Advancing California’s Climate Agenda, ft. Senator Catherine S. Blakespear, California Senate District 38

Senator Catherine Blakespear represents California's 38th Senate District, covering northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. Senator Blakespear is a lawyer and former journalist with local government experience and elected the State Senate 2022. She currently chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee— a committee that covers legislation related to environmental quality, air quality, water quality, climate change, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 

Before entering state politics, Senator Blakespear served eight years in Encinitas city government, including six years as mayor. As a fourth-generation San Diegan, she's witnessed California's environmental challenges evolve firsthand—from local coastal access issues to regional air quality concerns to the transboundary environmental crisis at the Tijuana River. 

In just three years in the Senate, she's authored 24 bills signed into law, tackling issues from plastic bag bans to gun violence prevention to solar energy tax protections.  

Senator Blakespear has navigated the complex intersections of housing, transportation, climate action, and environmental protection—learning how policy decisions play out at different scales and how to balance competing priorities while advancing California's environmental leadership. 

Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy!