- California Food Assistance Program (CFAP)– AB 311 and its counterpart SB 245 have been proposed in the legislature. If enacted, the bill would remove the age limitation on receiving CalFresh benefits, specifically if their immigration status is the sole reason for not receiving the benefits, and make any individual eligible for the program regardless of immigration status. This is a big and important ask from a hunger, anti-poverty, immigrant rights advocacy perspective this year as it would include using state General Fund dollars to expand the program. Be monitoring these bills and begin advocating for it to the Governor’s office in particular, as it’s related to the state budget.
- Lobby Day 2023 registration is live! Start spreading the word to friends, family, and colleagues about Lutheran Lobby Day 2023, taking place on Wednesday, May 17th. You can find the registration form and more information here.
Category: State
Following the 2022 midterm elections, our updated 2022 voter guide now includes the results of each California proposition beneath the original recommendations from the Policy Council of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy-California. Download the PDF document below to see the results and compare them to the council’s recommendations:
These recommendations by the Policy Council of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy-California are made within the framework of the principals, values, and commitments of ELCA Social Statements and Social Messages. Download PDF Document Below.
1. Please send out this announcement to your congregation encouraging everyone to register for Lutheran Lobby Day on Wednesday, May 18th:
Lutheran Lobby Day is Wednesday, May 18th: Advocate with us on Lutheran Lobby Day, Wednesday, May 18th as we respond to our baptismal calling as Lutherans to strive for justice and peace in all the earth. We are grounded in Lutheran theology, and all are welcome regardless of faith or lobbying experience. We will gather virtually on Zoom to pray, learn, and meet with California’s legislators. Go to https://lutheranpublicpolicyca.org/lobby-day-2022 to register.
2. Also: it is not too late to register for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, April 25th-27th. EAD 2022 is a virtual gathering to be held April 25-27, 2022. Register today! https://advocacydays.org/. Scholarships are available at https://blogs.elca.org/advocacy/ecumenical-advocacy-days-with-scholarships/
3. Immigrant Day of Action April 26th: Are you ready to build an equitable California where everyone—our family, friends, colleagues and neighbors can thrive? Join us Tuesday, April 26, 2022, as we gather our collective power virtually for Immigrant Day of Action! to register go to: https://caimmigrant.org/event/immigrant-day-2022/
These are 3 bills LOPP-CA may be supporting during this legislative session.
- SB 854 (Skinner), the HOPE for Children Act.
This bill would establish California’s first baby bond program for children who lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 and eligible foster youth. The bill also lays the groundwork so one day California can expand the program to all children living in low-income circumstances. I’ve attached the support letter template for more details.
- AB 2180 (Wicks), The Children of Incarcerated Parents and Caregivers Taskforce
This bill would establish the Taskforce for Children with incarcerated parents and caregivers as California lacks a statewide entity that focuses on identifying and addressing the needs of system-impacted children. Asm. Wicks will be including this bill in her working class families package of bills as an emphasis to the disproportionate impact mass incarceration has on working class families, especially women, and the destabilization that leads to.
- AB 2589 (Santiago) This bill will would
- Provide a 1-time payment of $2000 per child dependent to California residents who made less than $30,000 in 2021 and file their taxes.
- Increase the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) minimum tax credit to about $255 per eligible tax filer.
- Together, AB 2589 would benefit approximately 5 million Californians, including 2 million children.
Categories
AIQ News for February 2, 2022
Assembly Bill 1400: Sadly, the single-payer health care measure, Assembly Bill 1400 known as CalCare failed to come a vote, after its author couldn’t round up enough support before Monday’s deadline. Because it was introduced last year, it needed to pass the Assembly by Monday January 31st to continue through the legislative process. Many advocates of this bill were very disappointed.
State Bill Introduction Deadline: February 18th is the deadline for bills to be introduced in the state legislature. After that date LOPP-CA will set its priorities for the year.
LOPP-CA Lobby Day 2022: Our lobby day is set for Wednesday, May 18th. Save that date and join us!
It’s important to learn what Congressional, State Senate and State Assembly Districts you are in. These will be our districts for the next ten years, beginning with the June 2022 Primary. I used the following link to find mine. It is important to click just one final map at a time to see the districts you are in. If you are close to a line between two districts you can put in your exact address to make sure which one you are in. I needed to do that to verify my State Senate District.
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: | Contact: Governor’s Press Office |
| Monday, May 10, 2021 | (916) 445-4571 |
Two-thirds of Californians set to benefit from Golden State Stimulus checks amounting to nearly $12 billion in total – the largest state tax rebate in American history
Billions in funding for rental relief and water and utility assistance
Part of the Governor’s $100 billion California Comeback Plan, a comprehensive recovery plan to tackle five of California’s most persistent challenges
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today previewed his $100 billion California Comeback Plan – the biggest economic recovery package in California’s history – including unprecedented investments to address the state’s most persistent challenges, starting with nearly $12 billion in direct cash payments to Californians hit hardest by the pandemic.
Chief among the new proposals is a major expansion of the Golden State Stimulus, providing additional direct payments to middle-class families that make up to $75,000. Under the plan, two-thirds of Californians will benefit from $600 direct payments. Qualified families with dependents, including undocumented families, will also now be eligible for an additional $500. The plan triples California’s previous investment, reaching more people and giving bigger benefits.
“California’s recovery is well underway, but we can’t be satisfied with simply going back to the way things were,” said Governor Newsom. “We are tripling the Golden State Stimulus to get money in the hands of more middle-class Californians who have been hit hard by this pandemic. Two in three Californians will receive a check from the state and more than $5 billion in aid will be made available to those who need help paying their rent or utility bills.”
Under Governor Newsom’s California Comeback Plan, the state would also offer the largest renter assistance package of any state in America, with billions of dollars to help low-income Californians pay back 100 percent of their back-rent, their rent for the months to come and overdue water and utility bills.
Throughout the week, Governor Newsom will highlight other major investments and key initiatives of the California Comeback Plan.
Governor Newsom’s California Comeback Plan seizes this once-in-a-lifetime moment to address long-standing challenges by taking on threats to our state’s future and ensuring every California family – regardless of their race or zip code – can thrive.
Please consider attending Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD)! This is an annual national gathering of Christian advocates and activists. We worship, delve deeply into the pressing issues of the day, and lift our voices by speaking truth to power on Capitol Hill. The 2021 theme is ““Imagine! God’s Earth and People Restored.” EAD 2021 is an opportunity to support this global movement centered on and led by the people and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts due to historic racial and colonial inequities. Together, we will passionately advocate and reimagine a world that lives out the values of justice, equity and the beloved community. EAD 2021 will be a virtual gathering, to be held April 18-21, 2021. Register now!
Great news: LOPP-CA is now a part of First 5 California. We have a seat on their round table
Nicole Newell is back with LOPP-CA! She will be coordinating Lutheran Lobby Day. Lobby Day will be virtual and held on Wednesday, May 19th. The keynote speaker will be announced soon.
This legislative session LOPP-CA along with Bread for the World will be watching the movement and focusing on these three bills:
• SB 107 CalFresh: Simple for Seniors, which makes it easier for seniors to access healthy public food assistance
• SB 364 End Child Hunger, which establishes universal school meals for all kids in public schools and creates a stopgap nutrition program for school breaks and when campuses are closed
• AB 221 Emergency Food for All, which grants food assistance access to immigrants, regardless of status.
Others may be added later.
You can research the progress of any state bill by going to https://legiscan.com/CA/legislation and searching for the bill by bill number or key words.