I am often asked why I am pro-choice.  

If this sounds silly, it's not.  It's because I am a devout Roman Catholic.  I was brought up Catholic by my mother in Mexico and once here in the United States.  I'm a weekly regular in church, even as a busy State Assemblywoman.  And it's during times of great distress and despair that I often find solace and comfort in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible.  For me, the church has also been a place of social organization.  So often, the church is a place of comfort and support for those who are in need.  But if you thought that would mean I was pro-life, you would have been mistaken.  

As a legal and policy matter, I am 100% pro-choice.  I support all measures to keep women’s access to abortion as unrestricted as possible and I oppose any measures designed to restrict a woman’s right to choose or mislead women on their reproductive rights.  As a devout Roman Catholic, my personal feelings on abortion are admittedly complex.  However, as a legal and policy matter, I am fervently pro-choice.  However, there are two very important reasons, both stemming from my background as a naturalized citizen from Mexico, that have led me to be so strongly pro-choice.    

First, as a naturalized citizen, in fact the only naturalized citizen in the State Legislature, I take my constitutional rights very seriously.  I was not born with them, I gained them as an adult when I became a United States citizen.  The same Constitution that protects my right to be a Catholic is the same Constitution that protects the right of a woman to have autonomy over her body and ensures her right to reproductive freedom.  I think it is important to defend our Constitution and to defend all rights that it protects, not simply pick and choose based upon our personal viewpoints.  President John Kennedy, our first Catholic President, once explained that his faith did not guide him in how he governed.  He governed as an American and as the Constitution commanded.  President Kennedy is one of my inspirations and a role model for Catholic elected officials.  I try to live up to his example.     

Second, as a former Mexican citizen and as someone with a great deal of extended family still living in Mexico, I know from first-hand experience that just because you make a law against something doesn’t mean that you make it go away or that it stops.  Instead, it simply goes below ground.  When we make laws that restrict abortion, we don’t really reduce abortions.  Instead, we drive them underground, endanger the lives of women, and help empower criminals.  In the days before Roe v. Wade and People v. Belous, abortions simply occurred in the back alley.  Sometimes women would be injured or killed in the process by going to someone irreputabe.  But the ugly reality is that abortions still occurred and in mass.  I’ve told people who say they are pro-life that if we really want to reduce abortions, we must work to increase access to family planning and contraception and increase sexual education.  Because whatever one's own personal views are on the matter of abortion, legalization is the only way that respects the Constitution and the only way that is sound public policy.  

Assemblywoman Patty Lopez on why the United States should welcome Syrian refugees

Recently, the Department of State announced that the United States would be taking in 110,000 refugees, many of whom are fleeing the brutal war in Syria.  This is in addition to the 10,000 Syrian refugees that the United States has already taken in.  I not only welcome this decision but believe that California should make every effort to assist the Department of State in relocating refugees.  I fully support this decision because it is both the humane thing to do as well as the best decision we can make to promote our national interests in the region.

Right now, there are 4.5 million refugees from the Syrian Civil War registered with the United Nations living in the countries around Syria.  It is believed the actual number is higher once unregistered refugees are included.  This is in addition to 6.5 million Syrians who are internally displaced, homeless in their own country.

Syria’s neighbors have reached the limit of their ability to absorb new refugees.  Lebanon, a country that a pre-war population of only 4.3 million has taken in 1.1 million refugees.  Jordan, which had a pre-war population of only 6.7 million has taken in nearly 700,000 registered refugees.  Both countries have seen their infrastructure stretched to the limit.

Jordan has had to close its border and Lebanon has imposed strict residency requirements that will make it difficult for many refugees to stay there.  Lebanon has made it illegal to build refugee camps, forcing the refugees there into Lebanese cities and towns.  Because Lebanon makes it illegal for refugees to work, they cannot afford housing in the cities and towns.

The largest share of refugees has gone to Turkey.  2.7 million refugees live along the Turkish border now, mostly in squalid camps.  Many now live on the street in Turkish cities.  Turkish law doesn’t recognize them as refugees so they receive no legal protection.  The children do not go to school and the parents cannot work.

This is where the United States can help.  We can take in some of these refugees, as our European allies have been doing.  We can bring them to the United States, find them housing and help them find work, and make sure their children are in school.  By doing this, we can help to alleviate the suffering of thousands of innocent people whose lives have been overturned by events beyond their control.  At the same time, we can relieve the pressure on countries like Jordan and Lebanon.  If the governments in these countries were to fall, the violence would only spread.  This would actually lead to an increased number of refugees.  We can do our part to make sure that these countries receive the aid they need to meet the demand but we can also work to reduce the demand itself.  By taking some of the burden ourselves we can ensure that these countries are not asked to do more than can realistically be expected.  We also will gain the benefit of new Americans who will only help further enrich our country, not just socially but economically.  Immigration has been shown as a net positive to increasing jobs and overall economic country. 

I care about this issue personally. 

I am an immigrant to this country from Michoacan, Mexico.  I came here when I was 12 years old and am grateful that I was welcomed here and have been given many opportunities to live a fulfilling life of service to others.  Today, I am a member of the California State Assembly, representing a district that has more naturalized citizens than it does registered Republicans.  I will never forget that we are a nation of immigrants and that all of our families once came from somewhere else.  When we have the means to provide sanctuary to people who are fleeing war and oppression we should do it.  If we do, we will find that we are bringing people to this country who will make a positive contribution to America while also helping to alleviate the worst refugee crisis of modern times. 

In this year’s State of the Union address, President Obama discussed the need for lifelong educational job training programs as well as government run insurance programs for individuals who found their jobs either outsourced or made obsolete by technology.  The obsolescence of certain jobs and the technological downsizing of jobs in certain industries is a serious problem.  It can destroy individual careers and livelihoods, hurt families, and damage entire regions of the country.  In my lifetime, most politicians have railed against the problem but few have ever really proposed any worthwhile solutions like President Obama finally did. 

            For me though, I felt vindicated to hear President Obama speak of the important need to expand our adult education programs.  As both a community activist and now as a State Assemblywoman, I have been on a sometimes lonely crusade for the full funding and expansion of adult educational programs.  You see, when we discuss education as part of public policy, there is often a great emphasis on K-12 primary education and college affordability.  There is also the goal of implementing universal pre-school that gets attention as well.  This is where our discussion of education policy is centered, where public funding is most often directed, and where private donors are often most generous. 

            Adult education, however, is often left out of the discussion.  In recent years, funding for adult education was cut dramatically as we attempted to balance the budget in California.  I cannot think of a greater mistake to make for our economy and for our society.  It is why this year, I introduced AB 1846, a bill which restores full funding to our adult educational institutions by adding $250 million from the state general funds to our adult educational schools.  Adult education is often necessary for (1) immigrants who come to this country without any education, (2) individuals for whom traditional four year college programs may not be available or necessarily appropriate, and (3) individuals who find their professions eliminated by technological change and cannot simply re-enroll in college or a graduate studies program. 

            I am a product of our adult education system.  When I first came to this country as a teenager from Michoacan, Mexico, I could not speak a word of English.  And my parents, while well-meaning, refused to enroll me in local public school.  They chose instead to home-school me, which turned out to be not much of an education.  Their goals for me were that I work and that I eventually get married and have children.  That was what I was expected to do.  Their decision limited my employment options as an adult.  And when I became an adult, got married to the man of my dreams, Juan, and had children, I came to realize how limited I really was in terms of employment.  I was fine at first with this but as we had more children and as Juan and I found myself taking care of more of our extended family, I realized that I needed to earn more and move up the career ladder in order to provide for my family. 

            My husband, Juan, who also emigrated from Mexico (Jalisco) as a teenager realized this need too.  He had no more than a 10^th grade Mexican public school education when he came to this country.  But for both of us at the time, the traditional educational modes were not realistic options.  Neither one of us could simply go to a graduate school or college (even a community college required a high school diploma).  We were both adults who worked full-time and did not have high school diplomas.  Even if we had the time and the diplomas, we could never have afforded the expense of attending a university or a graduate program. 

            But I was fortunate in that I could attend an adult night school (which allowed me to keep working during the day).  At my school, I was able to learn English, obtain a GED diploma, and improve my own economic prospects.  Juan was able to enroll in both English language classes and in classes that provided advanced technical training.  These classes were available at night so that he could continue to work full-time as the main breadwinner for our family.  Today, at his company, he has worked his way up to the position of mechanical engineer.  This educational experience led to both of us improving our career prospects and being able to provide more for our families. 

            But adult education programs should not just be seen as something for immigrants like myself.  With economic and technological changes continuing, the need for adult education will only grow.  As global climate change has finally been recognized as a significant problem and threat, the monumental effort to address the issue and develop renewable energy sources promises to create millions of new jobs and new business opportunities.  Ordinary citizens who want to take advantage of such opportunities but who simply cannot go back to school will need adult educational programs.  As technological changes in the workplace start to require advanced skills, individuals who already have four year university degrees or two year associate degrees (a vital educational requirement) will want to have the opportunity to improve their technological skills. 

            Ultimately, we want to make sure that we can provide these educational opportunities to all citizens and make lifelong learning something that all citizens can take advantage of.  Ultimately, my proposed legislation, AB 1846 is only the beginning.  My hope is that in a second term in the Assembly, I can continue to focus on getting adult education fully funded and expanded.  California has often been the vanguard of forward thinking ideas.  My hope is that we in California can heed President Obama’s call for lifelong learning opportunities and lead the nation in developing a robust adult education system that is fit for Americans in the 21^st century.