At The Greenlining Institute, we believe policy change can be a powerful tool to dismantle systemic racism and build a just, inclusive economy. Our legislative strategy is one way we turn that belief into reality. Through community-driven advocacy, coalition-building, and holding lawmakers accountable, we fight to ensure that California leads the nation in policies that center racial, economic, and climate equity.

This work is never easy, but it is especially urgent now.

As we mark the first 100 days of Trump’s second administration — a period already marked by attacks on the foundations our communities rely on — California must act swiftly to safeguard the rights, resources, and futures of communities of color. Our communities have never had the luxury of waiting for Washington to lead, and the past 100 days are a stark reminder that the task ahead will be difficult, but necessary.

Much of our legislative agenda this year addresses the threats communities of color face due to federal inaction at best or intentional harm at worst: rollbacks to civil rights enforcement, climate policy reversals, and weakening of agencies meant to protect everyday people from greed and corruption. When the federal government steps back, states must step up. That’s what Greenlining is here to push California to do.

Greenlined Policies

Our approach is guided by the concept of Greenlined policies — those that actively invest in formerly redlined communities of color, ensure government accountability, and remove barriers to opportunity. 

Greenlined policies:

  • Drive investments into communities of color that bear the long-term effects of historic disinvestment and redlining
  • Ensure transparency in how policy and budget decisions impact Californians, with a focus on identifying and addressing inequities in communities of color
  • Hold state agencies and lawmakers accountable to equitable outcomes
  • Build strength and capacity in communities of color by removing barriers and expanding access to resources, opportunity, and decision-making power

Legislation is prime soil for these ideas to take root and grow. In the face of federal retrenchment, Greenlining’s team uses California’s policy process to create bold, equity-centered solutions that can be models for the nation.

Legislation We’re Championing in 2025

Our 2025 legislative priorities are a direct response to the challenges our communities are facing, and the opportunities we see to build long-term resilience. Here are our top priorities in 2025:

[Co-sponsored Legislation] AB 1132 – Roads to Resilience Act (Schiavo): This bill would require transportation planning to incorporate equity and climate resilience by assessing how climate impacts to transportation infrastructure affect the well-being of communities. It would ensure  evacuation routes, infrastructure investments, and disaster response strategies protect the people who rely on them most — especially underserved communities.

[Supported Legislation] AB 801 – California Community Reinvestment Act (Bonta): This bill would create a state-level Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to ensure that all financial institutions, including nonbanks, fintechs, and mortgage lenders,  support and invest equitably in California’s communities. As the federal protections are weakened or rolled back, California can and must lead with a stronger, more inclusive framework.

[Supported Legislation] AB 1018 – Automated Decisions Safety Act (Bauer-Kahan): From hiring to housing, automated decision systems increasingly shape outcomes that affect people’s lives. AB 1018 would bring transparency, oversight, and fairness to these tools, ensuring that racial bias and discrimination are not embedded into the algorithms driving our economy.

Each of these bills addresses a different challenge, but they all reflect our core belief: policy and government must be a force for equity, not inequality.

Why This Moment Demands Action

The return of Trump to power signals a dangerous rollback of hard-won protections for communities of color and other marginalized communities. Already, federal regulators are threatening to rescind long-overdue updates to the Community Reinvestment Act. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is under attack. Environmental justice regulations are being weakened, and civil rights enforcement is being cut off at the knees. At the same time, the administration is signaling hostility toward nonprofit organizations — especially those that speak truth to power — through threats of executive action and efforts to chill dissent.

This isn’t a repeat — it’s an escalation. The current iteration of the Trump administration is acting with greater speed and strategy to dismantle civil rights protections, environmental safeguards, and the equity infrastructure our communities have fought to build. In this moment, states like California must once again step into the gap. We have both the moral responsibility and the policy tools to lead — but only if we remain organized, strategic, and unapologetic in our commitment to race-conscious solutions. Holding the line now positions us to not only defend our gains, but to build momentum for the just future we know is possible.

The Path Forward

Our legislative strategy is more than a list of bills. It’s about building power alongside communities, pushing institutions to change, and showing what’s possible when equity is a guiding principle rather than an afterthought.

We know the road ahead is challenging. But we also know this: change happens when we fight for it. And Greenlining will keep fighting to ensure that the people and places most impacted by inequity are at the center of the solutions.