We urgently need your support on an issue that impacts the lives and livelihoods of all Californians. Remember our red-alert emails after Governor Gavin Newsom cut $250 million of funding for earthquake retrofits from his proposed 2023 budget? There's now a way to get that vital funding reinstated.
The bill, authored by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, would help property owners insulate older buildings from collapse in earthquakes. Millions of Californians live in older, soft-story apartment buildings at risk of seismic collapse due to weak construction. We've been raising our voices on this issue for years now. Business leaders know earthquake retrofits aren't just about seismic resilience.
In Southern California alone, U.S. Geological Survey experts estimate more than 250,000 people could be displaced in a magnitude 7 earthquake on the San Andreas fault. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a major earthquake on the Hayward fault could force 400,000 people out of their homes.
AB 1505 will be considered on Monday, April 17 by the California State Assembly's Committee on Emergency Management. Speak up and voice your support to ensure its passage to the full Assembly. We've made it quick and easy to take action. Fill in the blanks in the template letter and upload it to the Legislature's letter portal.
The consequences of neglecting weak buildings are deadly. Look at what happened earlier this year in Turkey and Syria following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake. California is vulnerable to a quake of the same magnitude. We can't prevent it – but we can protect our residents, homes, and economy. Use your voices and platforms to disaster-proof our communities.
Onward!
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Tracy Hernandez
BizFed Founding CEO
We want to stop seeing images like these on the news. The business community’s calls for additional resources to fight...
