints, and small business assistance.
Protecting Immigrant Rights
Immigrants are the backbone of our state. One in four Californians are foreign-born, and one in five people born in California have at least one immigrant parent. The very foundations of California’s economy, the 5th largest in the world, is reliant on immigrants, who make up nearly a third of our workforce, including in healthcare, STEM, construction, childcare, hospitality, and agriculture.
The State legislature is strongly committed to protecting the rights of immigrants and refused, which is why $50 million has been approved in emergency funding for litigation against unjust actions by the new federal administration and financial support for legal aid and immigrant nonprofits. I have also introduced a bill, SB 81, which extends existing policies around ICE noncollaboration to healthcare, including the prohibition of sharing of medial information to immigration authorities. The bill will also prohibit a health facility and its personnel from granting ICE officers permission to the health facility if a patient is receiving care and restricts access without a valid judicial warrant or court order.
California’s Attorney General has published resources for immigration communities. In summary, immigrants should be aware of their following rights:
- You have the right to apply for and secure housing without sharing your immigration status.
- You have the right to access emergency medical care.
- You have the right to an attorney.
- State and local law enforcement cannot ask for your immigration status.
- State and local law enforcement cannot share your personal information.
- State and local law enforcement cannot assist ICE with immigration enforcement, with very limited exceptions.
The full list of resources can be found here, which includes information in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
Responding to the Los Angeles Firestorms
As Los Angeles recovers from one of the most destructive natural disasters in California history, the State is quickly responding to rebuilding efforts. A series of fires erupted in Southern California earlier this month, with the two largest, the Eaton and Palisades Fires, destroying thousands of buildings, including homes, schools, and places of worship, displacing tens of thousands of people and killing at least 29 people. To have such extreme fires in January is a testament to the consequences of climate change, with Southern California experiencing among the driest conditions on record.
In response, the State legislature has unanimously passed $2.5 billion in funding, which has been approved by the Governor. The funds are being used for a variety of purposes to expedite ongoing recovery efforts. Specifically, in the short term it will help with cleanup operations, shelter for survivors, post-fire hazard assessment, and ongoing emergency response activities. In the intermediate term, funding will assist in developing rebuilding plans, supporting local jurisdictions in planning review and inspections, expediting permitting, and helping impacted schools rebuild.
If you or someone you know have been impacted by the fires, the State is ready to assist you. Visit ca.gov/LAfires, a hub for a variety of services including disaster assistance, returning home and recovery, and opportunities to volunteer and support recovery efforts. Additionally, be aware of your rights during a disaster by visiting oag.ca.gov/LAfires, where you can report price gouging, scams, or other forms of misconduct relating to the disaster. Together, we will rebuild stronger than ever.