September 18, 2018
Sacramento, CA — In response to Governor Brown’s signing of SB 946 (Lara), the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act, today, and AB 2184 (Chiu), the Immigrant Business Inclusion Act, late Friday, Gina Da Silva, Government Affairs Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, issued the following statement.
We celebrate the signing of these two important measures, which further advance the inclusion of immigrants into the state’s workforce and play a critical role in building the state’s economic innovation. No one should be criminalized for trying to make a living or excluded from basic opportunities due to the federal government’s failure to create a workable immigration process.
As Californians continue to grapple with growing economic inequality, these new laws are part of a broader agenda to expand economic opportunity and increase protections for all workers, including immigrants. By removing key barriers to opportunity, these new laws will allow more cultural innovation to flourish within our economy, enhance local and state revenue, and elevate California’s competitiveness.
About the new laws:
AB 2184 (Chiu), The Immigrant Business Inclusion Act, strengthens economic opportunity, expanding access to local business licenses to all Californians, including people who do not have a social security number. CIPC and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights sponsored this measure.
SB 946 (Lara), the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act, protects vulnerable sidewalk vendors and creates new opportunity for entrepreneurship and economic mobility while still preserving local control. This measure was advanced by the California Street Vendor Campaign.