Issues
Malia’s Economic Agenda
After a difficult few years into this pandemic, Malia Cohen is the only candidate running for State Controller who has a plan to uplift California’s women and working families. While California remains the fifth-largest economy in the world, everyday Californians are still struggling to make ends meet. Malia recognizes California is at its best when everyone is doing their best. As your next State Controller, Malia Cohen will ensure that addressing equity is a cornerstone priority of her office. For her entire career, Malia has been fighting to right wrongs and create meaningful change where they said it could not be done. Read how she plans to do it as your next State Controller:
Addressing California’s Housing Crisis
Malia knows we can’t move forward if Californians struggle to find affordable, stable housing. She’ll work to expand housing availability at all income levels so our residents can build their future in our state.
In her role leading on Proposition O in San Francisco, Malia helped create more than 12,000 new homes, 32 percent of which were affordable housing. She’ll continue to prioritize and incentivize the development of more affordable housing and work to provide assistance to first-time homebuyers.
Retirement Security
Malia has a long track record of protecting Californians’ retirement. As President of SFERS, she helped manage the $22 billion fund and ensure a secure retirement for our public workers.
Malia knows the power and importance of a retirement pension. Her mother and father were both members of a union and were able to raise her and her four siblings thanks to the support of their union. She will be a fearless advocate for protecting retirement security and will fight to help all older adults age with dignity.
An Economy that Works for All Californians
Malia knows that our state cannot rebuild if our working people and working families are not supported. She’ll continue to focus on job creation and job training, prioritizing communities of color and low-income communities that have endured long-term disinvestment.
On the Board of Supervisors, Malia led a measure that created more than 17,000 jobs in the Bay Area and she co-sponsored legislation establishing a citywide project labor agreement and a prevailing wage on public projects. She also championed the highest minimum wage in the country, guaranteeing San Francisco residents $15 an hour and paving the way for a minimum wage increase across the state.
As a working mother, Malia knows the importance of paid leave and affordable child care. She co-sponsored the Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance, which allows parents or guardians the right to request flexible work schedules to care for their dependents.
As Controller, she will fight to help working Californians get ahead.
Expanding Affordable Health Care
Health care is a right and Malia will fight to expand access and lower costs for all Californians. On the Board of Supervisors, she led the effort to pass the sugar-sweetened beverage tax and used funding from the measure to expand access to health care to more San Francisco residents.
As Controller, Malia will expand access to more people and demand greater accountability around prescription drug prices, so that no one has to choose between their medicine and basic necessities.
Protecting Reproductive Access
Reproductive health care is under attack. Malia will fight to protect it. She wrote the Pregnancy Information Disclosure and Protection Ordinance, which prohibits crisis pregnancy centers in the City from making false or misleading statements about their services. After its passage, this measure was challenged in the U.S. District Court and upheld in its entirety. She’ll continue to be a champion for reproductive access for all.
Equal Rights for All
Malia has a long track record of standing up for the LGBTQ+ community. On the Board of Supervisors, she led the effort to expand Transition Age Youth (TAY) services in the City, working to ensure more health care and mental health care is available to LGBTQ+ youth. She also supported the first transgender bathroom legislation and supported gender reassignment surgeries as part of HealthySF, the City’s universal health care program.
Malia is committed to bridging gaps in access and policy to ensure all people are supported. She’s seen marginalized communities left out of the conversation too often. She’ll fight to bring greater diversity to the decision making table and so that our policy truly reflects the people who make up our state. In addition to ensuring that all people feel supported and protected in our state, she’ll also demand accountability for any acts of violence, hate, or discrimination to send a strong message that it will not be tolerated. Malia knows California’s strength is its diversity and she’ll make sure it’s reflected at all levels of government.
Acting to Protect Our Planet
Building a better future for all in California requires continued action on climate change and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Malia is committed to this effort and to holding polluters accountable. She’s seen that far too often it is low-income communities of color that face the immediate consequences of pollution in the form of health problems and job loss. She’ll fight to provide additional support to these communities while ensuring we continue to move toward carbon neutrality.
Malia will continue to demand transparency and accountability around reducing greenhouse gas emissions while transitioning to a green economy and protecting California’s natural resources.
Action on Gun Violence and Violence Against Women
Malia led the effort to pass tougher regulations on lethal ammunition and high capacity firearm magazines. The legislation helped close several loopholes in City regulation. She’ll continue to demand strict gun control in our state.
Malia also demanded culturally competent services to women and their families who are victims of domestic violence. She will work to pass policies that help people feel safer in their homes and communities.