As state legislatures wrap up session, we’re taking a look at some equitable ideas across the country! Check them out!
California
- Cannabis Farmers Market
- Why we’re watching: Barriers to entry for the legal cannabis industry are too high, especially for Black and Brown citizens. We believe the policy is a good one, but only if we can make the sector more equitable. California is doing that by permitting cultivators to sell cannabis directly to consumers at farmers markets, letting entrepreneurs into the growing industry (pun unintended).
- Homebuying Assistance
- Why we’re watching: California just launched a program to help first-time homebuyers with their down payments. The program, called California’s Forgivable Equity Builder Loan, allows qualified buyers to borrow up to 10% of a home’s purchase price and forgives the debt if families live in that home for five or more years.
Connecticut
- HB 5042
- Why we’re watching: Just two months ago, Connecticut legislators advanced a bill to stem the ballooning cost of healthcare. As the sessions draws to a close, activists are calling for the Legislature to pass the bill, which would cap primary care prices – an all-too-expensive cost for underserved populations.
Maryland
- Montgomery County Heat Map
- Why we’re watching: Summertime is discriminatory. Majority-minority neighborhoods are on average hotter than mostly white neighborhoods. Montgomery County is launching an investigation to map these inequities and create solutions for these urban heat islands. We wish every county in the U.S. undertook such equitable ideas!
Missouri
- National Park Foundation Grant
- Why we’re watching: The National Park Foundation recently granted Black People Who Hike, a St. Louis-based group, $120,000 to experience parks across the country that have historically excluded Black people. This is a much-needed program considering only 6% of all national park visitors are Black.
What do you think of the news in this week’s legislative roundup? Did we miss anything? Drop us a line on any of our social channels or hit us up through our contact us form. Let us know what’s happening in YOUR neighborhood!
