Dear Neighbor,

Welcome to "Catching Up With Cottie" - a weekly update about what I am working on as your representative in the California State Assembly.

Last week, I hosted my 6^th Annual Women of the Year Celebration. Every year, I look forward to this event, it is always a special opportunity to recognize the incredible women in our community! This year, I had the tremendous honor of recognizing Costa Mesa Deputy Police Chief Joyce La Pointe, President of City of Hope, Annette Walker, from Irvine, and Soledad Rivera, Community Relations Manager at CalOptima, from Tustin.

Congratulations to our 2024 honorees. And thank you to all of the extraordinary women of AD73 for everything you do to make our community a better place!

Yours faithfully,


Cottie Petrie-Norris
California State Assemblywoman

It was an honor to participate in our annual Assembly Floor Ceremony in honor of Women's History Month! This year, we celebrated eight women from all corners of California for their exemplary achievements, including Black Women For Wellness founder Janette Robinson Flint, who helped launch a national movement for reproductive justice.

Last week, I introduced and passed an Assembly Concurrent Resolution to designate March 14 as "Utility Worker Appreciation Day." Day in and day out, utility workers risk their lives to keep the lights on in our State - they are unsung heroes. These brave men and women play an irreplaceable role maintaining our energy grid and helping communities recover from disasters and disruptions. Next time you see a utility worker, please thank them for the steadfast commitment that they exhibit day-in and day-out to the delivery of essential services!

I had a great meeting with student representatives from Associated Students at CSU Fullerton, We discussed tuition hikes, CalGrant reforms, and student employment opportunities. Big thanks to our next generation of trailblazers for your engagement!

I met with a group of high school students from Irvine as part of Irvine Unified School District's annual trip. Every year, I am blown away by their passion, engagement and empathy. What an awesome group!

It was great to meet Charlize Faure for Special Olympics Day at the Capitol! Charlize is an accomplished athlete and gold medalist from Irvine! Aside from her involvement with the Special Olympics Southern California, she participates in Floorball, Basketball & Flag Football.

In the district, I met with Orange County Superintendents to discuss education policy issues and priorities. So many families move to Orange County because of our great public schools. I'm always looking for opportunities to build on our success and grow the best schools in California.

A huge thank you to the Orange County Fire Authority for opening your doors and inviting the community to your headquarters, right here in Irvine. Our local firefighters do so much for our community - they battle building fires and wildfires, respond to car accidents, provide life-saving medical services, monitor terrorist threats - and more! Thank you for all that you do to keep us safe.

I had a wonderful time joining the Iranian American community to celebrate the Persian New Year, Nowruz! This ancient festival, which falls on the first day of spring and celebrates the rebirth of nature, is celebrated by more than 300 million people world-wide!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mar 20 - Costa Mesa Blood Drive

You are invited to an American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Orange Coast College Main Quad on Wednesday, March 20 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The need for blood is constant and your donation is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply. Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. You will feel good knowing you've helped change a life.

Mar 23 - Irvine Household Waste & Shredding Event

Do you have bulky household items you need to throw away or important documents to shred? Bring your household waste and documents to the Jeffrey Park and Ride in Irvine on Saturday, March 23 from 8:00 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Apr 13 - Harvest Solutions Farm Volunteer Event

Join me and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County invite you to Harvest Solutions Farm to help harvest seasonal produce or plant crops so that our neighbors have consistent access to nutritious food creating a foundation for community health and well-being.