State Senator Steve Glazer addresses constituents at a town hall meeting in Orinda on Feb. 22.
On Feb. 22, State Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, held his first in-person town hall since 2019. Glazer switched to virtual meetings after the pandemic hit in 2020, holding 20 during the last three years.
Glazer, an Orinda resident and former mayor, represents Senate District 07, comprising the majority of Contra Costa County and parts of Alameda County. Approximately 90 constituents from Orinda, Moraga and Lafayette filled the Orinda Library Auditorium.
After a brief introduction by Mayor Inga Miller, Glazer quickly engaged the audience by polling them on subjects as varied as to where they got their news (print vs. the internet), who graduated from college in four years and who had booked a hotel online by mistake and then couldn’t get a refund.
In a PowerPoint presentation which lauded his legislative achievements, Glazer tied these diverse topics together as he introduced new goals.
In 2022, Glazer’s authored legislation which accomplished the following:
• Disqualifies local government officials from voting on development projects if they receive $250 or more in contributions from the developers.
• Funds $25 million to a journalism program.
• Requires businesses to provide honest information in lending options.
• Provides record funding to education, childcare and universal pre-K and universal school meals.
The senator also voted for bills addressing climate change, housing and mental health, as well as setting aside a record amount in California’s rainy-day reserve.
Among Glazer’s 2023 legislative priorities are promoting programs to help students graduate from California State Universities within four years, in part by connecting underrepresented students with advising and counseling.
He told the audience four-year graduation rates at CSU campuses have climbed from 19% in 2014 to 35% in 2022, with a goal of 40% in 2025.
Four-year graduation rates for University of California campuses are 73%.
Another key legislative goal is to pass consumer protection, which will require lodging services to display upfront the total cost of the stay, including all added fees and to provide 24-hour hotel booking cancellation with a full refund.
After Glazer’s presentation, he took questions from the audience, addressing wildfire prevention, school funding, crime and other issues of local importance.
Glazer’s upcoming town halls:
April 13 in Brentwood with Assemblymember Grayson
April 20 in Walnut Creek with Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan
April 27 in Pittsburg with Assemblymember Grayson
For more information, reach Senator Glazer at 925.258.1176 or https://sd07.senate.ca.gov/.
Kathy Cordova can be reached at cordova@theorindanews.com.
