Dr. Akilah Weber, an OB-GYN and Democratic member of the state Assembly, is running for the open seat representing the 39th state Senate District, which includes most of the city of San Diego. To help inform voters, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates a series of the same questions about their priorities, positions and campaigns. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited for clarity. Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate? Healing people is the most rewarding work I have ever done, and I love helping my patients. I decided to run because many of my patients are struggling with challenges that I can’t help solve from a doctor’s office. I have treated moms who are worried about their child’s school, daughters who are worried about an elderly parent’s financial situation and young women on the verge of homelessness. These issues require real policy solutions that can only be resolved with collective action. In the Assembly, I have dedicated myself to shifting California public policy toward proven solutions to address these issues, and in the state Senate I am committed to continuing this fight. What are the top 3 issues facing this district and California generally? California faces significant challenges, particularly in education funding, homelessness and healthcare access. Funding our schools is paramount. Our schools are underfunded, leading to teacher shortages and disparities in student outcomes. Reducing homelessness is another pressing issue, especially in the city of San Diego. The crisis is largely driven by a lack of affordable housing, compounded by mental health and addiction. The cost of housing has put owning or renting a place to call home out of reach for most Californians. We need to build more housing and take a long-term approach to keeping the cost of housing down. As a physician, I have seen the failures in our healthcare system up close. We are currently experiencing a shortage of healthcare providers exacerbated by rising prescription drug costs. I aim to address the doctor shortage, expand healthcare services and work to lower the costs of essential medications, ensuring equitable access for all Californians. What are the first 3 things you would do in your first term in the state Senate? In my first term as state senator, I would focus on three key initiatives: Fund education: I will advocate for comprehensive education funding to ensure schools have the resources they need, enabling effective teacher recruitment and retention and addressing disparities in student outcomes. Tackle homelessness: I will work collaboratively with local governments and organizations to develop a comprehensive plan that increases affordable housing options while expanding mental health and addiction services, addressing the root causes of homelessness. Expand healthcare access: I will prioritize legislation that addresses the shortage of healthcare providers in our region. This includes initiatives to attract and retain healthcare professionals, expanding telehealth services and working to reduce prescription drug costs, making healthcare more accessible for all Californians. What would you do to curb climate change and its effects on California, including the fact that those effects are often borne disproportionately by communities of color? To combat climate change in California, I believe we first need to recognize that communities of color often bear the brunt of its impacts. A healthy environment and public health go hand in hand, and pollution — be it from industrial sources, vehicular emissions, or other environmental stressors — is a leading cause of serious health problems, ranging from debilitating respiratory conditions to life-threatening diseases like cancer. In the Senate, I will advocate for stronger regulations on emissions, support the transition to renewable energy sources and invest in sustainable solutions that reduce pollution in marginalized communities. Safeguarding the environment is not only an ethical imperative but also a practical necessity for the well-being of our community members. Do you agree with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, allowing cities to criminally penalize homeless people with nowhere else to go for sleeping in public? Do you support the governor’s executive order directing agencies to clear encampments on this basis? Why or why not? It is clear we have a homelessness crisis, and it’s getting out of hand, but we shouldn’t criminalize a vulnerable population that often has nowhere else to go. I firmly believe that we should focus on compassionate solutions that address the root causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing and mental health services. We must show dignity and respect for all individuals, ensuring they have access to necessary resources like housing and healthcare. I believe that we should work collaboratively to create a safe environment for those experiencing homelessness, and in the Senate, I look forward to working with my colleagues and the governor to ensure we find real and compassionate solutions to this problem. What more would you do to combat California’s housing, affordability and homelessness crises? I would prioritize two things to combat California’s housing and homelessness crises. First, I would work on policies that streamline the approval process for affordable housing developments. We can make it easier to build by eliminating the barriers and roadblocks to building more housing. It’s important to incentivize developers to build more housing that people can actually afford. Secondly, I would push for increased funding for mental health and addiction services to help individuals experiencing homelessness transition back into a more stable life. By addressing these challenges, I hope to create healthier communities where everyone has access to safe and affordable housing in California. Do you support or oppose stricter gun laws and background checks? Which, and if you support them, to what extent? California has one of this nation’s strongest gun laws, which is demonstrated in our lower rates of gun deaths and gun ownership when compared to other states. Keeping our communities safe is always my first priority, and I believe it is important to impose comprehensive background checks to prevent firearms from falling into the hands of those who pose a risk to themselves or others. I support continued work in this area to keep our residents, especially our children, safe. How would you evaluate the record of Proposition 47 in the decade since voters enacted it? Should voters scale it back by passing Proposition 36? Why or why not? Prop. 47 was passed by voters in an effort to reform our criminal justice system in an attempt to thwart some of the unforeseen impacts of previous criminal justice reforms. I believe that we should focus on improving our education system, mental health resources, drug rehabilitation and community services.Additionally, Prop. 36 has no funding mechanism. I am concerned that money will be shifted away from services to crime victims, schools, effective drug treatment and job training programs to our prisons and jails. However, as an elected representative, I yield to the electorate who will now make this decision. Proposition 3 would enshrine same-sex marriage in the California constitution by repealing the state’s 2008 ban, which has been unenforceable since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage but still remains on the books. Will you personally vote for or against Prop. 3? I support Proposition 3, and I believe it’s important that our state’s constitution reflects the values of equality and inclusion that define California.