Editor’s Note: Assembly Member Buffy Wicks represents the East Bay in the California State Assembly, with a district spanning communities from Oakland to Richmond, and includes the City of Berkeley.
This interview was conducted and originally published by the League of Women Voters of Oakland.
What major issues must the Legislature deal with in 2026?
So many! We need to shore up the social safety net (due to US government actions, especially HR1). Everything we’re seeing coming out of the federal government is horrible. We are very focused on affordable housing; we have made some good headway. Streamlining the process is important. Protecting our immigrant community is also a key issue for us. We need public investment for those in the lowest income brackets. I am carrying a $10B housing bond measure that I hope to get on the ballot for November to support affordable housing for our lowest-income folks. If this passes, it will fund 45,000 shovel-ready projects.
We also need to do more to keep our kids safe online. We are looking at instituting more aggressive device bans in schools. This is being undertaken by a bipartisan group of legislators who are parents.
What are your personal legislative priorities?
Some of my personal priorities are funding for schools and education. There is also a broader revenue question: what are reasonable ways to raise revenue in the state? Most bigger school districts are having funding issues. I am also very concerned about food insecurity and funding for it, and mass transit funding.
We thank the Legislature for approving a loan to Bay Area transit agencies to ease their financial crisis following the COVID shutdown. What do you see as the longer-term path to financial stability for mass transit?
I hope to get a measure on the November ballot. Long-term funding for public transit is critical; we must invest publicly in mass transit. The Bay Area has the challenge of having over 27 agencies providing mass transit, and these agencies must better coordinate among themselves. Mass transit is the primary mode of transportation for our most vulnerable. Mass transit is not simply an issue for vulnerable families; it has an impact on our entire population. For instance, enabling the use of mass transit helps to keep our other transit corridors more open. In addition to public financing of mass transit we need to ensure there’s ROI (return on investment) on the investment and that mass transit agencies are held accountable for wisely spending the public’s investment.
The exploding cost of special education is a key reason that the Oakland Unified School District is in so much trouble financially. Is there anything the Legislature can do to alleviate this pressure point?
We have seen that schools are having trouble hiring appropriately-qualified teachers, including special ed staff. I believe that the reason schools are having trouble hiring is the lack of affordable housing for staff. We passed a bill last year for workforce housing, and have seen some success with housing for teachers (on land owned by school districts). Housing our teachers is part of the solution. This focus includes other civil servants as well. I believe we need better recruitment and training for teachers. We are starting to see some good models. I am interested in being informed if more good models can be identified.
How can the Legislature protect data of California voters, to safeguard federal elections?
We’ve had lots of voter interference. California is lucky that our Secretary of State, Shirley Weber, is well respected and is on top of these issues. She is one person who when she speaks, the Legislature listens. Also, the Attorney General, Rob Bonta, has been an excellent ally in election security and protecting our data. Our Governor has also been pushing back against the federal government to protect elections and data privacy. Maintaining data privacy is a shared goal. In addition to voting data, we are also concerned about protecting other sensitive data (reproductive/pregnancy data, trans data, and others). Traditionally Republicans have supported states’ rights (vs. federal), but it is not clear if they will do so if it involves challenging this federal administration.
Overall, we need to get through this cycle and rebuild the nation. The next few years will be challenging. I am concerned about our country and the future–especially for my children.
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