April N.M. Baskin’s Vision, Policy Positions, and Allies: Digital Equity Advocacy

Vision & Regional Goals

Senator April N.M. Baskin represents New York’s 63rd District, encompassing much of Buffalo along with portions of Cheektowaga and Lackawanna. Her public story and campaign materials emphasize using government to deliver racial and economic justice for communities that have faced historic disinvestment, with a focus on Black and Brown neighborhoods in Buffalo. Baskin consistently centers equity, neighborhood revitalization, and shared prosperity as core goals for Western New York.[1][2][3][4]

Core Vision and Priorities

• Racial & Economic Equity: Explicit commitment to addressing structural racism, segregation, and long‑term neglect of East Side and working‑class neighborhoods, with policy framed around closing racial wealth and opportunity gaps.[2][4]
• Inclusive Economic Development: Uses her role as Chair of the Senate Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Committee to push for community benefits, good jobs, and support for small and minority‑owned businesses, not just large corporate projects.[5][2]
• Neighborhood Revitalization & Housing: Prioritizes safe, affordable housing, infrastructure repair, and neighborhood‑level investments, especially in underserved areas of Buffalo.[4][2]
• Health & Safety: Focus on health equity, community safety, and trauma‑informed responses, including school‑based health protections and investments in community facilities.[3][6]
• Youth Opportunity & Education: Emphasizes youth leadership, quality public education, and school and out‑of‑school supports that create pathways out of poverty.[2][3]

Policy Positions (Comprehensive List)

• Digital Equity / Connectivity (inferred alignment):
  • Sees access to opportunity—jobs, education, health care, small business growth—as central, which inherently requires affordable, reliable internet and devices in an urban district with deep inequities.[4][2]
  • As Commerce and Economic Development Chair, is positioned to connect digital equity to workforce development, small business support, and neighborhood‑level economic stability.[5]
  • Her focus on youth, schools, and health equity aligns with policy that ensures students and families can get online for homework, telehealth, and benefits access.[3][2]
• Economic Development & Small Business:
  • Advocates for using state investment to create local jobs, expand small businesses, and ensure MWBE participation in contracts, including in major projects like the Bills stadium.[2][5]
  • Pushes for community benefit agreements and accountability so economic growth reaches historically marginalized neighborhoods.[4][2]
• Housing & Infrastructure:
  • Supports affordable housing, anti‑displacement policies, and targeted infrastructure investments in aging neighborhoods and East Side corridors.[2][4]
  • Frames infrastructure (streets, housing, community facilities) as a matter of racial justice and neighborhood dignity.[4]
• Health Equity & Public Safety:
  • Sponsored “Desha’s Law,” requiring every public school to have a cardiac emergency response plan, which passed unanimously and was signed into law in 2025.[3]
  • Advocates for investments in community‑based safety and health initiatives, including capital for community centers and health‑related infrastructure.[6][4]
• Education & Youth:
  • Supports strengthening public schools, expanding opportunities for young people, and ensuring school environments are safe and supportive.[3][2]
  • Uses her platform as a former teaching artist and youth advocate to uplift youth voice and leadership.[7][2]

Opportunities in Digital Equity

• Racial and Economic Justice: Digital equity investments (devices, skills training, affordable service) directly address racialized gaps in access to jobs, education, and health care in Buffalo’s Black and Brown neighborhoods.[2][4]
• Small Business & MWBE Growth: Improved connectivity and digital skills for local entrepreneurs, especially MWBEs, align with her agenda to grow neighborhood‑based businesses and ensure they can compete in regional and online markets.[5][2]
• Youth & Education Outcomes: Ensuring students and families have reliable internet and devices strengthens the impact of her school‑focused work, including Desha’s Law and broader education priorities.[3][2]
• Neighborhood Revitalization: Digital equity can be framed as part of corridor and neighborhood investment—connected community hubs, digitally enabled housing developments, and tech access in revitalization projects.[6][4]