Category: News
February 22nd, 2022
Feb. 22, 2022 (SAN FRANCISCO) – Today, End Poverty in California (EPIC) applauded California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s leadership and vision in announcing the formation of the 2022 Select Committee on Poverty and Economic Inclusion. The new initiative, chaired by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, will take a comprehensive look at the social determinants of poverty in California, and prescribe reforms that center the experiences of those living in the conditions that public policy often fails to address. End Poverty in California founder Michael Tubbs released the following statement:
“We are pleased to see that Speaker Rendon and Assemblymember Bryan recognize that poverty is a systemic failure, not an individual one. My new campaign, End Poverty in California (EPIC), has been advocating for this type of legislative focus in order to examine the root causes of poverty in our state and how the narratives of lived experience can inform how we build and deliver a 21st century safety net. We are excited to partner with Speaker Rendon, Assemblymember Bryan, and the Select Committee members to heed recent recommendations and build upon the years of work done by countless leaders within and outside government that have advanced solutions to reduce poverty.
Many people across our state are experiencing daily the results of policies that have failed to address the underlying causes of economic inequality. For children, workers, the formerly incarcerated, and those hailing from certain zip codes, there are two Californias — one that is the wealthiest state in the country and the fifth largest economy in the world, and another where a third of our population is living below or near the poverty line.
We know that the deep-seeded economic inequality in California is not permanent. We can change the course of millions of Californians’ lives with both innovative new policy solutions as well as fixes to existing programs to ensure they are accessible to as many people as possible.
The creation of this Select Committee is a critical step in correcting the fundamental inequalities that have been built into our institutions for generations. We are looking forward to working alongside Speaker Rendon and Assemblymember Bryan in partnership to end poverty in our state.”