Rebecca Kaplan

Kaplan's contributions to Oakland policy making have included a focus on budget balancing measures, legislation which eased the permit process for new restaurants, creating a new public transit line downtown, and re-working and passing a law which mandates registration of abandoned and vacant buildings.

Kaplan also championed the Vacant Parcel Tax in Oakland in an effort to resolve Oakland's growing homeless problem. The tax is levied on Oakland's property owners with unused and vacant residential & commercial properties.

In 2009, Oakland's budget shortfall ran into the tens of millions, and as a solution, Kaplan proposed Measure F, which raised taxes on medical cannabis businesses. The measure, which dramatically increased taxes on these businesses, was strongly supported by the businesses themselves. Kaplan received national media attention from this initiative, appearing on PBS's NewsHour and Fox Business Network to discuss it. The measure passed overwhelmingly in a special election. Three other ballot measures, also campaigned for by Kaplan, were passed in a successful effort to balance the year's budget.

Also in 2009, Kaplan re-designed a failed City Council measure which would require owners of certain vacant properties to register their buildings with the city. Oakland's vacancy problem had led to rampant use of empty buildings for illegal activities, and earlier in the year, Councilmember Desley Brooks had attempted to pass similar legislation, which had been voted down due to unclear language and an overly aggressive fine regime. Kaplan re-wrote the measure with a simpler scope, and was able to pass it by a wide margin of support.

On August 2017, two Oakland police officers provided traffic assistance to ICE agents as Homeland Security Investigations served a federal search warrant in West Oakland regarding a human trafficking investigation that involves children[6] leading to the detainment of two men, neither ever having been convicted or charged with a crime.[7] Fearing that residents would experience a chilling effect from the incident and would be less willing to call on police for support, Kaplan proposed a resolution upholding the city's sanctuary city status by stipulating that the Oakland Police Department be prevented from colluding and assisting with ICE.[8] According to a statement from Kaplan, " The head of ICE has made public statements that have helped make it more clear that ICE is not actually focusing on solving serious and violent crime, but is focused on being part of (President Donald) Trump's political vendetta."[7] Co-sponsored by Councilwoman Desley Brooks, the resolution passed city council unanimously.[7]

In the fall of 2019, as a member of the Oakland City Council, Kaplan contributed to an effort to sue Alameda County over the approved $85 million sale of the land currently housing the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and Oakland Arena to the Oakland Athletics.[9] The city argued it wasn’t given a real opportunity to buy the County’s share of the land, despite Oakland not having adequate money to purchase the site.[10] This is broadly seen as an attempt to derail the Oakland Athletic's plan to construct a privately financed new stadium at the Howard Terminal site that would keep the Athletics in the San Francisco Bay Area. The plan the Athletics put forward includes major revitalization projects at both the Howard Terminal and Coliseum sites, including the construction of affordable housing, restaurants, retail, small business space and public gathering spaces.[11]

Due to the abrupt nature of the lawsuit and the fact that the plan was backed by city leaders, A’s President Dave Kaval said that the team was “completely blindsided” and “very disappointed” by the city’s lawsuit.[9] Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who said she hopes the city “suspends” the suit, stated “Our city and county governments should work with each other, not against each other, I hope the council suspends this suit so we can all collaborate together on a beneficial future for the Coliseum." [9] Oakland City Councilman Larry Reid stated that Rob Manfred, the Commissioner of Baseball, told Oakland leaders that “Bay Area fans will soon be going to Las Vegas to see the Raiders and that unless things changed, Bay Area fans may be going to Las Vegas or elsewhere to see the A’s as well.”[10] A few weeks after the lawsuit was filed, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law two bills, AB1191 and SB293, designed to move the new Howard Terminal ballpark forward.

In November 2008, Kaplan won her current post in a run-off election against BART executive Kerry Hamill[1] by a margin of 62% to 37%, with Kaplan receiving a total of 82,531 votes to Hamill's 50,387. She succeeded Henry Chang, Jr., against whom Kaplan had campaigned unsuccessfully in 2000.[2]

Kaplan previously served as the Member At-Large on the Alameda – Contra Costa Transit Board of Directors, elected unopposed in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.[2] In this post, she represented 1.5 million residents[2] of western Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

In 2000 Kaplan ran for Oakland city council registered with the Green Party,[12] an affiliation held until she switched to the Democratic Party in 2008.[13]

In April 2010 Kaplan formed a campaign committee to explore running for Oakland mayor.[14][15] In the November election Kaplan placed third in ranked choice balloting after winner Jean Quan and runner-up Don Perata.[5]

Kaplan ran again for Oakland mayor in 2014, coming in second in the ranked choice ballot to councilwoman Libby Schaaf.[16]