Keep a doctor in the Assembly during a pandemic? Voters in District 31 should do that

The first Latino physician elected to the California Assembly, Joaquin Arambula of Fresno has made improving the health of Californians a priority.

Last year the Democrat authored Assembly Bill 4, which would have extended Medi-Cal services to undocumented people living in the state. With an estimated cost of $3 billion, the bill cleared the Assembly and moved to the Senate, but stalled there and did not pass out before the session ended.

“Health4All” is what Arambula calls his program, and he intends to bring the measure back should he win re-election to District 31.

Offering medical services to undocumented people in the state was a controversial idea when Arambula proposed it. But in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, extending such care makes sense. Latinos have been among the groups hardest hit by the virus, and many Hispanic undocumented farm workers in the central San Joaquin Valley jam into apartments and homes where the disease can be easily transmitted.

“We realize that the health of each of us depends on the health of all of us,” Arambula told The Bee’s Editorial Board during its candidate interview.

Family leave vote

Trained to be an emergency room physician, the 43-year-old Arambula provided a critical vote this past session on another quality-of-life bill.

In the minutes before a midnight deadline marking the end of the legislative session on Aug. 31, Arambula provided the necessary 41st vote for SB 1383, which extended job-protected family leave to more workers.

Arambula had chaired a group of moderate Democrats during the session, and many of them had doubts about the bill because of possible higher costs for small businesses. Arambula had also voiced such worries, but ultimately decided the leave protection was the right thing to do. His vote proved controversial. The next day he resigned his leadership of the moderate Democrats’ group. He said his term was up; others thought his family leave vote cost him the post.

Noteworthy challenge

Arambula’s biggest challenge in this last term did not come from within the statehouse, but the Fresno County courthouse.

No sooner had he been re-elected in November 2018 than mere weeks later Arambula was arrested for allegedly being physically abusive to his eldest daughter. Arambula told The Bee he had administered a spanking in a rare moment of corporal punishment.

The legislator was arrested, and a court case six months later ended with a jury acquitting Arambula of the charge.

Strong Democratic district

Running against Arambula is Republican Fernando Banuelos of Parlier. The Valley native is operating a shoestring campaign — he will likely spend less than $10,000, compared to Arambula’s $200,000-plus. Banuelos even speaks in appreciative terms about how Arambula once provided medical care to Banuelos’ mother.

A former teacher, Banuelos once served on the school board in Parlier and was an assistant director for a vocational school.

Banuelos is attempting to overcome a significant registration handicap: Democrats outnumber Republicans 46% to 24% in District 31, which runs from Reedley on the east to the southern half of Fresno, west to Coalinga and north to Mendota.

In the last two elections, Arambula has coasted to easy victories over his GOP opponents.

Arambula grew up in Delano before his father Juan moved the family to Fresno and he launched his own political career, serving the 31st Assembly District.

With his medical background proving useful in these pandemic times, Joaquin Arambula is the right person to be in the Assembly, and should be given a new two-year term.

How The Bee came to this recommendation

The Bee’s Editorial Board consists of Publisher Tim Ritchey, Editor Joe Kieta, Opinion Editor Tad Weber, Vida en el Valle Editor Juan Esparza Loera, and Vida Staff Writer Maria Ortiz-Briones. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the board interviewed the candidates via Zoom. Additional research was done using publicly accessible online sources and The Bee’s archives. Candidates must meet with the board to earn a recommendation.

The recommendation is meant to guide readers as they reach their own decision on which candidate to choose. This recommendation is the opinion of the Editorial Board; the news staff does not play any role in its creation.

This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM.