WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR
PRIORITES
THE HOMELESSNESS CRISIS
Rick believes that it is unacceptable to allow people to live on the streets for years, and that we need new approaches to helping the homeless rebuild their lives. That’s why Rick has a plan to create a California Housing Corps that would deploy recent college graduates to homeless encampments to earn trust and help the unhoused obtain social and mental health services and help people onto a pathway to permanent housing, employment, and productive lives.
We also need to reduce the rising costs of rent, make homeownership more affordable, and ensure new units are actually getting built in our communities.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Our housing policies are broken, ineffective and have reached crisis proportions. We need to reduce the rising costs of rent, make homeownership more affordable, and deliver solutions for homelessness.
Rick supports building more affordable housing near transit and work hubs, while protecting the character and livability of existing neighborhoods. He will fight to expand rent subsidies, develop transition shelters with wrap around services, and convert vacant buildings into housing for those who need it.
IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY
Rick supports a smart approach to reducing crime like reforms to reduce police violence, increase gun safety, and employ qualified professionals who can offer mental health and addiction services to fight the root causes of crime. It’s time to fix our broken criminal justice system.
As Executive Director of Equality California, Rick worked to reform our criminal justice laws to reduce discriminatory sentencing and reform California’s HIV criminal laws.
TAKING GUNS OFF OUR STREETS & ENDING GUN VIOLENCE
While Rick was head of Equality California, it became the first major LGBTQ+ organization to advocate for gun safety laws that are key in reducing crime in our region.
In the Assembly, Rick will advance legislation that limits access to guns by those living with mental illness or a history of violent behavior, improve background checks and increase waiting periods, and take military grade weapons and untraceable ghost guns off our streets.
Every Californian deserves to feel safe in their homes, communities, schools, and workplaces.
WOMEN, EQUALITY, & ABORTION RIGHTS
Rick has always fought for equality and knows that women should have every opportunity to succeed that men do.
Rick will fight to guarantee women equal pay for equal work, expand paid family and sick leave, and increase access to affordable child care. Rick serves on the board of Planned Parenthood and will fight for women’s healthcare and to protect the right to legal, safe abortion.
CIVIL RIGHTS & FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION
As a civil rights attorney and former Executive Director of Equality California, Rick is recognized as one of our state’s most effective civil rights leaders fighting for equality and justice for LGBTQ+ people, women, immigrants, and communities of color and faith. Anti-semitic, anti-Asian, and anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes are on the rise in our community, and we need principled leaders who will stand up to these attacks.
Rick will work to pass legislation to protect our community from hate-motivated violence and keep all of us safe. He is strongly pro-Israel, and will fight anti-Semitic activities that are sweeping college campuses and our communities.
CLIMATE CHANGE & PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
As an environmental attorney and former President of California Environmental Voters, Rick believes that the crisis of climate change demands urgent action to invest in clean energy and water conservation, sustainable and affordable housing near transportation and work hubs, new renewable technologies, and environmental education.
Rick will advance environmental justice and policies that create good jobs and build our economy. He’ll protect our coastline from dumping, drilling, and pollution.
STRENGTHENING OUR ECONOMY & CREATING JOBS
From working families, to renters, to small business owners and more, so many people have suffered and experienced loss over the last year. Rick wants to make sure that as we recover from the pandemic, we do so fairly and in a way that builds back better and empowers hard working Californians.
Every Californian deserves the right to organize for quality jobs and good living wages. Rick will advocate for worker protections, safe working environments and the creation and preservation of good union jobs and small businesses.