California policymakers have advanced public policies and private-sector initiatives at the state and local levels that make California the world leader in innovation. We champion policies that foster a climate of innovation and competition, allowing California’s tech industry to flourish.
This being said, we are, in some ways, hamstrung by the dichotomy between “old school” versus “new school.” State policymakers are grappling with today’s most transformative new technologies, the historic role of the workforce, and appropriate workforce development policies. We must avoid picking winners and losers, but rather support all Californians and their desire to live their best lives.
In 2018, the state adopted some very significant policies that directly, or even indirectly, focused on the technology industry. This included adoption of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, advances in cybersecurity and procurement and gig-economy legislation.
As we approach the 2019-20 legislative session, we will see many of these same policy issues addressed by members of the Legislature. It is likely that we will see efforts to address some of the flaws identified in the rushed privacy legislation, and we'll certainly see legislation or efforts to address the worker classification issues so abruptly brought on in 2018 with the California Supreme Court decision on Dynamex and independent contractors.
We'll also see legislative attention paid to the role that technology and innovation can and should play in wildfire prevention; transparency in procurement and government; discussions around tax reform; financial technology such as blockchain regulation; education support for pre-K and higher education; and much-needed professional development, inclusion and diversity in tech.
There is a blueprint for how to make this work, and I am committed to leading, leaning in and ensuring the best policies for my district and for all of California. We are at a tipping point of policies coming together that require the technology industry to come to the table with labor, monopolistic industries and other — perhaps unlikely — entities, to ensure that California does not get caught in the cross-wires of industry debate, but rather emerges, once again, as the leader of compromise and economic strength.
Assemblymember Evan Low is a Democrat whose 28th District includes the South Bay and parts of Silicon Valley. He is the co-founder and co-chair of the California Legislative Tech Caucus.
