Orange County’s Sen. Pat Bates Runs for Supervisor

Homes in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Sen. Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), who is terming out this year, is running for Orange County supervisor in the Nov. 8 election to be a “significant voice” for District 5 residents.

Bates, who previously served as a county supervisor for seven years, said her understanding of how state issues impact local government will help her better represent residents.

“They say the government closest to the people is the best government and that’s because you, as a local resident, get to relate directly to your decision makers who implement policies that affect your life,” Bates told The Epoch Times.

(Courtesy of Patricia Bates)

Bates said many local issues impacting communities reach the state level including the increase in homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health issues.

As a former social worker in the 1970s, Bates said she saw firsthand how drugs harmed people’s lives—which back then were mostly LSD, heroin, and alcohol. But it was not as bad as today’s “mass mental health crisis,” often rooted in addiction, that has led to homelessness, she said.

She said she’s concerned that the state has spent billions to eradicate homelessness, but more, in the state, are living on the street.

Bates said she is heartened state officials are now paying more attention to the main causes of homelessness—namely drug addiction and mental illness—and moving away from the so-called housing first model, which prioritizes shelter for the homeless.

Notably, she said, the state has approved what is known as Care Court, a bipartisan law that will go into effect next year, where loved ones or associates can refer homeless people into court-ordered treatment.

Bates said to get the county ready to implement the new law, it will need to hire more behavioral health specialists who “understand drug addiction … and how you help people actually get clean.”

Brandon’s Law

Bates authored legislation, signed by the governor last year, called Brandon’s Law, which penalizes rehab or sober living homes for false advertising.

She named the bill after Brandon Nelson, who took his life in 2018 at age 26 in a rehab home.

The facility did not have personnel who could administer medication the man needed when he had a psychotic break, she said.

“[The law] was something that made me feel that Brandon’s life taken was not in vain because it really helps all the others who have been scammed by some of these facilities,” she said.

Sounding the Alarm on Fentanyl

Regarding the prevalence of fentanyl in the state, she said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes “sounded the alarm” on the growing number of deaths caused by the drug by bringing a measure to her desk a couple of years back that would increase penalties for importing large quantities of the drug into the state.

Bates authored the bill. But each time it went to the Legislature, it would not pass through committee because it includes a sentence enhancement for those who manufacture, import, and distribute the drug, she said.

“Now people are starting to see the effects of doing nothing,” she said.

With the news of fentanyl-related deaths now getting national attention, Bates said she thinks the bill will get more support.

“Its time has come,” she said. “We’re going to finally get something done about this.”

Incorporating Laguna Niguel

Bates said her “most satisfying adventure” was working to incorporate Laguna Niguel, which became a city in 1989 after a “three-year battle.”

She moved to the area in 1978.

Bates said she and a group of about 50 residents walked precincts to explain the importance of incorporation.

She said it brought “dramatic changes” to the community by increasing parkland, youth activities, and increasing business opportunities.

“People revere their local government, and staunchly defend it,” she said. “We incorporated for that very purpose in Laguna Niguel so that we would have local control and be able to determine the goals and the objectives for the growth of our community.”

The year Laguna Niguel became a city, Bates was elected its first mayor.

Since then she has served as a California state assemblywoman, Orange County supervisor, and has been a state senator since 2014, representing the 36th District, which consists of the southern coastal region of Orange County and parts of San Diego County.

Toll Road Fiasco

One of the most controversial issues Bates said she’s dealt with as senator was the idea to extend the 241 toll road to the 5 Freeway in San Clemente—a contentious topic among cities and county officials.

The project had gone through legal and political battles for years.

Bates authored a bill to halt the extension.

“That lit the fire,” she said.

She said she worked with county toll road and transportation officials, and the area’s County Supervisor Lisa Barlett in 2020 to ease traffic congestion by instead extending a free road, called Los Patrones Parkway, to reach San Clemente.

“Everybody finally came together and said, ‘Aha, this is going to work,’” she said.

Policymaker: ‘A Noble Profession’

Bates said she considers being an elected official a “noble profession,” as such sets policies that impact people.

“It affects us in the present and affects our children and our grandchildren,” she said. “It’s a very, very important position and it works very well if the elected official remembers that they are representative of the people.”

She said local officials can make the most impact in terms of what maintains residents’ quality of life and keeps the country “free, safe, and opportunistic.”

“I hope people feel that I have represented them to the best of my ability,” she said.

Her opponent for District 5—a mostly coastal district spanning from Costa Mesa to San Clemente—is current Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.