LEGISLATION & POLICY

As a cross-sector, member-driven organization, East Bay EDA promotes, advocates and influences legislation and policy efforts that contribute to a strong
economy that attracts business, job opportunities, and investment to the East Bay.

 

LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM

Our 2023 legislative platform outlines priority issues to facilitate appropriate and timely responses to relevant legislation and advocacy opportunities. East Bay EDA will consider taking positions on ballot measures, bills, and other policy issues of regional significance consistent with the principles outlined in the following domains if they will not negatively impact or potentially cause division within the organization’s membership. Legislation or policies that create new regulatory barriers must have an overall beneficial effect on the goals of retaining and expanding business in the East Bay.

Business Climate & Economic Competitiveness

East Bay EDA supports efforts to attract and retain businesses of all sizes and industry sectors in our region to ensure that we continue to enjoy the benefits of a diverse composition of companies and industries. The pandemic’s disproportionate impact on minority and women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs underscore the need for targeted support and investments, such as prioritizing outreach and technical assistance to facilitate connecting with available programs and resources, expanding and simplifying access to capital for business owners, assisting with new business formation and entrepreneurship, facilitating efforts to support greater equity and inclusion in contracting and procurement opportunities, increasing investment in broadband and other infrastructure, monitoring new regulations, and supporting capacity-building of small business assistance organizations. East Bay EDA respects and understands the importance and value of regulations governing our business climate, while also appreciating and balancing the needs of business and industry to be able to operate in our regional economy.

Economic Empowerment, Equity & Inclusion

East Bay EDA supports effective systemic investments that increase opportunities for economic empowerment, including advocating for programs, policies, and services that facilitate more equitable access to employment, education, and housing, which are foundational to improving the quality of life for all residents in our region. This includes efforts to shrink income and wealth gaps, invest in broadband and other infrastructure, reduce poverty and homelessness, promote positive youth development, decrease community violence, reform unfair practices within our criminal justice systems, and remove other institutional and structural barriers that contribute to inequities across our region.

Education & Workforce Development

East Bay EDA seeks to advance access to and implementation of quality early childcare, K-12, and post-secondary education that supports college and career readiness and quality career technical education (CTE) for all students. The organization also supports policies that help to create and sustain an accessible, affordable, and equitable post-secondary education system for all students, particularly at our community colleges and California State University (CSU), and University of California (UC) levels. East Bay EDA must work with our regional network of partners and stakeholders to ensure that the East Bay remains a leader in providing a globally competitive and diverse workforce that can access quality jobs and careers.

Environmental Stewardship & Community Health

East Bay EDA is proud of our region’s legacy of protecting our environment and promotes efforts to manage, protect, and enjoy our region’s natural assets and resources. The organization supports the development and management of systems and physical infrastructure that keeps our communities safe, promotes public health, and makes our businesses and our residents more capable of curtailing and resilient in adapting to a changing climate. We seek to maintain our leading position as home to businesses, including health care systems, that are creating cleaner and greener products and technologies. East Bay EDA respects and understands the importance and value of regulations governing environmental, public health, and other relevant concerns and issues while also appreciating and balancing the needs of business and industry to be able to operate in our regional economy.

Housing Access & Development

East Bay EDA advocates for the development of more and varied housing units of all types across the region and recognizes the urgency to accelerate the construction of new homes, in addition to the conversion of older buildings for residential use. The organization encourages strategies and policies that increase available financing and expedite the construction of housing, especially focusing on affordable housing for the most cost-burdened families and individuals, including both homeowners and renters. East Bay EDA also supports the development of impactful, innovative, and scalable solutions that address housing insecurity and homelessness.

International Trade

Recognizing the critical importance of the Port of Oakland to the Northern California economy and our nation’s commercial sector, East Bay EDA supports opportunities to develop and expand foreign direct investment and other business opportunities among companies that seek to build or expand their import and export markets. The organization is also interested in improving the growth, resilience, and sustainability of regional supply chains to maximize the East Bay’s opportunities in the global economy.

Land Use & Infrastructure

East Bay EDA supports investments in the development, maintenance, operations, and reliability of cost-effective transportation networks and other essential infrastructure systems (including the region’s broadband networks, electrical grid, transportation, and water systems) that expand and enhance the mobility of people and goods across the region and beyond. The organization embraces policies that encourage multimodal transportation and mass transit options to ameliorate disparities and reduce inequities arising from increasingly challenging and complex commute sheds and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The organization supports policies that expedite and facilitate mixed-use development and infill particularly near employment, commercial, and transit corridors.

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