SAN DIEGO — As Governor Gavin Newsom visited San Diego this weekend as part of his statewide tour, CBS 8 had the opportunity to speak with him, as well as with California Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, after they toured Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego's research vessel docked in Point Loma.
This included California's response to the upcoming federal court decision out of Texas which could ban the widely used abortion pill mifepristone on a nationwide level.
"This is an assault on our health care," Newsom said, calling this pending court ruling "pre-determined."
Newsom said that he is hopeful the judge's decision would be immediately stayed as the case works its way up through the appeals process.
"Meanwhile, we're going to do more and do better to make sure we're here for the people not only who we serve in the state of California," he added. "But feel an obligation to the people across the country that are fearful about their lives and their health and safety, and we're going to be there to protect them as well."
He also pointed to California's move to codify the right to reproductive freedom in the state's Constitution.
"It's California values," Senator Atkins told CBS 8. "We respect the right to privacy and that includes abortion and contraception."
As for the rate hike proposed by SDG&E which has infuriated so many San Diegans, CBS 8 asked the Governor what assurances San Diegans have that the California Public Utilities Commission, whose members he appoints, will have ratepayers' best interests at heart when making the final decision.
"If they don't, then they don't belong on that board," Newsom responded.
"We're seeing these ongoing increases and we review them all, case by case in a very organized thorough process," Newsom said. "And we're not just going to roll over."
As part of his statewide tour, Newsom has also been focused on tackling the homeless crisis.
"Walk the streets and sidewalks," he said. "It is unacceptable what's happening. We hear you, we see you... we get it!"
One new statewide strategy is CARE Court, which will provide court-ordered treatment of some Californians, many of them homeless, struggling with severe mental illness.
San Diego has volunteered to pilot this program beginning this fall, although some critics have questioned whether it will trample on civil liberties.
"We're now on the precipice of re-building a new mindset of engagement," Newsom said. "Respecting individual liberties, respecting process and oversight, court-ordered oversight. But at the same time, we're expecting more in terms of accountability on the other side and that's what CARE Court is about."
"It's about the families who can't even help their loved ones, because they're not able to get through a system that allows some real care for their loved ones," Senator Atkins added. "Their hands are tied."
Newsom has also unveiled a new initiative to construct hundreds of new tiny homes across California to get more people off the streets more immediately, while they await permanent housing.
"We're trying to provide more alternatives, more options," he added. "And do this in real time, end of the summer, early fall... get these out, 1200 all across the state."
San Diego County will be receiving at least initially, 150 of these new tiny homes..
Newsom also out that that number could easily increase far more beyond that, considering how quickly these structures can be built and how inexpensive they are to manufacture.
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