{"id":414438,"date":"2026-07-27T22:29:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T22:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/414438\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T22:29:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T22:29:24","slug":"summer-recess-activities-and-more-news-from-senator-blakespear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/414438\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Recess Activities and More News from Senator Blakespear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Greetings!<\/p>\n

Last week I attended a conference in Salt Lake City\u201a put on by the Council of State Governments (CSG) West\u201a where Elizabeth Smart was the closing keynote speaker. As many will remember or may have seen recently on Netflix\u201a Elizabeth was abducted at age 14\u201a held captive and sexually abused for nine months before being identified by law enforcement in a store\u2019s parking lot and reunited safely with her family. This is one of the few abduction stories that had a positive ending. I covered it closely when I worked as a reporter for the Associated Press based in Salt Lake City where Elizabeth Smart lived.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hearing her speak in person was profound. Her message centered on the power of personal choice: that all of us face pain\u201a but we get to decide how we respond to it. She described in riveting detail what happened to her and how she coped. Chained up outside in the foothills above the city with very little to eat\u201a she sometimes found herself thinking: at least it wasn\u2019t also raining\u201a muddy and wet. She also offered striking insight into how psychological bonds \u2014 coercion\u201a threats\u201a and manipulation \u2014 can be even more powerful than physical restraints\u201a and how they were used to keep her from escaping.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I had the honor of speaking with her personally before and after her keynote\u201a and her story left a deep impression on me as a woman and as the mother of a daughter. It\u2019s important to recognize the many forms sexual coercion can take. Elizabeth\u2019s abductor claimed he was consummating their holy marriage when he raped her \u2011 a reminder that sexual abuse comes wrapped in justifications.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yesterday\u201a I hosted a human trafficking event called \u201cWe Are Not Property \u2011 Ending Human Trafficking\u201d prompted by the number of people trafficked in California each year. I\u2019ll share more details in next week\u2019s newsletter about how it went. It\u2019s important that we recognize and identify abuse in all its forms so we can prevent and ultimately eliminate it.<\/p>\n

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\"Senator<\/p>\n

Before the keynote speech\u201a I chatted a bit with Elizabeth Smart.<\/p>\n

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\"Elizabeth<\/p>\n

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With (left photo) Tracy Barnes (left)\u201a from Workday\u201a and Paul Baltzell (right)\u201a of Salesforce\u201a who gave presentations on how the public sector is utilizing AI\u201a and (right photo) in front of my alma mater\u201a the University of Utah Law School.<\/p>\n

At that same CSG West conference\u201a I was grateful to chair and co\u2011chair two sessions and attend several other sessions on artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector\u201a medicine\u201a and related to quantum computing. All the panels helped me recognize exactly where we stand with AI right now in California and nationwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

AI creates a duality: there is excitement about its potential\u201a paired with genuine and high\u2011level anxiety about its risks. The concerns people raise are wide\u2011ranging and real \u2014 ubiquitous data center proposals driving up utility costs and threatening our water reliability; kids not learning the fundamentals in school; workers losing jobs and risks of being fired by \u201cAI bosses\u201d; and the fear of a massive cyberattack or biomedical attack when the technology gets in the wrong hands. And in the meantime\u201a we\u2019re not yet seeing AI deliver on its promise to solve our most complex problems \u2014 like fighting climate change or curing cancer.<\/p>\n

This creates a very real crisis of confidence in AI technology\u201a which is why the State of Utah has coined and is advancing what they call a \u201cPro\u2011human AI initiative.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looking at the current state of the law\u201a California\u2019s approach so far centers on transparency. SB 53 \u2014 the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act\u201a signed by Governor Newsom last year and effective as of January 1\u201a 2026 \u2014 requires developers of the most advanced \u201cfrontier\u201d AI models to publish their safety frameworks and disclose how they assess catastrophic risks. If a critical safety incident poses imminent risk of death or serious injury\u201a developers must notify authorities within 24 hours. The law is focused on transparency and risk mitigation\u201a not yet liability \u2014 essentially\u201a the state saying \u201ctell us what your safety plans are so we can be knowledgeable about what you\u2019re doing.\u201d In addition\u201a the state\u2019s attorney general will begin releasing anonymized annual reports in 2027 drawn from whistleblower disclosures.<\/p>\n

Looking at where the laws are headed across multiple states\u201a the next likely step is a requirement for independent safety audits\u201a to confirm companies are actually following through on those plans. Given the external pressures companies face to cut corners\u201a that oversight matters. As was noted several times\u201a government wasn\u2019t able to keep pace with social media\u2019s risks \u2014 particularly for youth \u2014 and there\u2019s a shared determination not to repeat that mistake with AI.<\/p>\n

One helpful analogy is car safety \u2014 automakers must submit approved safety plans\u201a and third parties conduct crash testing to independently assess and report on risk. AI could benefit from a similar model.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Collectively the companies need to earn trust and the oversight agencies need to adapt as the technology and its threats surface.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to build your AI knowledge and literacy\u201a join our next \u201cOur California! Book Club<\/a>\u201d where we\u2019re reading \u201cEmpire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman\u2019s OpenAI\u201d by Karen Hao. The book club is low stress and a great motivator to read a book\u201a instead of reading only social media and AI generated short summaries! You can sign up to get the details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Senator<\/p>\n

I serve as the Co\u2011Chair of the Committee on Technology and the Future of Work alongside Rep. Justin Wilmeth (left) from Arizona and we moderated a discussion on quantum computing and data centers.<\/p>\n

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Executive Director and Founder of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center\u201a Max Disposti (to my right) and his team toured me around their new space.<\/p>\n

The legislature officially recessed for the summer on July 2 through August 2. This month\u201a recess offers time for legislators to break from the routine of convening in Sacramento each Monday through Thursday to spend time in their districts\u201a do study trips\u201a and reconnect with their families\u201a constituents\u201a and organizations. I\u2019m grateful for the time to spend with so many amazing organizations in the district that give back so much to the community. This weekend\u201a it\u2019s San Diego Pride\u201a so I visited the North County LGBT Resource Center\u201a for a tour of their new 18\u201a000 square foot property in Oceanside. The Center provides not only a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community\u201a but also offers housing supports\u201a health care services\u201a food programs\u201a homeless serving programs\u201a and more\u201a to the north county region. In 2024\u201a the Center helped 600 families out of homelessness\u201a provided free therapy to over 250 individuals\u201a distributed over $120K in rental assistance and housing related services\u201a connected 56 individuals with substance use disorders to proper detox centers\u201a and case managed over 2\u201a000 individuals. Thousands more have been referred to services\u201a resources\u201a and lifesaving programs. Happy Pride!<\/p>\n

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The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President & CEO Atif Saeed and me\u201a in front of the iconic RISE jellyfish\u201a designed after the local purple striped jellyfish off the San Diego coast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The first phase of the San Diego Airport Terminal 1 project is complete and the new space has transformed the travel experience. The project added 19 new gates\u201a new amenities\u201a and boasts an incredible arts program. I recently had a walking tour with Atif Saeed\u201a the new President & CEO of the Airport Authority\u201a and his team to hear about the public art program<\/a> at the airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of my favorite pieces was Sandcast (in photo below) which pays tribute to San Diego\u2019s role in aviation history in the form of a classical bas\u2011relief sculpture. Artist Charles Faust captures key milestones in the region\u2019s aeronautical innovation from the birth of naval aviation at North Island in 1911\u201a to the construction of the Spirit of St. Louis by Ryan Aeronautical in 1927\u201a to the city\u2019s wartime aircraft production boom and later contributions to space exploration through the Atlas rocket program. The artwork was created using Faust\u2019s signature sand casting technique which includes pouring plaster into sand\u2011lined molds to replicate the texture of eroded sandstone. The sculpture consists of nine segments\u201a each weighing 225 pounds. Together\u201a they form an 11\u2011by\u201118\u2011foot mural that evokes both the physical landscape of Southern California and the enduring legacy of flight that helped shape the region. You can find this piece right as you exit the terminal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next time you\u2019re at the airport\u201a take a moment to take in the incredible art \u2013 both permanent and temporary \u2013 that fills the airport. It is just another reason why SAN is one special airport.<\/p>\n

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Manager of Arts at San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Tiffany Beres (left) talking about Sandcast.<\/p>\n

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I joined representatives from the City of San Juan Capistrano and Jamboree Housing for a tour of the Salida del Sol project\u201a a 50\u2011unit affordable housing and mixed\u2011use civic development on City Hall property. From left: Sean Allin\u201a my intern; Ben Siegel\u201a city manager; Derrick Gaffnery\u201a government affairs manager; Councilmember Sergio Farias; me; Kelsey Brewer of Jamboree Housing; my intern\u201a Kate Mazzela; and Rodrigo Nadres of Jamboree Housing.<\/p>\n

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Here I am looking at one of the affordable units.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Salida del Sol shows what can happen when cities use public land thoughtfully and partner with experienced affordable housing providers to meet the needs of the community. The project adds 50 affordable homes\u201a including permanent supportive housing for veterans and people who have experienced homelessness\u201a while also creating a new City Hall and shared community spaces. By bringing housing\u201a public services and civic life together in one place\u201a San Juan Capistrano has created a more diverse\u201a community\u2011focused civic center and an innovative model for addressing multiple community needs through a single project.<\/p>\n

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\"Event<\/a>
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I hope you can join me for this important community conversation about e\u2011bike safety on July 29 at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To attend\u201a RSVP HERE<\/a>.
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thank you for your support. I\u00a0am honored to serve you.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In partnership\u201a<\/p>\n

\"Senator<\/p>\n

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