Jessie Lopez
DemocraticQ1 California is rich in natural resources (i.e. oil, with California being the 7th largest oil producing state in the nation) and, as of June 2025, conserves 26.1% of its lands and 21.9% of its coastal waters. Given California’s resources, what policies would you pursue or continue, if any, in regard to land management and use?
“California’s land is one of our greatest assets, and we have to manage it as both an economic resource and an ecological trust. I support continuing California’s 30x30 goal of conserving 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030, and while current progress shows how much work remains, I’d push for accelerated funding for land acquisition, habitat corridors, and coastal protections rather than scaling back the ambition.
On oil, I support strong health-protective setbacks between drilling operations and homes, schools, and other sensitive sites, along with a managed, accountable transition away from fossil fuel extraction that includes remediation of existing wells and support for affected workers.
I also believe we need CEQA reform that distinguishes infill, urban housing development from true greenfield projects, so we protect open space and sensitive habitats while making it easier to build housing where it belongs. Land use decisions should reduce wildfire risk through responsible forest and vegetation management, and clean energy siting should prioritize disturbed or already-developed land, rooftop solar, and agrivoltaics before opening new public lands to development.
Conservation, responsible resource use, and smart housing growth aren’t competing goals. They can and should reinforce each other.”
Q2 California is one of the leading states with the most data centers which are important facilities for processing and storing data. However they also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers?
“Data centers must be held to strict conditions before they’re approved to move forward. I support requiring 100% clean power sourcing for large new electricity users like data centers, along with strong limits on water use, especially given how water-intensive cooling systems can be in a state already managing drought and scarcity. Siting matters too. I don’t support approving new data centers in communities already overburdened by pollution and industrial noise unless there are clear, enforceable community benefits attached, like local hiring commitments and infrastructure investments. Communities shouldn’t bear new environmental and health costs, including noise pollution, without getting something tangible in return. I also want ongoing community oversight, not just conditions set at approval, so residents have a real voice if problems emerge after a facility is built. And ratepayers shouldn’t be left covering the cost of the massive electricity demand these facilities create; utilities and data center operators should bear those infrastructure costs directly, not push them onto everyday households. California can be a hub for this industry, but only if we require clean power, protect water resources, and make sure growth doesn’t come at the expense of the communities living closest to it.”
Q3 In 2025, approximately 33% of students in K-12 schools across California met or exceeded science standards, and teacher shortages have resulted in districts hiring teachers with substandard credentials in math and science. What evidence-based policies, if any, would you follow to increase science proficiency and access to quality education across the state and why?
“A 33% science proficiency rate reflects deeper, systemic problems in how California funds and staffs its schools, and the fixes have to start there. I support strengthening the Local Control Funding Formula with a larger equity multiplier for districts serving concentrated poverty, English learners, and students with disabilities, since these are often the same schools struggling most to hire qualified science and math teachers. On the teacher shortage specifically, I support expanding loan forgiveness and housing assistance programs targeted at STEM educators, along with competitive, state-funded wage increases so experienced teachers aren’t priced out of the communities where they teach. We also need stronger, faster credentialing pathways, including support for teachers pursuing STEM credentials while already in the classroom, rather than relying on underqualified emergency-permit hires. Smaller class sizes and adequate staffing ratios matter too. Teachers can’t deliver hands-on, inquiry-based science instruction, which the research shows drives real proficiency gains, when they’re stretched too thin. I’d also prioritize funding for lab equipment, materials, and professional development in high-poverty districts, since access to real scientific instruction shouldn’t depend on a district’s property tax base.”
Q4 Healthcare is an important resource to Californians, with publicly supported programs such as Medi-Cal providing coverage covering roughly half of all Californians including 14.5 million low-income residents. According to the Center on Healthcare from West Health-Gallup, California has an overall healthcare grade of “C” over the categories of cost, quality, and access, with gaps in rural health coverage, environmental health threats, workforce shortages, and affordability challenges. What policies, if any, do you support to address the healthcare of Californians and why?
“A ““C”” grade reflects a healthcare system with deep structural gaps, and I believe the long-term answer is moving California toward a single-payer, publicly financed system that guarantees care as a right, not a privilege tied to employment or ability to pay. SB 770 laid important groundwork, and I’d push to finish its financing analysis and pursue the federal waivers needed so California isn’t stuck waiting on Congress.
In the near term, Medi-Cal needs real investment: higher provider reimbursement rates so patients aren’t stuck on waitlists, expanded language access and culturally competent care, and stronger outreach so eligible residents stay enrolled. I also support extending full Medi-Cal parity to all income-eligible Californians regardless of immigration status, since a two-tiered system just delays costlier emergency care.
On rural and workforce gaps, I support expanded mobile clinics, community health partnerships, and incentives like loan forgiveness to recruit providers into underserved areas. I also support the Office of Health Care Affordability’s cost targets, though I want to make sure they don’t become a substitute for the bigger structural fix.
Affordability, access, and quality are connected. Piecemeal fixes help, but California needs to keep building toward guaranteed coverage for everyone.”
Q5 Infectious disease outbreaks in California, like measles and foodborne illnesses, are on the rise and have had significant impacts on the state’s health, agriculture, and produce economy. In some counties in California, vaccination rates are low, making communities potentially vulnerable to measles outbreaks. Furthermore, California is responsible for over a third of the US’s fresh produce, which is a common source of foodborne illness. What policies, if any, do you support for implementing preventative measures and mitigating strategies against outbreaks?
“Vaccine hesitancy and outbreaks like measles and cyclospora call for the same core strategy: trusted, community-rooted public health infrastructure, backed by real state investment. As a community health worker during COVID, I saw firsthand how misinformation, not lack of access, kept people from getting vaccinated, including women in our community told by trusted figures that vaccines would harm their fertility. That taught me that public health messaging only works when it comes from messengers people already trust.
I support funding community health workers, promotoras, and culturally and linguistically specific outreach organizations to lead vaccination campaigns in low-coverage counties, rather than relying solely on top-down mandates. I also support strengthening school vaccination requirement enforcement and closing loopholes that allow low-coverage clusters to persist.
On foodborne illness, given how central California produce is to both our economy and the nation’s food supply, I support increased funding for state agricultural inspection and food safety surveillance, particularly around water sources used in irrigation, since contaminated water is a common root cause of outbreaks like cyclosporiasis.
Finally, California needs to backfill federal disease surveillance and immunization funding if it’s cut or politicized, so our public health infrastructure doesn’t collapse when Washington turns its back on basic prevention.”
Q6 Distrust in science has been on the rise among the general public and policymakers, which has been associated with changes in federal funding for scientific research. In order to bridge this gap, how do you think scientists and policymakers can work together to strengthen their communication?
“Distrust in science rarely comes from the data itself; it comes from people feeling like science is handed down rather than communicated with them, especially in communities that have historically been ignored or mistreated by institutions. As a community health worker during COVID, I saw this directly: accurate information didn’t spread through press releases, it spread through promotoras and community messengers people already trusted.
Policymakers should be investing in that kind of infrastructure permanently, not just during emergencies. That means sustained funding for community health workers and culturally and linguistically specific outreach organizations who can translate scientific findings into terms that are relevant to people’s daily lives and concerns.
Scientists also need real pathways into the legislative process, not just as occasional expert witnesses, but embedded in policy development from the start, so research informs policy before decisions are made rather than justifying them afterward. I’d support expanding legislative fellowship programs that place scientists directly in the Capitol.
Finally, when federal research funding is cut or politicized, California should be prepared to backfill it. Protecting scientific research from partisan swings is itself a form of communication: it tells the public that evidence matters regardless of who’s in power.”
Q8 Funding for research in California has dropped by millions in the past year with an ongoing possibility for more reductions. Yet, University research is a major economic driver. For example, according to the University of California, they generate about $14 of economic value for every dollar invested. What policies, if any, do you support to invest in research? What role do you envision science research playing in the state economy?
“I support maintaining a stable and diversified investment in scientific research, particularly research that addresses California’s long-term needs in areas such as health, agriculture, climate resilience, energy, technology, and infrastructure.
Research funding should come from a combination of state, federal, private, and philanthropic sources. State funding can also help universities attract additional outside research dollars. For example, UC reported approximately $5.8 billion in direct research expenditures in 2023–24, with federal sources accounting for about half of that funding. There is also documented evidence that university research and related activities contribute significantly to California’s economy. UC’s most recent systemwide economic-impact analysis found that UC supports more than 500,000 jobs and generates more than $21 in economic output for every $1 invested by the state. These figures measure the broader economic effects of the University and should not be interpreted as a return generated solely by individual research grants.
I see science research playing a role in California’s economy by supporting innovation, creating skilled jobs, attracting federal and private investment, developing new technologies and businesses, and addressing practical challenges facing the state. Public investment should be accompanied by transparency about how funds are used and measurable outcomes, while recognizing that basic research can take years to produce economic or technological benefits.”