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 April 29, 2026
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Dear Friends,
April has been a busy month filled with ups and downs. I relaunched my favorite event for young girls, we are planning a study session on e-bikes for May 5th, we witnessed the inspirational return to the moon, we continue our battle with the State to receive funding owed to San Mateo County and its cities, and we saw the exit in disgrace of two members of Congress.
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The Continuing Fight for State Funding
San Mateo County and its 20 cities have mobilized to demand money the State of California owes us to provide essential services to our residents. More than 250 elected officials, first responders, labor and nonprofit leaders, educators, and housing and health leaders rallied in front of the Redwood City Fire Department headquarters on April 7. It was the largest such gathering in the county’s history, designed to send a strong message to Sacramento to keep its promise and end the unfair treatment of our county. We need a permanent fix to the broken funding mechanism to avoid a devastating loss of $1billion over the next decade.
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At issue is a complicated process related to vehicle license fees and education funding. The state is fully reimbursing funds to 55 out of 58 counties. San Mateo County, Alpine County and Mono County are singled out and treated unfairly. Last year, we sued the state to get back $38 million that was withheld. This year, Governor Gavin Newsom’s recommended 2026-27 budget wrongfully excluded $119 million in funds owed to us.
This funding is crucial to public safety. It’s a fire engine unable to get there quickly enough when you’re having a heart attack. It’s the difference between shelter beds being available or not for someone unhoused. It’s city police arriving late for a call. It’s a city park not getting equipment fixed. It’s a child losing an after-school program at a local library. It’s a family losing rental assistance. It’s potholes taking longer to be filled.
A county delegation is currently in Sacramento to plead our case in front of State Senators and Assemblymembers. During the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on April 28th, State Assemblywoman Diane Papan, Board President Corzo and I testified. A group of about 50 local council members, first responders, labor and nonprofit leaders made brief, powerful statements in support of Assemblywoman Papan’s legislation to reinstate the funding. We may not know until June whether or not our money is restored.
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Mentoring Our Next Generation of Leaders
The highlight of this month was without a question the relaunch of When I Grow Up…, an event I hosted while serving in Congress. It’s intended to inspire elementary and middle school girls to dream big. I am grateful to Genentech for hosting us on their beautiful campus. Imagine an astronaut, a police chief, a broadcast journalist and a shark expert all sharing their paths to success with a room full of curious and excited girls ranging in age from 4 to 18 – that’s a recipe for electricity and imagination.
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NASA astronaut and physician Yvonne Cagle transported the girls into space with images of rocket launches, the moon and space. Redwood City Police Chief Kristina Bell gave them a glimpse into the world of law enforcement and wooed them with K9 Rocket. ABC 7 anchor and reporter Luz Pena put the girls to work as camera operators and reporters (they loved the microphone!). Marine Biologist and shark expert Vicky Vásquez took them diving for sharks and introduced them to a species she discovered, the Ninja Lanternshark, which glows in the dark.
Coincidentally, all four speakers shared a common theme: be brave. You could see the impact of these encouraging words in the girls’ awe-filled faces and their smart questions. When I look at them, I see our future leaders and that is why I love hosting this event.
You can watch the entire event here.
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Commemorating Child Abuse Prevention Month
On the opposite end of the spectrum are children who are not mentored and encouraged, but are neglected and abused. In observance of National Child Memorial Day, we raised a flag on the fourth Friday in April at County Center to remember the children who have lost their lives to violence and those who were saved.
The whole concept of a parent or caretaker abusing his or her child is incomprehensible. But tragically, it happens. In 2025, San Mateo County Children and Family Services received approximately 4,800 reports of child abuse and neglect. While thankfully only about 2% of those reports were substantiated, that still amounts to 96 children, an unacceptably high number. San Mateo County evaluated every report and takes this issue extremely seriously. We are grateful that no children died from child abuse in San Mateo County last year. In the meantime, an estimated 2,000 children die nationally from child abuse every year.
The mistreatment and neglect of children affect not only the immediate family, but the entire community and demand a community response. Every child in San Mateo County – or in any county - deserves to be free from abuse and to prosper in safe homes and communities. If you notice anything suspicious, please call the child abuse and neglect hotline at 800-632-4615.
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Celebrating the 56th Earth Day
I hope you were as inspired as I was by the Artemis II mission to the moon. The view of earth from space gives us a whole different perspective on our beautiful blue planet. The words of Astronaut Christina Koch after they swung around the far side of the moon and were returning to earth were profound. She said, "When we burned this burn towards the Moon, I said that we do not leave Earth, but we choose it. And that is true. We will explore. We will build. We will build ships. We will visit again. We will construct science outposts. We will drive rovers. We will do radio astronomy. We will found companies. We will bolster industry. We will inspire. But ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other.”
Those words resonated especially when we celebrated Earth Day during the board meeting on April 21. I also used that occasion to remind us of the local connection to Earth Day through one of its founders, the late Congressman Pete McCloskey who represented San Mateo County from 1967 to 1983. We owe it to his work to enjoy the benefits of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. You can watch my full remarks here:
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Disgrace to Congress
I was deeply disturbed by the behavior of former Congressman Eric Swalwell. In 2018, I along with Republican Alabama Congressman Bradley Byrne authored changes to the Congressional Accountability Act to protect staffers and interns from sexual harassment and assault, the so-called Me-Too Congress Act. As I told several news outlets, I thought we had fixed the problem, but clearly the reforms were not enough. To me the most pressing question is, why didn’t the women feel that they could come forward with their horrific accounts? The answer probably is because it’s still not safe. I urge my former colleagues in Congress to do a deep dive and put in place protections that will actually protect staff members. It must be clear to Members of Congress that they will be expelled if they have a relationship with staff.
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Before I Go…
As school ends and summer travel begins, it’s time to make sure your child’s car seat is properly installed and still fits. As the author of the state law requiring car seats, I’m glad that our Human Services Agency has launched a Strong Families, Safe Futures campaign to raise awareness about these life-saving devices. Not sure if it’s still the right fit? You can make an appointment for a free car seat inspection with the sheriff's office by calling 650-257-3400, ext. 5.
Here is to a calmer May. I hope to see you at the e-bike study session on May 5th at 1 p.m.
All the best,
Jackie
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