This year, I am incredibly grateful for every day that I serve our community as your State Senator. The work isn’t always easy—but I am proud to say that I have fought to address social justice issues, civil rights, and worker protections in nearly every bill I have authored. And I’m thankful to have had the following bills signed this year:
SB 572 EDD: Surplus Building
Will allow for a former EDD building in the district that is no longer in use to be renovated and redeveloped in partnership with the community of Los Angeles.
SB 1089: Grocery Store Closure Notification Signed
This bill expands communication requirements for grocery store closures in low-income communities.
SB 1137 Anti-Discrimination: Intersectionality
Will prohibit acts that are contrary to anti-discrimination policies, and to provide remedies that will eliminate these discriminatory acts, including discrimination not just because of one protected trait, but also because of the combination of two or more protected traits.
SB 1340 Anti-Discrimination: Local Enforcement
Will allow local agencies to investigate and enforce cases of workplace discrimination alongside the state Civil Rights Department.
SB 1484 Jurisdiction of juvenile court
Ensures that children ages 12 to 17 are heard in the juvenile court system, protected from the formal court system that handles adults.
In addition to these bills, we scored important budget victories, including:
• $1 billion funding for local governments to combat homelessness
• Record funding for public schools, making children a top priority
• Investing billions to expand access and eligibility for Medi-Cal and support
public health programs
• Increased funding from $8.3 million to $15 million to expand training and
access to high-roads jobs for underserved populations
• $13 million funding for ongoing research, education and public engagement
on labor issues in California
• Investing millions in affordable housing projects
• Reversed $1 million Culver City Unified School District pupil attendance fine
• Safeguarding relief programs that support California’s working families
• $3 million funding to establish the South LA Black Cultural District
• $1 million funding to help convert the Crenshaw Blvd. Employment
Development Department (EDD) building into worker training, retail space
and affordable housing
I know the Presidential election was a disappointment to many of us, but I am grateful that here in California we can continue to fight and lead on the progressive values so many of us hold dear.
Recently, Jamelle Bouie wrote a wonderful piece in the New York Times about Frederick Douglass. I found his column comforting and inspiring— and I encourage you to read his piece, too.