Dave Jones’ climate record gives him the edge to represent Sacramento in California Senate

California Democrats’ inability to use their legislative supermajority to deliver solutions equal to the state’s myriad crises is less about the number of Democratic votes in the Capitol and more about the political courage of the politicians casting them.

State Sen. Dr. Richard Pan, who has chaired the Senate’s health committee since 2019, has courageously stood up for public health throughout his eight-year tenure — most notably in 2019, when he was targeted by misinformed extremists for closing loopholes in school vaccine requirements. Pan also sponsored lifesaving bills during the pandemic that provided rent relief and aided small businesses.

The disappointing hole in Pan’s record is on climate or environmental policies. He has consistently abstained on bills that would, for example, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen oil regulations and discourage single-use plastics. It’s not just Pan, either. Many Democratic lawmakers choose not to vote or even vote with Republicans when bills are opposed by powerful special interests and trade groups.

With Pan termed out, the Editorial Board was torn between veteran Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby and former state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones for the new 8th District seat in the California Senate. It ultimately came down to which contender is more likely to stand up to the fierce opposition that stymies progress on housing, homelessness and climate change and challenge the status quo in the Senate. We believe Jones is up to the task.

A Harvard Law School graduate and former Sacramento councilman and state assemblyman, Jones has decades of experience representing Californians at the local and state level. He has authored policies that increased affordable housing, required a living wage, reformed health care and advanced the rights of women and the LGBTQ community.

Since Jones left state office three years ago, he’s served as the director of the Climate Risk Initiative at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, developing policy and research that plans for California’s future. The state Senate has abdicated climate leadership in recent years and failed to adopt policies that move California away from fossil fuels — even as the state endures worsening drought, wildfire, pollution and extreme heat. Jones’ record as Gov. Jerry Brown’s insurance commissioner and his progressive platform offer a welcome shift at a moment when two-thirds of voters consider the changing climate a serious threat.

Ashby has been a trailblazing leader for the last 12 years in Sacramento, adept at attracting major economic investments, adding family-oriented amenities and fighting aggressively for her constituents. Her journey as a single mother who clawed her way out of poverty and earned degrees at UC Davis and McGeorge School of Law is nothing short of inspiring. If elected, she would be the first female legislator for Sacramento in two decades, and she has garnered Pan’s support.

However, her district-centric advocacy on the City Council has sometimes put her at odds with the interests of the entire city, especially when it took resources away from underserved neighborhoods. Ashby successfully lobbied for more than $14 million to fund a $45 million aquatic complex in Natomas, while she and other Sacramento leaders opposed a ballot measure that would have guaranteed funding for youth services that remain an afterthought today.

Ashby’s emphasis on “wraparound services” for homeless people overlooks the much more difficult primary concern of establishing a safe place to house the people who would receive them. As homelessness got worse, her unwavering support for women and children, who at last count made up 20% of Sacramento’s unhoused population, often bogged down discussions that could get more people off the streets.

On issues such as criminal justice reforms and improving public safety, both candidates expressed similar ideas to bolster rehabilitation services for people exiting prison and deepen investments in the community to prevent crime. Both also noted the importance of enforcing gun control laws to ensure weapons are not in the hands of domestic abusers and violent felons.

Far too often, however, Ashby leans on platitudes and personal anecdotes instead of taking the clear positions we need from the leaders of a state facing a multitude of serious problems. Jones is a career politician in every sense, but at a time when voters need bold action to overcome the status quo, he is the better choice.

This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 5:00 AM.