It is hard to believe this year marks my 11th year in the California Legislature. I was first elected to the Assembly in 2002, representing the eastern portion of San Francisco. In 2008, I was elected to the Senate, representing all of Marin County and parts of Sonoma and San Francisco counties. Before that, I served for four and a half years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

During the past decade, I have worked hard to represent the needs of my constituents while tackling issues that are also of concern to all Californians. I have fought for better schools and access to higher education, improved services for foster youth, public utility safety, the rights of struggling homeowners, a cleaner and sustainable environment, criminal justice reform, tenant protections, single-payer universal health care, improved transportation, renewable energy, safer communities and equal rights for all. As chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, I am eager to continue advocating for services and programs that benefit families, children, consumers, disabled Californians and seniors.

With the start of the new legislative session in 2013, I feel a sense of renewed optimism and promise for our state. California has long been beleaguered by budget cuts to social programs and education, posing a serious threat to our students' futures and the state's long-term economic vitality. The passage of Proposition 30 this past November represents the first stemming of that tide in many years.

Even with Proposition 30's passage, we still have a long way to go in restoring the harm years of cuts have done to our state. That is why I introduced Senate Constitutional Amendment 3 (SCA 3) on the first day of session in December. SCA 3 would give communities greater opportunity to invest in education by lowering the threshold for passing local parcel taxes that fund our schools.

As the year progresses, we will have many more announcements that may interest you. Whether you are a current or new constituent, I encourage you to visit our website, www.senate.ca.gov/leno, so you can learn about our legislative developments as they happen. Please sign up for our e-newsletter when you visit our homepage and you will automatically receive e-mail updates on current events and issues that affect our communities.

Finally, my staff is always happy to answer your questions about legislation, help solve problems with state agencies and assist you with government forms. We want to help ensure your government works for you, so please do not hesitate to contact our office. We are excited to be working with all the residents of SD 11 and look forward to meeting and seeing you out in the neighborhood.

State Sen. Mark Leno represents the 11th Senate District of California, which includes San Francisco, Broadmoor, Colma, Daly City and portions of South San Francisco. You can reach his San Francisco office by phone at (415) 557-1300 or by email at Senator.Leno@senate.ca.gov. You can also find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Mark.Leno.CA and Twitter at @MarkLeno.