by Yilin Liang

Jerry Brown is the current Attorney General for Calif. and was also the governor of Calif. from 1975 to 1983, when he created the nation’s first Wellness Commission, the Office of Appropriate Technology and the Native American Heritage Preservation Commission.

Education System
In order to fund public education, Brown plans to distribute a fixed amount of money to districts used on a formula based on specific needs of the students in the school district. Brown plans to create incentives for good instruction and to work closely with teacher training institutions. Brown proposes to shorten state test times and change tests to focus on concepts rather than facts. Brown also plans to continue working to narrow the achievement gap in the state and reduce the dropout rate.

Unemployment
To tackle unemployment, Brown has proposed his “Clean Energy Jobs Plan” to create more jobs by investing in renewable energy. Brown also supports the creation of a high speed rail throughout Calif. to create more jobs and promises to encourage the creation of small start up businesses. In addition, he  also plans to allocate more funding towards education and create more jobs in manufacturing.

Immigration
Another issue in Calif. is the issue of immigration. Brown believes in the need for immigration reform and creating a path to citizenship for immigrants. Brown recently asserted during a debate that he would sign Calif.’s “Dream Act” into law, which would allow some college graduates that are illegal immigrants to eventually become citizens.

Environment
Brown plans to tackle the issue of environmental sustainability in the state. By investing in the development of clean energy technology, adopting stronger standards for the efficiency of appliances and making clean energy storage and use more efficient. He also plans to appoint a “Renewable Energy Jobs Czar” who will work to oversee the clean energy actions taken within the state. Brown’s plan is meant to tackle not only the issue of environmental sustainability but also to create jobs within the state.

LGBT Rights
Brown opposes Proposition 8, which would make same-sex marriage illegal. He believes that Proposition 8 violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution, which states that everyone is equal under law, and the government cannot deprive citizens of life, liberty or property. He also appointed the first gay and lesbian judges in Calif.

Abortion
Brown is a supporter of Roe v. Wade, the court case ruling that extends a woman’s right to an abortion. He also supports Medicaid funding for abortions and opposes mandatory parental notification and medical clinics that do not provide women with accurate information about abortions. “At the end of the day, the right of each woman to decide for herself what her future is,” Brown said, according to the SF Public Press.

Legalization of Marijuana
Brown does not support Proposition 19, which calls for the legalization of marijuana. “I’m not going to jump on the legalization bandwagon,” Brown said, according to SF Gate. “We’re going to get a vote of the people soon on that, but I’m not going to support it.”