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Latino Spirit Awards

As part of the Latino Spirit Awards celebration taking place on the Assembly Floor, I escorted Cristela Alonzo, our 2019 Latino Spirit Award honoree for Achievement in Advocacy & Entertainment.

Cristela Alonzo is the first Latina to create, produce, and star in her own Network TV sit-com, ‘Cristela’, which aired on ABC. The semi-biographical show was based on her time living with her sister while also taking care of their mother. Cristela proudly had an all-Latino primary ...cast, and hired numerous Latino writers for her show. Cristela has also appeared on numerous TV shows and has been a recurring host on ABC7 "The View." In 2017, she released her first hour-long stand up special, "Lower Classy" on Netflix, as well as becoming the first Latina lead in a Disney/Pixar film with her breakout role as “Cruz Ramirez” in "Cars 3."

In addition to her work in entertainment, Cristela has devoted a large part of her time to be a voice for Latinos, immigrants, the disenfranchised, and the underrepresented. She frequently gives speeches, moderates panels, and helps raise awareness and money for numerous organizations and nonprofits. This includes raising funds to sponsor Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, supporting the Dolores Huerta Foundation, appearing on Soledad O’Brien’s panels for her, "I Am Latino in America" national awareness tour, and advocating for the Special Olympics. Cristela is currently writing a memoir about her life for Simon & Schuster.

State Legislator From OC Speaks Up About Her Homeless Brother's Death

As a state legislator from Orange County, Sharon Quirk-Silva is at the center of the region's big, contentious conversation about homelessness.

But for her, it's personal.

Her younger brother, Raymond William "Billy" Jaso, died last year after living on the streets and crashing with relatives for many years. He struggled with alcohol addiction. In October he was fatally hit by a car. He was 53.

It was something of a turning point for Quirk-Silva.

"We can't continue to see people die on our streets," she said through tears at a recent meeting of Orange County's Medi-Cal insurer, CalOptima.

As a public official, Quirk-Silva has wrestled with the fallout of homelessness for almost a decade. In 2011, while she was on Fullerton's City Council, a schizophrenic homeless man named Kelly Thomas, died at the hands of Fullerton police officers. The incident caused a national public outcry and led to the recall of three city councilmembers.

To read more follow the link.

San Francisco Chronicle “College admissions cheating scandal prompts California reform package”

“California taxpayers should not be unwitting donors to criminal actions of bribery and tax evasion,” said Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva.  “My bill will prohibit such deductions, and will go after those who have already been able to profit from these illicit tax deductions.”

The measure brought to the Assembly, removes the ability of those involved in providing these payoffs, to be able to recover a portion of the bribe from California taxpayers by means of a tax deduction. Deceit and bribery have no place in our college admissions process.

Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva Continues Fight for Veterans Cemetery

Orange County, CA - Last week, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva along with Tom Daly, Senator Tom Umberg, and additional members of the Orange County delegation, sent a letter to the Irvine City Council stating their continued support of the Amended and Restated Development Agreement (ARDA) site to the State.

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