Yesterday we passed a major deadline on our legislative calendar, as many of our bills came up for a vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The good news is that 8 important proposals made it out of that committee and are headed to the Assembly floor!
Here are some of the significant bills that came out of Appropriations and are headed to must-win Assembly floor votes in the next two weeks:
- Offshore wind: AB 525 will kickstart a West Coast offshore wind industry by requiring the state to develop a plan to achieve large-scale renewable wind energy by 2045.
- Police demilitarization: AB 481 will give local communities a say in how they are policed, and require transparency for military equipment used by law enforcement.
- A legal obligation to reduce homelessness. AB 816 will require state and local governments to develop plans to reduce homelessness by 90% and be held legally accountable to follow through.
- Equal opportunity for all. AB 915 would require state agencies to establish a 25% goal for government contracts awarded to struggling small and diverse businesses in our communities.
- Behavioral health workforce. AB 666 would address the shortage and lack of diversity in our workforce who treat substance abuse, to lessen the suffering on our streets.
At the same time, yesterday had its share of disappointments. I was particularly sad that AB 550 — our key pedestrian safety bill — did not make it out of the Appropriations Committee.
California is grappling with an epidemic of fatalities due to high-speed collisions. Every year, over 1,000 Californians die in speed-related crashes, and tens of thousands are severely injured. AB 550 would have allowed five cities to pilot the use of speed safety technology that has reduced speeding and saved lives in 150 cities in 16 other states.
Three days ago, yet another pedestrian in San Francisco was killed in a traffic crash. It’s critical we take action as a state to end traffic violence. I’m committed to continuing the fight for this common sense policy of speed safety systems.
If you have thoughts about the bills that passed, the bills that did not, or how I can continue to fight for our shared San Francisco values, please reply directly to this email.
Thank you for your support and for caring about how we improve our city and state during these difficult times.
Onward,
David