Press Releases

(SACRAMENTO) - Assembly Bill 1680  establishes a misdemeanor against drone operators whose aircraft interferes with or impedes the response time of emergency personnel during disaster situations. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona), flew off the Assembly floor today on a 78-0 vote.

“As the popularity of commercialized drones increases, so does the danger they pose during times of emergency,” said Rodriguez. “Interfering with first responders in any way hinders operations and puts the safety of the public at risk. During these critical situations we cannot afford added complications.”

(SACRAMENTO) - A portion of Interstate 10 in Pomona is a step closer to being named after fallen Pomona SWAT Office Shaun Diamond today after a vote in the Senate Transportation Committee approves the measure in honor of Officer Diamond. Assembly Concurrent Resolution 104, authored by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona), will declare I-10 from the SR-57 interchange to the North Towne Avenue exit as the "Pomona Police Officer Shaun Diamond Memorial Highway."

SACRAMENTO- In recognition of 9-1-1 for Kids Education Week and 9-1-1 Heroes’ & Dispatcher’s Day, Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona) honored a group of 9-1-1 dispatchers on the Assembly Floor.

“As an EMT of over 30 years, I know how important dispatchers are to the emergency response system,” said Rodriguez. “They are often the calm voice amid chaos. I am proud to be able to honor their contributions and recognize the 9-1-1 for Kids program.”

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, announced today he will hold an oversight hearing in response to the State Audit of the University of California.

The State audit revealed that the University’s prioritization of non-resident enrollment has been placing California’s students at a severe disadvantage resulting in less qualified non-resident students being admitted to the UC over more qualified California residents. Among the findings, the audit revealed that, despite a 52 percent increase in resident applications over the last 10 years, resident enrollment increased by only 10 percent while nonresident enrollment increased 432 percent.

Assemblymember Rodriguez released the following statement on the proposed minimum wage increase:

“Raising the minimum wage will greatly benefit working residents in the Inland Empire who are struggling to provide for their families, while also taking a reasonable approach that allows businesses to phase-in the increase over the five years after the measure is adopted in 2017. The ability to pause the increase should economic and budgetary conditions change is important to safeguard against another budget crisis.”

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez represents the 52nd Assembly District which includes the cities of Chino, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona and portions of unincorporated Fontana.

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez named Nancy Sakurai of Chino as the Woman of the Year from the 52nd Assembly District. Sakurai is a 27-year resident of the City of Chino and a dedicated community volunteer.

"Nancy exemplifies what it means to serve your community," said Rodriguez. "She has dedicated much of her time to local community organizations and the residents of Chino have undoubtedly benefitted from her commitment. I am honored to be able to recognize her as our Woman of the Year."

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management, will hold an informational hearing on the December 2, 2015 incident at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. The hearing will take place on Friday, March 18th at 10:00 am at the San Bernardino County Government Center in San Bernardino. The subject of the hearing is “The San Bernardino Shooting; Lessons Learned.”

“Tragedy struck our community on December 2nd  and the emergency responders from throughout the Inland Empire performed heroically,” said Rodriguez. “Reviewing the emergency response after a major incident such as this is important. I want to hear directly from the first responders to find out what went well, what could have been done better and how we can improve emergency preparedness across the state.”

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, in partnership with San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon, introduced AB 1769 which seeks to prevent the county's new 'Text to 9-1-1' system from being abused. Current law makes it a misdemeanor to "nuisance call" the 9-1-1 system. AB 1769 would expand existing law to include nuisance texts to 9-1-1.

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez introduced AB 1719 which will ensure high school students learn CPR before they graduate high school. AB 1719 holds the power to create a generation of lifesavers.

According to the American Heart Association, sudden cardiac arrest is one of the most lethal public health threats in the United States. Nearly 326,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside the hospital each year, and sadly, only 10 percent survive. Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, but only 32 percent of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander.

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez today introduced AB 1680 to clarify that drones interfering with the duties of an emergency responder is a crime.

"As the popularity of commercialized drones increases, so does the danger they pose to first responders," said Rodriguez. "We need to send a clear message to the public that interfering with emergency responders in any way, including flying a drone in the vicinity of an emergency situation, is not ok and is putting public safety at risk."