San Diego benefits from a period of extraordinary influence in Sacramento, with Senate President pro tem Toni Atkins and minority leader Sen. Brian Jones leading both parties in the chamber.
Atkins will term out next year, but Jones is just one year into his second term and building a reputation for bipartisan effectiveness. He’s focusing on California’s issues rather than the latest culture war dust-up on national cable news.
He calls it building a “loyal opposition,” in a nod to British parliamentary practice, which he has become something of a student of thanks to his wife’s Canadian family roots.
“What I’m helping the California Republicans concentrate on is being California Republicans,” Jones said in an interview on Monday. “I want to make sure I’m up there fighting for the things that are important to my constituents while at the same time participating in the governance process of the state.”
As for national politics on cable news, the Senator who represents most of East County suggests lawmakers and voters “don’t need to be tuned into these national networks 24 hours a day.”
He’s worked with Atkins for years, dating back to when both were serving on the San Diego and Santee city councils. Now he’s building other relationships across the aisle, and points to success in the Senate with legislation such as an audit of the state’s placement program for sexually violent criminals and the unanimous passage in the Senate of a law making sex trafficking of a minor a three-strikes offense.
But his stance is not all bipartisan. He believes Californians are fed up with both the Governor and the Legislature, and pins the blame on 40 years of Democratic control.
“The supermajority situation is certainly not working for Californians,” he said, adding that he hopes voters “will give Republicans a bigger voice.”
“As minority leader, my job is to make sure that the Senate Republican caucus grows. So I’m going to be focused on maintaining the seats that are up for reelection,” he promised.
He believes California’s biggest problems right now are homelessness, crime, the cost of living, fentanyl, unavailable home insurance and unaffordable housing. His innovative state homeless bill didn’t pass, but San Diego’s “Safe Camping” ordinance copied key parts.
Next year will be another opportunity to pass legislation to solve these issues, working across the aisle with centrist Democrats.
For now, he is arguably the “biggest cheerleader” of a new bipartisan approach in Sacramento focused on getting things done for California and steering clear of the national political battles.
Chris Jennewein is editor and publisher of Times of San Diego.
