Issues

Growing up and living in Los Angeles, Speaker Pérez knows the concerns California families face in these difficult economic times. That’s why he is working on the issues people want addressed: good-paying jobs, access to quality, affordable health care, safe schools where their kids can learn, and improved air and water quality.

John has spent his life fighting for California families, and he has brought that same spirit to the Assembly. Below are some of the issues John is focusing on in the Assembly.

Jobs and the Economy

Speaker Pérez has called getting Californians back to work the absolute number one priority for every level of government. In the Assembly, Speaker Pérez has already pushed for legislation that will create jobs by expanding green businesses in California.

John has been on the front lines of nearly every issue facing working people over the last 15 years and has a long list of accomplishments helping to create jobs and protect wages. A member of the Painters Union, now with the UFCW, John was an instrumental leader in restoring the 8-hour workday with overtime in California. John has played a leading role in the battle to increase the minimum wage. As a lifelong community advocate, John has helped strengthen local hiring criteria for prevailing wage jobs in the construction industry.

Education

Speaker Pérez understands how important education is for our children to be prepared to compete for the jobs of the future. As Speaker, he will fight for all of California’s higher education, the UC, CSU and community colleges because he knows we need to restore common sense to higher education and put our students’ need first.

A world-class education is no longer a luxury for a child. It is a necessity. The children in our communities today are no longer competing solely against other children in their neighborhood. They are competing against kids from all over the world – from India to China.

However, regardless of the new schools we have built, no child can learn in the absence of safe schools and safe neighborhoods. Children have a right to attend school free from the drugs, violence, and especially gang influences that permeate some of our neighborhoods.

With one in four Californians uninsured, and millions more of California families and businesses struggling with rising health care costs, Speaker Pérez knows affordable health care is a key part of job creation and economic recovery effort.

Speaker Pérez believes everyone deserves access to affordable health care coverage. The lack of hospitals and health care facilities, the cost of prescription drugs, and portability of coverage when individuals change jobs are issues California families grapple with every day. Speaker Pérez understands that to solve these problems, a comprehensive approach to health care is needed.

The Environment

Speaker Pérez knows the air we breathe and the water we drink directly affect the quality of life for all Californians. As a former Board Member of the California League of Conservation Voters, John has deep ties to California's environmental community. Tending to the environment is not only about preserving the beauty that California possesses but also about improving the day-to-day lives of the people who live and work here.

Budget

Speaker Pérez understands that to fix California’s budget it must be done with public input and independent review. That’s why he has pledged the budget will not be written behind closed doors in “Big 5” meetings. Instead, he plans a full budget committee and subcommittee process, along with a series of budget hearings throughout the state so all Californians have the opportunity to offer their ideas and tell legislators how the budget proposals will affect their lives.

Speaker Pérez realizes that the California state budget is a reflection of our priorities. In order for California to continue to serve as the trendsetter for the United States, our budget must make the necessary investments both for today and for our future. From education to health care to the economy, John will stand on the side of working Californians and against the special interests that have come to dominate our politics.

Civil Rights and LGBT Issues

Speaker Pérez has been a leader in the civil rights arena throughout his adult life and has an extensive record lobbying on behalf of marriage equality, immigrant rights, hate crimes legislation, and a woman’s right to choose. As a member of the Assembly, John supports legislation that promotes greater tolerance and inclusion for all Californians, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.