Council Adopts Landmark Anti-Trafficking Ordinance, Approves Indigenous Land Return, and Honors Hometown NBA Slam Dunk Winner

Oakland's City Council unanimously passed a 16-item consent calendar that included final passage of an ordinance penalizing sex buyers — hailed as a potential national model — and authorized Measure DD funds to return a 16-acre watershed parcel to the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation. The meeting, held Feb. 17, 2026, was adjourned in memory of Reverend Jesse Jackson, who died that morning at 84.

• Anti-trafficking ordinance passes unanimously, with advocates calling it the first city law to hold sex buyers accountable while prioritizing survivor safety

• Measure DD funds approved for Sogorea Te Land Trust to acquire Sausal Creek headwaters parcel in precedent-setting indigenous land rematriation

• Library advocates warn Oakland is on shaky legal ground, saying the city's plan to meet Measure C's $14.5 million annual funding mandate lacks specifics

• Disparity study pulled from agenda after public speakers blast decades of inaction on Black contractor equity

• Mayor Lee delivers sweeping tribute to Reverend Jesse Jackson, recalling his Oakland ties, presidential campaigns, and global diplomacy

• SBA opens disaster loan center at the Rotunda Building for survivors of the recent apartment fire at 17th and Broadway

Why it matters: Oakland became one of the first cities in the country to pass an ordinance specifically penalizing sex buyers while centering the safety of trafficking survivors — a framework advocates say they will carry to other California cities and beyond.