Dear Friend,
Our legislative session is in full gear and we've finished introducing our legislative package for this session. Our bills include legislation to tackle the housing crisis, assist small businesses, keep foreign interests out of politics, and much more. Learn more about a few of the bills below as well as some upcoming events!
Claim Your Credits Info Session - March 10, 2022 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
It's not too late to file your taxes! Join our office, Assemblymember Bill Quirk, Senator Bob Wieckowski, and Golden State Opportunity President Amy Everitt to learn more about the CalEITC: how tax credits work and how to file your taxes for free. Spanish interpretation will be available.
2022 Legislative Package
AB 1819 - Stop Foreign Influence in CA Elections Act - The bill prohibits foreign influenced corporations from contributing to candidates, parties, or committees (including super PACs) as well as from engaging in their own direct election spending in order to protect the integrity of California's self-government.
AB 1944 - Brown Act Modernization - Allows more flexibility for Brown Act bodies such as local elected officials and commission members to participate in meetings remotely without disclosing private locations to the public, and requires a remote participation option for the public.
AB 1981 - Juror Reimbursement - Allows jurors to be reimbursed for taking public transit and creates a pilot program to increase juror compensation and promote juror diversity.
AB 2053 - Social Housing Act - Creates mixed-income homes for all people that are union built, collectively owned, affordable for all income levels, and are financially self-sustaining. Visit CaliforniaSocialHousing.org to learn more.
AB 2164 - Disability Access - Helps ensure that small businesses have access to funds to make accessibility-related improvements so that Californians with disabilities have barrier-free access to businesses and other facilities.
AB 2289 - Wealth Tax - Tax on extreme wealth in excess of $50M in worldwide net worth, or the top 0.07% of Californians, generating tax revenues that can be invested in schools, homelessness, and social services.
Learn more about our bills.
Did you miss our Legislative Town Hall from last week? You can watch the recording here for a rundown of our legislative package and my budget priorities.
Black History Month
We celebrated Black History Month with Fremont City Councilmember Teresa Cox and the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP and recognized six community leaders, the impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the Divine Nine, as well as Ohlone College. Our celebration took place at Albert Augustine Park, which was named after a leader in the African-American community who lived in the Sunnyhills neighborhood in Milpitas. Sunnyhills was actually the first planned racially integrated community in the United States, and the story of the neighborhood is highlighted in the film '54 produced by one of the honorees, Donnie Eiland. You can watch '54 here.
Learn more about the honorees Donnie Eiland, Nyla Choates, Chief Curtis Jacobson, Dr. Liann Osborne, Jean Ficklin, and Margaret Jackson:
Donnie Eiland
Donnie Eiland is a long time Milpitas resident with roots going back to the early ‘60s. He was able to experience firsthand the magical environment of the Sunnyhills neighborhood. In 2008, after learning about the history of Sunnyhills via the Sunnyhills United Methodist Church website, he had a desire to one day be able to produce a documentary to tell the Sunnyhills story. In January of 2019, all the stars aligned, and together with executive producer David Mosqueda, storyteller Ben Gross Jr., and historian Henry Nichols, he was able to start filming the documentary '54. The movie premiered on May 19, 2019 at the Century 20 theaters in the Great Mall of Milpitas.
Nyla Choates
Nyla Choates is the founder of My Roots are Rich and was the organizer behind a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Milpitas. My Roots are Rich is a nonprofit dedicated to pushing back against systemic racism with a mission to empower, inspire, and educate people, by reinforcing the rich culture of African Americans and their contributions to America.
Chief Curtis Jacobson
Curtis Jacobson was appointed as the 8th Fire Chief with the City of Fremont in December of 2017. Prior to his selection, Chief Jacobson served the City of San Jose as a Firefighter, Fire Engineer, Fire Prevention Inspector, Captain, Battalion Chief, Division Chief, Deputy Chief, and culminated the last 3 years of his 25-year career as Fire Chief with the San Jose Fire Department.
Dr. Liann Osborne
Dr. Liann Osborne is the first Black Deaf Career Technical Education (CTE) principal at the California School for the Deaf, Fremont. Osborne embraces every untold story from the marginalized communities. Her dissertation centered on Black Deaf Lives Matter in Deaf Education: Educators who reinforced and countered anti-Blackness while working with Black Deaf students. When Osborne works with Black and Brown Deaf students, she loves ensuring that their beautiful existence matters. They have a brightness within them that requires compassion, love, and warmth to be fully present in any institution with a dark history.
Jean P. Ficklin
Jean Ficklin is a native Mississippian and has resided in Newark for 58 years. A 1951 graduate of Jackson College, now known as Jackson State University, she earned a Master's Degree and Reading Specialist credential from California State University, Hayward. In 1964, she was the first African American teacher hired in the Newark Unified School District, retiring in June 1987 after 23 years of service. Prior to working in Newark, she also taught in the Jackson Municipal School District. She has been honored at the district, county, regional, and state levels for excellence in education and activities benefiting children's success.
Margaret Jackson
Margaret Jackson is the CEO/President of the Small Business Concierge Communications & Digital Media corporation. She has more than 35 years' experience as a business professional. Margaret Jackson is a regional advisor for the NorCal Inclusivity Project SBDC, advising African American small businesses. She is the publisher of the Small Business Concierge Digital Magazine (global reach), which provides small businesses with a voice in today's competitive world.
Affordable Connective Program (ACP)
Finally, if you need help paying for the broadband you need for work, school, or healthcare, you may qualify for the federal government's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). ACP program benefits:
- It can provide a discount of up to $30 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet or desktop computer.
- Automatic approval when enrolling if you already qualify for SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, WIC, FPHA, Veterans Pensions/ Survivors Benefits, Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch/ Breakfast Program, or received a Pell Grant this award year.
Learn more: https://www.fcc.gov/acp
Yours in Service,
Alex Lee
Assemblymember, 25th District
