Los Angeles County Takes Key Step Toward Pet-Inclusive Housing
Feasibility study findings to guide 2026 County ordinance, highlight pet-inclusive housing as a pathway to equity and housing stability
2024/2025 Legislative Accomplishments
The Michelson Center for Public Policy achieved significant policy wins during California’s 2024/2025 legislative session, advancing evidence-based, equity-driven reforms that strengthen communities statewide. These successes were made possible through strong partnerships addressing inequities in education, justice, and animal welfare, with gratitude extended to bill authors, their staff, and Governor Gavin Newsom for signing the measures into law.
California Boosts Pay For Incarcerated Firefighters
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 247 into law, boosting wages for California’s incarcerated firefighters from $1 per hour to $7.25 per hour while assigned to active wildfire incidents. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and co-sponsored by Initiate Justice Action and Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), is part of the Firefighting to Freedom bill package, which aims to honor and support California’s incarcerated firefighters through legislative action.
At the Michelson Center for Public Policy, we believe in the power of government to drive lasting, equitable change. That’s why we champion bold, data-driven policies that uplift underserved communities and remove systemic barriers. By elevating critical issues—from access to education and broadband to housing and reentry support—we work to ensure they remain front and center in local, state, and national policy agendas.
ISSUES WE SUPPORT
Education & Equity
A history of systemic and financial barriers has stunted college students' abilities to stay enrolled, graduate, and utilize their degrees to improve their quality of life. Students face obstacles including publishing cartels limiting their ability to access education resources, internet service providers' limitations to broadband access, and the increasing burden on all students - regardless of their history - to be housed and healthy.
The Michelson Center for Public Policy will utilize its influence and leverage to work with government agencies and pass legislation to combat this inequities.
Medical Research
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical need to invest in medical research, healthcare, and treatment reforms that encourage scientific collaboration, fuel disruptive thinking, and accelerate the translation of innovative ideas from the laboratory into real vaccines and treatments that can be accessed by patients.
The Michelson Center for Public Policy works with policymakers to meet these goals by advocating for policies that expand the National Institutes for Health, support early career researchers, and modernize the Food and Drug Administration.
Animal Welfare
Animals are a truly voiceless population. They intersect with communities at every sector - companion animals, wildlife, farm animals - and their well-being is largely predicated on the rules, regulations, and norms set forth by humans. It is our responsibility to consider animal welfare and protection at every intersection in our lives.
The Michelson Center for Public Policy champions lifesaving efforts, prevention of cruelty, and protection of our animal communities by supporting elected offices who craft lifesaving animal welfare legislation and working with government agencies to enact responsible public policy.
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