Political Watch: June 26, 2025

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• State Sen. Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), vice chair of the California Legislative Central Coast Caucus, was recently selected to serve as the 53rd president pro tempore of the California Senate. Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) and Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), the co-chairs of the California Legislative Central Coast Caucus, issued statements on June 11 in support. “We are proud to congratulate one of our own, Sen. Limón, for being elected by her peers as the next Senate president pro tempore,” Addis stated. “Sen. Limón has served as a champion for Central Coast issues—fighting for environmental justice, women’s rights, and many other urgent issues in our region. As the first Latina and the second woman ever to hold this position, she continues her trend of making history and bringing others along with her. We look forward to working together to serve California.” Hart described Limón’s selection as Senate president pro tempore as “a reflection of her exceptional leadership, deep integrity, and ability to build consensus on the most pressing issues facing Californians,” according to a statement from the Central Coast Caucus. “Her historic appointment is a proud moment for the Central Coast and a meaningful step forward for our state during this challenging time,” Hart stated. “We are confident she will continue to lead with thoughtfulness and strength and elevate the voices of communities that have too often gone unheard.” Limón stated that she is grateful for the support of her colleagues. “At this critical time in our state, I am committed to working with my colleagues and remain dedicated to defending our California values and uplifting all of our communities,” she stated. “As someone born and raised on the Central Coast, I am proud to represent our communities and look forward to continuing the work on behalf of all Californians in this new role.” Limón is expected to assume the position in early 2026, according to the Central Coast Caucus.

• On June 20, U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Don Bacon (R-New England) introduced two bipartisan bills—the Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act and the Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act—in an effort to improve public safety nationwide, according to Carbajal’s office. The package aims to address staffing shortages in local law enforcement departments and remove limitations on Medicaid funding for patients in an institution for mental disease in order to improve behavioral health. “The Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act and Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act are bipartisan commitments to strengthening our communities by addressing critical law enforcement staffing shortages and expanding access to behavioral health care,” Carbajal said in the press release. “By investing in these essential resources, we are ensuring that local communities have the support they need to safeguard both people’s physical safety and mental well-being.” The Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act aims to provide an emergency boost to the federal grant program that gives funding to departments for recruitment and hiring. The Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act would remove the Medicaid institutions for mental disease payment prohibition for states that have submitted a plan to increase access to outpatient and community-based behavioral health care; increase availability of crisis stabilization services; and improve data sharing and coordination between physical health, mental health and addiction treatment providers, and first-responders. “Law enforcement staffing shortages and lack of access to behavioral health care are negatively impacting our communities and these two bipartisan bills will help address those gaps,” Bacon stated in the release.

This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 6, 2025.