Governor Brown urged to sign bill to develop economic strategy for California

600 216 Ed Coghlan


(Photo Credit: Christopher Padalinski/Wikimedia Commons)

The California Forward Action Fund has urged Governor Brown to sign legislation that would result in a California Economic Development Strategy developed by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

The CA Fwd Action Fund is the advocacy “sister” organization of California Forward and specifically recommended the Governor to sign AB 2596 which it called a vital first step toward integrating state programs and resources to build a more equitable, more prosperous, and more resilient California economy.

“The final version of this legislation outlines a set of principles to guide the development of this strategy that are substantially aligned with the values of the Action Fund, its sister organization California Forward, and our partners in the California Economic Summit,” said Jim Mayer, a director of the Action Fund and president and CEO of CA Fwd.

The California Economic Summit—a statewide network of regional business, civic and public-sector leaders, has been working to develop a similarly comprehensive, “triple bottom line” strategy—the Roadmap to Shared Prosperity. The Roadmap outlines the Summit’s plans for a comprehensive agenda to ensure economic opportunity for all by:

  • Creating a set of economic mobility goals consistent with California's values and holding the state accountable by tracking progress toward lifting more people out of poverty
  • Ensuring rural regions aren’t left behind. Instead, striving to address their distinct challenges and improve rural-urban economic links
  • Building a new path for every California community to become more resilient to the disruption caused by natural disasters, climate change, and the economic uncertainty of the 21st-century economy
  •  Continuing the Summit’s “One Million Challenges,” ongoing initiatives to close gaps in skilled workers, livable communities, and well-paying jobs

“We believe this legislation will give the next administration the tools they need to take on these daunting challenges—and to do so by emphasizing regional economic diversity, shared prosperity, and sustainable growth,” Mayer added in a letter to the Governor.

The 2018 California Economic Summit will be held in Santa Rosa, November 15-16. To register for the Summit click here.

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Ed Coghlan

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