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Activists taking part in the 4th annual Equity on the Mall in Sacramento say state politicians are overlooking the needs of poorer communities in the Central Valley.
They campaigned for clean water, better access to health care and more educational opportunities.
Lawmakers representing communities in the San Joaquin Valley say they are vastly outnumbered by lawmakers from large coastal cities and say their colleagues must pay closer attention to the needs of Central Valley residents and to invest in improving basic living conditions.
Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman of Stockton said," In my district, I have four prisons. Those are public but I don't have one university that's public. So what do my kids see? What do my young parents see? Do they see a path to college or do they see a path to prison?"
Water was among the topics discussed.
Organizers of Equity on the Mall say some families in the Central Valley pay ten percent of their family income on bottled water. Central Valley Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula says investments are also needed to improve water storage to help local farmers in times of drought.
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Equity on the Mall was organized by the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund.
Many local youth made the trip to the state capitol to try and advance the needs of families here in the central valley. They joined civil rights leader Dolores Huerta.
Source: ABC30 and CTNS
Photo Credit: San Joaquin Valley Health Fund