As San Francisco students head back to school, families across the City are getting ready for a new year. Over the past few weeks, I’ve met families at backpack giveaways in the Sunset and Chinatown, and it’s been great to see how excited so many kids are to get back into the classroom.

For many people, health insurance is a lifeline. That’s why it’s such a profound violation when health insurers deny care they should be covering. Wrongful denials are a growing indignity facing Californians, and we have to call it out. I wrote a first-of-its-kind bill called the Health Insurance Accountability Act to tackle this problem head on by holding health insurance companies accountable for wrongful denials. We need to pass it through the Legislature before the deadline at the end of August, and then fight to pass similar reforms through Congress.

One of the top concerns I’ve heard from San Franciscans in recent years is the skyrocketing cost of energy. And for good reason – PG&E has jacked up our electricity rates by 40% in the last four years, placing working people in an impossible position.

As we enter Pride Month, I’ve been reflecting on the challenges and triumphs facing San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community, and the lessons about resilience, resistance and joy that being a member of this community has taught me.

San Francisco’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has defined the heritage of our City for generations. From the oldest Chinatown in the country, to our world class collection of restaurants, to healthcare offerings like acupuncture and massage, to festivals like Lunar New Year and the Cherry Blossom Festival – San Francisco just wouldn’t be as great as it is without our AAPI community’s contributions.

With Lunar New Year approaching, many San Franciscans are reflecting on the importance of family and the lasting lessons they pass down. My office recently hosted a Lunar New Year art show featuring nearly 30 local artists and focusing on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) themed art. The creativity and beauty on display got me thinking about the values I’m carrying with me into the new year.

As we enter the new year, I want to take a moment to celebrate some recent wins that are making San Francisco safer for everyone.

Street conditions have improved tremendously over the past couple of years, thanks to terrific work from SF Mayor Daniel Lurie, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). But there is always more to do, and the City will have an additional tool now that a new law I authored has been signed.

In September, the California Legislature concluded this year’s legislative session, passing hundreds of bills on housing, health care, energy affordability and much more.