Republican Glew takes on Becker for state Senate

In a district that faces high costs of living and close proximity to rapidly developing technology, Becker said he would prioritize scrutiny over new technologies like artificial intelligence and educational resources to maximize job stability for constituents. 

He’s cautious on rushing new technology to market, prioritizing consumer privacy and rights.  He recently authored a proposed bill that would require creators to disclose whether content was generated with the help of AI and provide tools for consumers to query if images, video or audio they see online was generated with AI.

Keeping technology and manufacturing in the district and preparing students for those job markets through educational funding are key facets for alleviating cost of living concerns and promoting employment security, Becker said. 

“A lot of times, companies start in our area, and then they move to places to expand or to build manufacturing. So, number one is working with those companies to better make sure they stay here and that they can expand here and build manufacturing here,” he said. “Number two is making sure that our kids coming out of our schools are prepared for the jobs of the future.”

In his first year in the state Senate, Becker obtained $1 million in funding for programming designed to get all San Mateo County children to grade level standards by third grade, he said as an example. 

Glew’s educational position is to “pay good teachers more, let the few bad teachers go, and invest more in programs proven to help kids learn,” according to his website, which also cites his own educational degrees, including a Ph.D. from Stanford, as an asset. 

He also supports consumer protections against big businesses — pledging on his website not to take any money from “Big Tech” lobbyists — while encouraging small business growth. 

“Businesses help drive the economy and provide jobs, but some get too many breaks from Sacramento. We will stand up to big business and develop effective safeguards for consumers while removing the regulations on small businesses that hinder startups and hurt job creation,” according to his website. 

During his current tenure in the state Senate, Becker has prioritized issues important to San Mateo County voters, he said, including strides for grade separation funding, which would realign roads generally under railways — including the dangerous Broadway crossing — to decrease accidents and congestion. 

That money wasn’t secured for the upcoming budget, but $75 million was promised for the 2025-26 cycle.

Legislators faced a challenging budget environment this year, mitigating a multibillion-dollar deficit and dipping significantly into reserves. Becker said the state’s tight financial landscape forced policy prioritization, including increases to education funding for K-12 students and navigating the increasing dangers of climate change. 

“It always makes me mindful to be a good steward for our money, knowing that my district contributes a higher percentage of income taxes than other districts,” he said. 

When asked if he would have done anything differently over his four-year term, Becker said he would have liked to save even more than the $30 billion in reserves the state had managed to stockpile, which will dwindle to $13 billion in the next two years. Legal restrictions currently prohibit saving more, he said, a legislative facet he would like to see changed. 

Glew’s “Taxes and Spending” website position page says he would support audits of every state department and reviews of all administrative personnel to “trim the fat and balance the budget” and reduce program duplication with the federal government. 

“We want to make sure that in the good times, we have even more in reserves for the bad times,” he said. 

Other district-specific services that were a focus for Becker included working with Caltrans to address road closures and damage to Highway 84 and State Route 92 that occurred during winter storms, electrifying Caltrain and obtaining funding for pumps to help with flooding in mobile home parks. 

Becker was also a part of a successful Bay Area coalition effort to reimburse San Mateo County for VLF revenue — which accounts for 18%, or $41 million, of the county’s operating funds. More than $70 million owed to the county and respective cities from the 2022-23 fiscal year will be reimbursed after originally being withheld due to a complicated property tax formula that leaves San Mateo County without the funding. 

“VLF has been a fight every year there, it’ll probably be a fight every year remaining there, unfortunately,” he said. 

His policy focus remains on public safety, education, climate and infrastructure as he legislates and campaigns for reelection, he said. 

“Our transition to clean energy — I’ve got a number of really important bills this year, that some of them are really nation leading bills around solar energy, clean hydrogen and then carbon removal,” he said. “Using the platform that we have to really lead the country in those issues.”

One of those bills, if passed, would allow multiunit properties like schools to use solar energy they generate without selling it to the power grid and purchasing it back.

Glew is supportive of renewable technology and nonrenewable bridge technologies like natural gas and nuclear, with a focus on energy storage, upgrades to the electrical grid and integrated mass transit, per his website. 

“It’s time to incentivize innovative private clean energy companies to promote a strong economy & good jobs,” his website states.