Career
Cunningham's career started as a prosecutor with the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office. After leaving the county,Cunningham started his own firm,Cunningham Law Group which focuses on representing families and small businesses.
Cunningham first entered politics as a member of the Templeton Unified School District Board of Trustees before successfully running for the California State Assembly in 2016.
Prior to serving in elected office,Cunningham was President of the Central Coast Taxpayers Association.
On January 13,2022,Cunningham announced that he would not be a candidate for reelection. Redistricting divided San Luis Obispo County made his Assembly district much more Democratic-voting. [2]
California State Assembly
Education
Cunningham introduced AB (Assembly Bill) 2385,which urges publishers to provide a detailed description of how newer versions of their materials differ from older ones, [3] and AB 2580,which requires hearing officers to grant requests for hearing extensions by applying a specified standard of "good cause”in due process cases pertaining to special education matters. [4] He co-introduced AB 1743,permanently funding the Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG) which aims to equip students with necessary skills for the future economy. [5]
Public safety
Cunningham introduced legislation that would improve background checks of law enforcement agencies (AB 1339) and strengthen the safety of passengers while using ride-sharing services (AB 2986). [6]
Cunningham wrote legislation to increase protection orders for victims of human trafficking (AB 1735), [7] and he gave trafficking victims more rights when it came time to testify in court (AB 1736). [8] Cunningham also passed legislation which provided schools with the choice to teach their students about the dangers of trafficking and the possible consequences of "creating and sharing sexually suggestive or sexually explicit materials through cellular telephones,social networking Internet Web sites,computer networks,or other digital media" (AB 1868). [9]
Healthcare
AB 653,introduced by Cunningham and signed into law authorizes a Santa Barbara County nonprofit hospital to enter into a joint powers agreement with a public agency. Additionally,this bill "prohibit[s] nonprofit hospitals and public agencies participating in the agreement from reducing or eliminating any emergency services following the creation of the joint powers authority without a public hearing." [10]
Small business
In 2017 and 2018,Cunningham introduced three bills regarding small businesses on the Central Coast:AB 657 created a state liaison to advocate for employers, [11] and AB 522 &AB 1986 allows winemakers and distillers to donate wine and spirits to nonprofits to use in fundraisers. [12] [13] Previously,California's Business and Professions Code prohibited nonprofits from selling donated alcoholic beverages.
Environment
Cunningham has been a vocal proponent of legislation aimed at reducing air pollution in California. In 2018,Cunningham introduced a resolution criticizing EPA rollbacks by the Trump Administration. [14]
Cunningham,along with other Central Coast Legislators worked to lessen the impact from the closure of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. Cunningham and State Senator Bill Monning authored legislation that would address unemployment after the closure of the plant by providing job assistance programs to former employees. Cunningham also worked on legislation that provided an $85 million settlement for San Luis Obispo County to address impacts from the closure. [15]
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