Senator Kelly Seyarto Officially Sworn In and Introduces First Bill

In his first act after taking the oath of office, Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta), representing California’s 32nd district, introduced legislation to combat California’s growing fentanyl epidemic.

SB 19 would establish the California Anti-Fentanyl Abuse Task Force to increase public education and mobilize state and local resources to evaluate the best practices for combatting fentanyl abuse. In 2020 alone, California experienced close to 4,000 deaths related to fentanyl overdose, and in 2021, fentanyl overdose became recognized as the leading cause of death of Americans aged 18 to 45.

“Californians are falling victim to drug dealers who prey on the potency and availability of illicit fentanyl,” said Senator Seyarto. “We need to work together to pass legislation to give local agencies the tools they need to keep our communities safe and hold criminals accountable. This task force will identify the resources necessary to respond and bring this epidemic under control.”

In addition to working toward improving public safety, Senator Seyarto will focus his efforts on issues important to his district. These include taxpayer protections, Veteran benefits, victims’ rights, government transparency, water, fire management and prevention measures, and economic growth.

“With inflation and taxation, California is facing an economic crisis like no other,” Seyarto said. “We need to take a comprehensive and sensible look at reducing the cost of living and improving quality of life to ensure all Californians and businesses can afford to stay in our beautiful state.”

Senator Kelly Seyarto is a native Californian who served and protected his community for 35 years as a firefighter/paramedic in Southern California. He retired in 2015 at the rank of Battalion Chief. Kelly was first elected to the Murrieta City Council in 1997 and served through 2006. Choosing to spend more time with his family, he declined to run for reelection in 2006 but returned to serve the City of Murrieta again in 2016. He served as Mayor four times. In 2020, he began his two-year service in the State Assembly representing Southwest Riverside County before being elected to the State Senate this November.

Kelly lives in Murrieta with his wife Denise of 35 years, and they have three daughters.