Dear Community Members,
2025 has already brought our district some major accomplishments and we can’t talk about anything without recognizing that as of March 18, 2025 at 10 a.m. PST, the Madera Community Hospital has reopened!
Catch up on key wins, events, and standout leaders from the Capitol to the community in the first quarter of 2025.
Madera Community Hospital is Now Open
In 2022, when it was announced that the Madera Community Hospital would be closing, it was felt throughout our district. Instead of letting this hospital go out of commission and focusing on other issues—we leaned in, and spearheaded efforts to save the hospital. With the help of our State Senator, Anna Caballero, I was the proud author of Assembly Bill 112. This bill, which is now law—created $300 million dollars for the Distressed Hospital Loan Program, which would be dispersed to closed and financially struggling hospitals across the state. Over $50 million of those dollars would go to re-opening our Madera Community Hospital.
This was such a huge win for our community. Now, thanks to AB 112, constituents in our community do not have to travel up to 90 minutes to the nearest hospital for life-threatening care. This reflected real change for our community, it mattered to everyday people. This is the mindset we will have moving forward into my next term. We did it, Madera!
WE ARE OPEN!
Immigration Roundtable in Fresno
I was honored to host an immigration roundtable in Fresno with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas in March, alongside other members of the Assembly. This roundtable convened in order for us to listen, engage, and collaborate with our Central Valley partners and stakeholders who represent immigrant communities throughout the Central Valley. We learned a lot and look forward to implementing the changes we know need to take place in order to further protect our immigrant communities.
Press Conference on Sexual Assault Prevention Legislation
Assembly Bill 848 and Assembly Bill 849 are two bills I introduced this year aimed at protecting hospital patients and women from sexual assault. Women in California deserve to feel safe when they seek medical treatment. These pieces of legislation not only give these survivors a voice but will also ensure that no more women suffer in silence.
Reappointed as Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair
I currently serve as Chair of the Agriculture Committee and have held that position since 2023. I was recently reappointed as Chair by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas in January of 2025.
Agriculture Day 2025!
March 19, 2025, is designated as California Agriculture Day (Ag Day), a day of celebration to commemorate agriculture’s importance in our daily lives, its vital role in keeping Californians nourished, and its role in keeping the state’s economy ranked as the fifth largest in the world.
Delivered Fast Recovery Support for LA Wildfire Survivors
“Today, my colleagues and I in the Assembly unanimously voted to approve $2.5 billion dollars in disaster relief for Los Angeles, in the aftermath of historic and unprecedented wildfires that devastated the region in recent weeks. To be clear, this is just the first step we will take as a legislature. It is our sworn responsibility to ensure Angelenos get the relief and resources they need as soon as humanly possible. We must do this in order for these people to rebuild and reshape their lives.”
Joint Press Conference on Ignition Interlock Device Bill Assembly Bill 366
California faces a drunk driving crisis. This is why I was proud to stand up with my colleagues as a co-author of AB 366. This bill will renew the Ignition Interlock Device Program to create safer roads in California and increase our public safety. We must decrease the amount of DUIs in this state. AB 366 is joint-authored by my friends and colleagues Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, Senator Bob Archuleta, and Assemblymember Maggy Krell.
Young Legislators Program 2025
We had another installment of our 2025 Young Legislators Program, this time for our Madera and Fresno County cohort in which we hosted a Government 101 discussion. Special thanks to Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco & Central Unified Board of Trustee Jaspreet Sidhu for this session.
Honoring the Life of Chang Gue Xiong, Merced Community Leader and Pioneer for Hmong Rights
I was proud to honor the life of Chang Gue Xiong and recognize his important work to uplift the Hmong community. Family members of Xiong traveled to Sacramento to join in the recognition ceremony.
2025 Women of the Year Luncheon
Congratulations to the 2025 Assembly District 27 Woman of the Year, Dora Westerlund!
Dora continues to be a trailblazing leader in our community and her time as CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation has been nothing short of remarkable. Dora’s advocacy, sense of community, and roots in the Central Valley have allowed her work to be transformative in the areas of education, healthcare, energy, immigration, and more. I’m thrilled to announce Dora Westerlund as Assembly District 27’s Woman of the Year!
Westerlund founded the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 2004 that helps foster entrepreneurship toward economic self-sufficiency for minority and underserved communities in the following areas: Fresno, Mendota, Firebaugh, San Joaquin, Huron, Madera, and Livingston.
Congratulations to District 27’s 2025 Women Leading the Way Winners
Pictured from Left to Right: Dora Westerlund, Julia Hernández, Michele Pecina, Christina Martinez, Rosa Alcaraz, Christina Beckstead, Teresa Strube, Rhonda Batson, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, Lupe Garcia, Sheila Diaz, Laura Ramos, Kathryn Hansen, Yazmine Enriquez
Joint Informational Hearing on Food Insecurity in California
Recently I and Assemblymember Lee (D-Milpitas) held a Joint Informational Hearing on Food Insecurity in California, impacts to Food Banks, and improvement to California’s food systems.
We discussed what programs are in California, specifically Cal-Fresh – the state’s SNAP program. California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross focused on programs that benefited both farmers and California consumers, which centered on increasing the amount of fresh Californian-grown product access to many at-risk Californians.
Celebrating Madera Food Bank Expansion
#teamsoria was thrilled to be alongside Supervisor Leticia Gonzalez, and other local leaders to recognize the collaboration between community partners that made this expansion possible.
My office and I helped to secure $500,000 in state funding to help facilitate the transition into this larger facility—ensuring that more families in need receive critical food assistance.
This was the grand opening of the newly built facility. With the help of state funding, the Food Bank has successfully relocated to this new, expanded space, allowing it to increase storage capacity, improve distribution efficiency, and better serve residents in need.
District 27 Quarter 1 Casework Report
My office and I take pride in completing casework for the Constituents of Assembly District 27. These cases are brought to us by constituents who may have had issues with EDD, DMV, or the Franchise Tax Board, to name a few. We understand that it may be difficult from time to time to make contact with these agencies, so we work on your behalf. If you have any issues with any state agencies, please contact our District Office for assistance.
The following numbers are from December 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025:
- Cases opened: 58
- Closed cases: 41
- Total dollars returned to Constituents: $156,143.08
Fresno County: 9
Madera County: 2
Merced County: 45
