On June 24, 2026, AB 2279 passed out of committee with amendments and is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. This bill seeks to help more people get reliable and affordable internet. AB 2279 strengthens the role of Regional Broadband Consortia (RBCs) that work directly with residents, community stakeholders and local governments to connect them to internet services. This includes helping people find affordable options, sign up for service and learn how to use it in their daily lives. Access to the internet is essential today—for applying to jobs, completing schoolwork, accessing health care and staying connected to family and community.

At the Bay Area Council Economic Institute’s June report release event, UNITE-LA President Alysia Bell highlighted the urgent need for cross-regional collaboration to strengthen communities and economic resilience amid increased immigration enforcement activities.

In April, UNITE-LA tabled at the L.A. Times Festival of Books to support A Golden State for Kids, a statewide campaign highlighting the importance of a strong child care infrastructure for children from birth to age three.

UNITE-LA partnered with six Los Angeles-based organizations to host an advocacy day with almost 100 advocates, parents, children and child care providers.

In May, UNITE-LA attended Access Sacramento, an annual fly-in event hosted by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce to connect business leaders and stakeholders with Sacramento officials.

UNITE-LA hosted a timely discussion on the role of affordability in the systems that shape our cradle-through-career ecosystem. Speakers explored how education and workforce policies/investments can be powerful levers for economic mobility.

In April, UNITE-LA sent a business advocacy letter to members of the state legislature to prioritize ECE investments such as: supporting an alternative reimbursement rate for providers that reflects the true cost of providing child care; preserving Gov. Newsom’s wildfire investment for child care infrastructure; and including the additional 44,000 child care spaces per state statute. Fifty-one business organizations from across California signed on to the letter, representing more than 800,000 employers statewide.

In April, UNITE-LA was honored to cohost a Sacramento reception in partnership with the National Hispanic Construction Alliance (NHCA), convening more than 50 stakeholders to discuss workforce trends and the impact of immigration enforcement on the construction sector.

In May, UNITE-LA's Senior Vice President of Education Policy and Public Affairs, Sonia Campos-Rivera, joined an expert panel at the City of L.A. Early Childhood Education (ECE) Expo to discuss the role that city leaders can play to expand early care and education. 

UNITE-LA Policy Analyst, Ashley Álvarez, attended Getting Down to Facts: Aligning Governance, Policy and Capacity to Support Student Success, co-hosted by Policy Analysis for California Education and Stanford University.