EAST BAY EXPRESS: In the 15th Assembly District, Six Candidates Appear to Have a Shot at the Top Two Spots

“Wicks’ top issue is housing. She’s proposing to expand state funding for affordable housing while streamlining construction for all income levels. Instead of repealing Costa Hawkins, Wicks wants to amend it so that new construction would be exempted for a rolling period to allow developers to recoup investments while also allowing cities to cover some buildings built after 1995. She also wants to increase the renter’s tax credit.

On education, Wicks wants higher teacher pay and says the state should do more to provide housing assistance so that educators can work in some of the high-cost districts where they teach like the East Bay. But in contrast to most of the other candidates, Wicks is not anti-charter schools, although she says there should be more oversight of charters’ governance and budgets. She also said in her interview with the Express editorial board that she would support legislation allowing some school districts to enact temporary moratoriums on new charters…

At this point, it looks like the race will come down to a contest among Appel, Bartlett, Beckles, Kalb, Pardue-Okimoto, and Wicks. The top two will advance to the November general election.”