Jobs and the Economy

My top priority is to ensure better jobs, higher wages and more economic opportunity for Californians. It costs way too much to live and work in California, and the jobs available to our workers are not keeping up with rising inflation and taxes. We need to stand up for better wages, fight rising education costs and support our small businesses that are driving new job creation across our state. I authored legislation to create a sales tax exemption for manufacturing equipment purchases to help attract new manufacturing investments, support our economy, and create new, good-wage jobs. During the recent economic downturn, I served on an economic recovery taskforce that created a $100 billion dollar stimulus proposal that prioritized working families, small businesses, renters, struggling homeowners, and small landlords, all without raising taxes.  

Now more than ever, I am concerned about middle and working class families’ ability to weather rising inflation. For decades, increases in the stock market helped those at the very top while middle class families in California struggled to afford their homes, pay for things like college and healthcare, and achieve real security so they could retire with dignity. Now, when we’re facing a real crisis in rising costs, that inequity is taking a deep toll. Along with keeping Californians safe from the immediate threats of wildfires and the pandemic, addressing this inequity and helping middle class families achieve economic stability is a top concern and focus for me.

I passed a law restricting the payday loan industry from creating debt traps for those struggling financially. I co-authored historic legislation protecting California renters from unfair evictions and large rent increases. I also passed a bill to ensure that out-of-state University of California students, who pay more in tuition, were not being given admission priority over equally-qualified in-state students. I will continue to fight for these and other common sense measures that help middle and working class families weather this economic crisis and create real economic stability for themselves and their families.