Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Mike Newhouse
Current job title: Owner of a small law firm and Adjunct Professor at USC’s law school
Political party affiliation: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Elected to Venice Neighborhood Council, served as two-term President (2007-2010 and 2012-2014); Mayoral Appointment to West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission (2017-2022); Mayoral Appointment to Los Angeles Citywide Planning Commission (2024-2025)
City where you reside: Venice Beach
Campaign website or social media: newhouse4ca.com
Do you believe balancing the state budget should rely more on spending cuts, new revenue streams or a combination? Tell us how you would propose tackling California’s projected budget deficit. (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Both. I believe we have to address the budget from both ends, revitalize our economy and bring in new revenue while also cutting out wasteful spending. As a legislator, balancing the state budget would be a key factor in every legislative decision made. I will work to implement spending reductions where necessary and champion legislation that will spur economic growth throughout the state. Among my top priorities are expanding affordable housing (including affordable “for purchase” property which adds to the tax base), incentivizing people to start businesses (and incentivizing businesses to return) and reducing costs for Californians, which will create a stronger economy and in return bring in new state revenue to support a path towards a balanced budget.
For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Public safety is a non-starter when it comes to budget cuts. Our law enforcement and police departments need the critical funding and resources to keep our neighborhoods and community members safe. When our local law enforcement agencies have the proper training, gear, and resources they need, we see better outcomes, safer streets, and stronger communities. Similarly, education and health care cuts need to be off the table.
What are the top three most pressing issues facing the state, and what would you propose, as a state legislator, to address them? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Tackling the homelessness crisis with urgency and compassion. I am committed to scaling up access to mental health care, substance use treatment, and supportive housing, while also enforcing and expanding anti-camping laws and ensuring our public spaces remain clean, safe, and welcoming for all.
I will also work to fix California’s housing affordability crisis by expanding the supply of homes (both sale and rental stock), cutting red tape, and ensuring access that meets the needs of working families while respecting single-family neighborhoods.
Rebuilding our state’s economy is equally important, and I will champion policies that attract investment, create local good-paying jobs, and support key industries like film, television, clean energy, and small mom-and-pop housing providers. California has always been a place of creativity and opportunity, and I believe we can restore that promise for the next generation.
What specific policy would you champion in the statehouse to improve the cost of living for residents? Would you see this having an immediate impact on Californians or would it take some time? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I will champion the expansion of and increased access to affordable housing across California while protecting the character of single-family neighborhoods. We need to build more homes and cut through all the red tape that prevents hardworking people from getting housing. When housing is more affordable, families will see their largest monthly expense reduced significantly, making an immediate impact and providing instant relief to so many Californians. While construction can take time for housing to be accessible and ready to live in, if done the right way (I will author a statewide Adaptive Reuse Ordinance similar to the one I championed on the LA City Planning Commission) we can significantly expedite the timeline by cutting through bureaucratic red tape and creating real housing solutions. I have spent over 25 years as an attorney working in building and housing. I understand the process and what it takes to build, and I am ready to go to Sacramento and tackle this crisis.
There have been numerous efforts made in the state legislature to curtail federal immigration enforcement in California, from prohibitions on agents wearing masks to banning federal officers from future employment in a public agency. Do you see any area where the state could better protect its residents from the federal government’s widespread immigration crackdown? Would you prefer the state work more hand-in-hand with the federal government on immigration? Where does the role as a state legislator fall into your beliefs here? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
In the state Senate I will work to keep California a place of diversity that respects all residents, including our immigrant communities. I support keeping police focused on local public safety rather than assisting with immigration enforcement. Our law enforcement should be focused on protecting our communities, not immigration activity and especially the indiscriminate ICE raids being levied by this administration.
Everyone deserves to live without fear and feel protected in our communities, and I support state-led efforts to protect our residents from federal overreach.
Health care costs — like in many other areas — are continuing to rise. What policies, specifically, would you support or like to champion that could lower premiums or out-of-pocket expenses? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I believe that healthcare is a human right and everyone deserves access to quality healthcare. I 100% support “Universal Healthcare” or “Health Care for All”. However, Californians should not lose the right to choose to privately supplement government-provided health care, if they have the desire and means. I believe we can expand coverage to every Californian, lower costs, and improve equity without eliminating private care or removing choices that working families and union members have fought hard to secure. We need to build a system that guarantees affordable care options for everyone while preserving the flexibility and negotiated benefits that many depend on.
Would you support expanding state health care programs to ensure more residents — including those who are not citizens — are covered? How would you propose the state fund such an expansion? Or, how would you propose the people who cannot afford health care still get the necessary care they need without expanding state programs? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Currently, Medi-Cal is available to all eligible residents in California and I support maintaining and continuing to fund this program so that all Californians have access to quality healthcare. I believe (morally and economically) that everyone deserves access to healthcare and to have their medical needs met. Having these critical healthcare programs available allows our communities access to preventative care to maintain their health and lower overall rates of illnesses and emergencies (including emergency room treatment even for uninsured patients). Not only does this make our communities healthier, it makes them stronger.
As part of combating homelessness, elected officials often talk about the need to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. What policies or programs should the state adopt to make housing more affordable for renters and homeowners? What do you propose the state do to incentivize housing development and expedite such projects? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The cost of housing will not come down until California builds far more homes (where appropriate – I do not support SB 9 or 79 in their current forms) and removes the barriers that make construction so slow and expensive. As a land use and environmental attorney, former Los Angeles City Planning Commissioner and Neighborhood Council President, I’ve worked to streamline approvals, cut red tape, and stop the misapplication of CEQA and other laws that delay infill, mixed-income, and workforce housing which actually serve as climate change mitigation by creating housing closer to job centers and getting cars off the road. I support accelerating housing near jobs and transit, am a major champion for expanding adaptive reuse developments, and incentivizing middle-income and affordable homes so working families can stay in the communities they serve. I’m focused on practical steps that reduce costs, cut delays, and finally deliver the kinds of homes all Californians can afford.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2023 authorizing state energy regulators to penalize oil companies making excessive profits. But the California Energy Commission put off imposing the penalties last year after two oil refineries, which represent nearly a fifth of California’s refining capacity, said they would shut down operations. Those announcements prompted many to be concerned about soaring gas prices. What do you think of the commission’s decision? And how would you, as a state legislator, propose balancing California’s climate goals with protecting consumers from high gas prices at the pump? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Soaring gas prices have added to the stress and unaffordable economy that so many Californians face today. I firmly believe that we have to address consumer needs and lower costs while reaching California’s climate goals. While not ideal, I understand and support the Commission’s decision at the time. However, I am committed to a transition away from dependence on fossil fuels. It is a natural evolution. We’ve moved from wood to coal, much of which was phased out by oil and gas, and now we are evolving to trade oil and gas for renewables. While we can all acknowledge that a 100% renewable future is not here yet, by growing and building a renewable and sustainable energy infrastructure for generations to come, we will not only wean ourselves off fossil fuels, but creating good-paying green jobs for Californians while strengthening our economy and quality of life at the same time.
In 2024, voters approved Proposition 36 to increase penalties for certain drug and retail theft crimes and make available a drug treatment option for some who plead guilty to felony drug possession. Would you, as a legislator, demand that more funding for behavioral health treatments be included in the budget? How would you ensure that money is used properly? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Behavioral health treatment is essential to helping those suffering from addiction and maintaining the safety of our communities. I supported Prop. 36, which seeks to address these issues, but it needs to be funded; I will work to make that happen. Without adequate funding for treatment, incarcerations will continue to go up without related rehabilitation, straining our economy and contradicting a key component of the original policy – curbing crime and creating pathways out of our criminal justice system. As a legislator, I would increase funding in the budget for behavioral health treatments along with accountability and reporting requirements that would track outcomes and allow the legislature to identify what is and is not working in the program.
What role should the state play in ensuring hospitals and doctors are providing gender-affirming care to LGBTQ+ residents? Similarly, what role do you believe the state could play should other states adopt policies that restrict that care? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I have transgender family members, and I support access to gender affirming healthcare, including for transgender and non-binary people.
I further support requiring healthcare centers that receive public funding to provide patients with comprehensive care, including gender-affirming care.
Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Do you believe it’s the state’s responsibility to regulate social media use? Why or why not? And what specific restrictions or safeguards would you propose as a state lawmaker? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
While I am the father of two teenage boys, and I believe it is important to monitor content and social media usage among young people, I am cautious of making blanket bans on social media platforms because we need to meet our modern-day issues with modern approaches. Today, social media can be used in several educational and community-building ways, so there can be value in facilitating familiarity with social media platforms. However, I do agree that the mental health and safety of young people should come first and that we must find ways to implement safety restrictions and guardrails that protect our children. Especially in the wake of the recent Meta/YouTube verdicts, the key is to be the type of legislator who will get all parties in the room to craft policy going forward that protects all users, while providing a path forward for platforms and services that have become a part of daily life, and are here to stay.
Artificial intelligence has become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Yet public concerns remain that there aren’t enough regulations governing when or how AI should be used, and that the technology would replace jobs and leave too many Californians unemployed. How specifically would you balance such concerns with the desire to foster innovation and have California remain a leader in this space? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
As a Professor of Intellectual Property at USC Law School, where the future of AI has become a major focus of my class curriculum, I strongly believe that technology should be used to improve our workforce, not replace the people who work hard to deliver. I’ll ensure any use of AI or automation includes worker protections, retraining opportunities, and accountability. I believe it is important to foster innovation and advance technology to our benefit, but workers must have a voice in how these tools are implemented to protect jobs and maintain service quality.
California has some of the strongest AI regulations regarding safety and transparency that are being implemented, but job replacement and privacy remain huge issues. I will continue to be at the forefront of evaluating what other steps should be taken to prevent deepfakes, protect intellectual property within our entertainment industry, and keep our kids safe.
Statistically, violent crime rates in California is on the decline, but still, residents are not feeling safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in the state legislature in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Public safety is the foundation of thriving communities. As an attorney, small business owner, and longtime community leader on the Westside, I’ve seen firsthand how safe neighborhoods allow families and businesses to succeed. I strongly support ensuring law enforcement has the staffing, resources, and tools to do their jobs effectively — from increasing officer levels and investing in civilian support roles to free up officers for patrol, to enforcing existing laws to keep communities safe.
No matter the ZIP code, background, or income level, every Californian deserves to live in a safe neighborhood where families can thrive, businesses can grow, and communities can come together. That shared value unites us all, and I believe supporting the men and women of law enforcement is central to making that possible across California’s diverse communities.
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I am a musician (bass and guitar) and enjoy songwriting, recording and playing local venues with my band, The Potential Suitors.