Protecting the Health of our Environment, Combatting Climate Change and Promoting Clean Energy

• Led effort to ban storage and handling of Coal in Oakland 

• Former California Policy Director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, climate leader in passing strong statewide greenhouse gas reduction, air quality, and renewable energy requirements 

• Authored Oakland's law requiring new buildings to be all-electric 

• Diverted food waste from landfills by ensuring composting for all.

• Board member and Past Chair, East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), offering every Oakland resident access to 100% green renewable electricity

• Passed requirements to divest City holdings from fossil fuel companies 

• Past President of StopWaste—Alameda County’ Recycling & Waste Authority. Lead successful effort on the board to expand the County’s Plastic Bag Ban. Chair, Alameda County Recycling Board.

• Authored new law Reusable food ware requirements to eliminate single-use plastic food ware. 

• Fought for animal rights by leading and passing legislation to ban torture of circus animals

• Wrote law to ban gas-powered leaf blowers in Oakland

• Directed the City to invest more in vegetation management to reduce wildfire risk

• Passed law to protect residents and vital local pollinators from harmful pesticides

• Helped lead the effort to stop the SFO runway expansion out into San Francisco Bay 

• Fought to protect sensitive Bay Area habitat and open spaces for future generations 

• Wrote state law requiring that a certain alternative transportation fuel be made from clean sources 

• Created and wrote state law to require labels on new cars for sale with rankings of greenhouse gas emissions and smog emissions, which was so successful it was subsequently adopted by the federal government 

• Lobbied for passage of AB 32—California’s landmark Climate Protection law

• Lobbied in support of law that effectively phased out new coal contracts for electricity in California. 

• Provided expert testimony on many environmental–air quality, climate change, clean energy, transportation–bills throughout my career. Working in coalition on air quality issue in Bay Area and other parts of the state.

Improving Public Safety

• Authored law in Oakland to ban ghost guns and illegal ghost gun parts and make it harder to acquire ghost guns.

• Wrote the law requiring safe storage of guns in homes; co-authored law to ban unsecured firearms in vehicles

• Authored recent legislation directing City Administration and OPD to implement key public safety directives

• Wrote firearm procurement policy to ensure OPD does not do business with firearm dealers who traffic in illegal gun sales

• Authored Oakland Charter law to create an independent civilian Police Commission 

• Repeatedly prioritized funding for investigations of serious and violent crimes

• Successfully worked to pass statewide cell phone ‘kill switch’ bill to reduce cell phone robberies 

• Successfully fought to increase local funding for violence prevention and intervention strategies and reentry services

• Organized public hearings to bring attention to efforts to curb domestic violence and help victims

Expanding Housing Affordability

• Created new below-market-rate housing by drafting and passing law earmarking tens of millions of dollars of former redevelopment tax funds into Oakland’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

• Actively supported repurposing of buildings (motels, dormitories) for housing for our homeless residents.

• Protected thousands of renters from unfair displacement and rent increases by authoring and passing Tenant Protection Ordinance in 2014, authoring and strengthening our anti-displacement laws in 2016, 2020 and 2022.

• Pushed for an increase in housing supply by supporting laws to enable the building of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

• Co-sponsored Fair Chance legislation to help people with criminal records avoid homelessness and reintegrate into the community.

• Supported additional funding for homelessness prevention; expanded funding to increase trash collection and cleanings at homeless encampments

• Increased funding for services to low-income tenants facing the risk of displacement 

• Co-authored COVID Emergency Eviction Moratorium 

• Named 2020 Affordable Housing Champion by leading affordable housing advocacy group East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO)

• Lobbied on bills in Sacramento to get more affordable housing built

Access to Health Care and Reproductive Services

• Always defending a woman’s right to choose and access to reproductive services regardless of income

• Long-time supporter/advocate for single payer health care. Co-authored Resolutions in support of single payer health care in California

• Supported proof of vaccine mandates to reduce spread of COVID.

Supporting Youth, Quality Public Education, and our Libraries

• Created innovative partnership with school district to reduce chronic absenteeism and truancy in public elementary schools

• Secured funding to preserve and expand public Library services 

• Named California Public Library Advocates’ 2015 Outstanding Elected Official for advocacy on behalf of Public Libraries 

• Served on Youth Leadership Strategic Planning Task Force for Oakland Fund for Children & Youth (OFCY) 

• Supported increased city funding for restorative justice and peer conflict mediation in schools

• Authored Charter measure allowing non-citizen parents to vote in local school board elections.

• Worked at a Bay Area community college many years ago 

Emergency Preparedness and Resiliency

• Led wildfire prevention efforts to ensure safe egress on streets in wildfire-threatened areas

• Ensured safety by sponsoring law requiring lifesaving seismic retrofit of apartment buildings

• Allocated funding to help small businesses/nonprofits renegotiate their rent to prevent them from permanently shutting their doors

• Secured additional money for increased trash collection and cleaning crews for homeless encampments

• Authored local proof of vaccination ordinance

• Distributed hundreds of face masks to grocery store and food service workers, and at homeless encampments during first several months of the COVID pandemic

Promoting Governmental Ethics, Transparency

and Campaign Reform

• Spearheaded and passed comprehensive Public Ethics Commission ballot measure and local Government Ethics reforms 

• Lead Council author for Oakland's innovative campaign finance reform measure known as Democracy Dollars, which broaden participation and reduce special interest influence.

• Promoted increased transparency for City commissions and advisory boards 

• Supported creation of ‘Rainy Day’ fund in City of Oakland budget 

• Co-authored measure to create independent redistricting commission to take drawing of district boundaries away from the elected officials

• Named Best Good Government politician by the East Bay Express (2014)

• Former California Common Cause staff organizer – worked to enact strong campaign reforms locally and statewide

• Enacted tiered real estate transfer tax, which lowered transfer taxes on very small sales, increased first-time low-income homebuyer tax reduction, added a low to mod exemption for installation of seismic retrofit and/or solar, AND increased taxes on transfer over $2 million, raising millions every year for vital city services

Pedestrian Safety, Transportation, and Walkable Neighborhoods

• Promotes street safety transportation infrastructure to slow down traffic and increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, and promote safer routes to schools

• Advocating for increases in state funding for public transit

• Wrote proposed law to create a statewide clean vehicle incentive program

• Supported major paving plans to improve the quality and safety of streets

• Funded several community murals and pushed through the Paint the Town program after a successful community-based pilot in the Golden Gate neighborhood

• Supported an campaigned for regional transportation measures

• Supported shared mobility options so residents have multiple travel options

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