Abdur Sikder

Education College shouldn’t be a financial burden, and every Californian deserves access to quality education. That’s why Abdur Sikder is committed to making public colleges and universities tuition-free. Community colleges will eliminate tuition and enrollment fees for all students, while expanding evening, online, and career-focused programs for working adults. The California State University system will phase in tuition-free access for first-generation students, those in STEM and teaching majors, and middle-income families, with tuition rates locked to inflation once fully funded. This approach keeps students in-state, reduces debt, and ensures more students graduate successfully. Civil Rights Ensuring civil rights are respected in California requires more than laws on paper—it requires active enforcement. Abdur Sikder’s plan calls for statewide audits of employers, housing providers, schools, and state agencies to ensure compliance with civil rights laws. Strong penalties will be applied for discrimination based on race, gender, religion, disability, or immigration status, and results will be publicly reported to guarantee transparency and accountability. This approach protects rights in practice, not just in theory. Economy California is committed to ensuring that anyone ready and willing to work can find meaningful employment. Through a state job guarantee program, the state will create public jobs in infrastructure, caregiving, climate resilience, and disaster response, offering living wages and basic benefits while acting as an automatic stabilizer during economic downturns. This ensures that no willing worker is left idle. Local entrepreneurs and small businesses will also be empowered through state-backed, zero-interest loans for startups and expansions, with priority given to women-, minority-, and locally owned businesses. The simplified application process and fast approval will strengthen small businesses and create more local jobs. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Public safety in California starts with prevention and community trust. By shifting the focus to community-based policing, officers work closely with neighborhoods to understand concerns and co-create solutions, moving beyond purely punitive approaches. Neighborhood patrols, local advisory boards, and engagement programs help strengthen relationships between law enforcement and residents, making communities safer and more resilient. At the same time, mental health crisis response teams are expanded to handle situations that do not involve criminal activity. Specialized teams of social workers, clinicians, and trained officers respond to emergencies involving mental health, ensuring proper care, reducing unnecessary arrests, and improving long-term outcomes for individuals in crisis. Environment / Energy California is committed to leading the nation in clean energy while creating good-paying jobs. The plan begins with a rapid transition to a fully renewable power grid, expanding solar, wind, and battery storage while modernizing the grid for peak demand and wildfire resilience. Priority will be given to community-owned and local energy projects, ensuring reliable, clean power that lowers long-term energy costs for everyone. To stop the expansion of pollution and build a sustainable economy, California will end all new permits for oil and gas drilling. Fossil fuel subsidies will be redirected toward clean energy manufacturing, workforce retraining programs, and unionized green jobs, reducing emissions while creating high-quality employment opportunities. Legislation California is modernizing government services to make life easier for everyone. A single, secure digital portal will allow residents to access taxes, licenses, benefits, healthcare, and education all in one place. By reducing paperwork and delays, and making the platform mobile-friendly, multilingual, and fully accessible, services become faster, simpler, and more efficient—bringing government into the 21st century. Technology will also be harnessed to serve the public interest. State-funded AI will assist in healthcare diagnostics, education support, and traffic optimization, always under human oversight to ensure transparency and fairness. This approach delivers better services at lower costs while maintaining accountability and public trust. Housing Housing is the foundation for a stable life, and every Californian deserves a safe, permanent place to call home. Abdur Sikder’s plan focuses on building state-owned, affordable housing near major transit corridors, ensuring residents have easy access to jobs, schools, and essential services. By prioritizing land near rail stations, bus hubs, and job centers, the state can maintain permanently affordable rents and fast-track approvals, bypassing local red tape for state projects. This creates stable, connected communities while addressing the housing crisis head-on. Healthcare Abdur Sikder’s plan transitions the state toward universal coverage, creating a single, unified public system that guarantees healthcare for every resident. Coverage is automatic, comprehensive, and portable, eliminating gaps caused by employment changes, income fluctuations, or other life circumstances. By replacing fragmented private plans with one streamlined public framework, every Californian is ensured access to care, and no one falls through the cracks.