Conference Focuses on SJV Challenges
California Senator Kamala Harris was among the speakers on Thursday, October 12, at an all-day conference in downtown Stockton, an event that aims to bring together San Joaquin Valley cities from Stockton south to Bakersfield to address the region’s challenges. According to a media release, San Joaquin Valley cities often are overlooked by state policymakers and the purpose of Thursday’s conference was to bring regional leaders together to begin to create a unified policy platform addressing health issues, the economy, education and public safety. Data from two research reports by the University of California, Davis Center for Regional Change were used to inform the development of policies to address children’s issues in San Joaquin County. Event organizers addressed numerous challenges in the San Joaquin Valley, including increasing access to educational opportunities, food deserts, air pollution, unsafe drinking water, and a lack of parks and affordable housing.