Author: Savannah Jorgensen

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AiQ Federal Legislation State

AIQ News: 2/21/24

Budget subcommittee hearings ramp up beginning the week of February 26th in both houses of the state legislature. LOPP will be attending hearings throughout the legislative session. Key ones to pay attention to next week include:

  • Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health – Monday, Feb. 26th, 4 pm
  • Senate Budget Subcommittee #2 on Resources, Enviro. Protection, & Energy – Thursday, Feb. 29th, 9:30 am
  • Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health & Human Services – Thursday, Feb. 29th, 9:30 am

You can find upcoming legislative hearings at the following pages:

Remember to register for Lobby Day 2024! The first 15 people under the age of 25 who register will have their hotel and transportation fees covered by LOPP. Check out our Lobby Day website page for more information!

Federal: Complete the federal ELCA advocacy Action Alert to urge Congress to expand the Child Tax Credit.

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AiQ

AIQ News: 2/14/24

We are continuing to monitor legislation being introduced. The deadline for bills to be introduced in the 2024 session is this Friday. We will start to know more about what bills exist from our coalition partners following this week as well.

Follow along with LOPP as we track various legislation this year in our 2024 bill tracker.

News and notes: Registration is open for Lutheran Lobby Day 2024! Sign up at the link on our website page, which can be found here.

Categories
California Ballot Measures State

March 5 Voter Guide

Are you confused or want to know more about the March 5th California ballot proposition? Do you want to hear about the proposition from a faith perspective? If so, check out the recording of the discussion we had at St. John’s Lutheran Church Sacramento on Sunday, February 11th!

You can find that video on our YouTube channel. Linked here.

Additionally, a PDF document can be found below outlining LOPP’s official position on the proposition along with our rationale for that position, what the proposition wording is on the ballot, and additional resources you can reference when deciding how you would like to vote on the proposition. LOPP is not telling you how to vote, rather we are providing you resources to help you discern how to vote and to explain our position following consultation with ELCA social teachings and our theological grounding.

LOPP-March-5-Ballot-Proposition-Voter-GuideDownload
Categories
California Ballot Measures Events

March 5 Ballot Prop. Talk

Upcoming event: Join Regina and Savannah in-person at St. John’s Lutheran Church Sacramento and on Zoom for a discussion on the March 5th California ballot proposition from a faith perspective. We will also preview the current measures approved for the November ballot.

Where? St. John’s Lutheran Church Sacramento; online via Zoom

When? 10:15 am

You can find the Zoom meeting information on St. John’s event page.

Categories
AiQ Federal Legislation State

AIQ News: 2/7/24

All 2023 bills have been acted on or died for this 2-year legislative session as of last week. Some, like SB 85 (Wiener) – case management services for refugees, passed out of their house of origin last week and are therefore still moving this session. Others, like AB 259 (Lee) – wealth tax on extremely wealthy Californians, died in committee and failed to pass out of their house of origin.

The deadline for bills to be introduced in 2024 is next Friday, February 16th. We will have a better idea of what bills exist after that point.

Advocacy actions:

  • Complete the federal advocacy Action Alert on immigration.
  • Thank your legislator for signing the CalEITC Coalition Pledge for Prosperity! If your legislator hasn’t yet signed the pledge, encourage them to do so. Those who have signed the pledge so far include, Senator Wiener, Assemblymembers Santiago, Stephanie Nguyen, and Luz Rivas.

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AiQ State

AiQ News: 1/31/24

As more bills get introduced in the legislature, LOPP tracks critical bills that affect justice efforts in the state. You can follow along with what we’re tracking by checking out our bill tracker at our Resources page, ‘Bill Trackers’.

Connected to that call to do justice is CalEITC Awareness Week. The California Earned Income Tax Credit fights poverty and builds equity for low-income families by putting cash directly back into their hands. Join us in amplifying the CalEITC Awareness Week and calls to strengthen this and the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC).

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Enviroment UN/National Updates

COP28

From November 30th-December 12th, Regina Banks and Savannah Jorgensen participated in the UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change in person in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and virtually, respectively.

COP is an annual conference that brings together civil society and world governments to discuss and make agreements on and around the climate crisis. It is an important arena of engagement on the world stage. Learn more about our COP28 experiences and those of our colleagues at the Voices of Faith in Climate Action webinar on Wednesday, January 24th at 12 pm PT.

Register for the webinar here!

Pictured below are some images captured at COP28 in Dubai by Regina Banks.

Categories
California Ballot Measures Events Local Events State

Feb. 11th Event: Ballot Prop. Discussion

Join LOPPCA for a conversation on the California March 5th ballot proposition from a faith perspective.

When: Sunday, February 11th, 10:15 am – 11:15 am

Where: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Sacramento and on Zoom (Zoom link coming soon)

Check St. John’s website and Facebook page for more updates!

Categories
AiQ State Updates

AiQ News: 1/17/24

AiQ resumed for the new year today. Advocates heard updates about the 2024-25 proposed state budget as well as the legislative landscape in 2024.

Key notes:

  • State Budget– While a lot of critical programs and funding continue in the Governor’s proposed budget, there is still an estimated $38 billion deficit, per the Governor’s budget team analysis (this number could be as high as $58 billion, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office). Key cuts or funding delays exist in the housing/homelessness space, CalWORKs, and climate investments.
  • Legislature- The Assembly has new leadership following the change in Speaker, so we will be monitoring how the committee changes may impact legislation this session. Additionally, 2024 is the second year of the 2-year legislative cycle. Bills from 2023 will need to advance out of their house of origin by the end of January.

Note: AiQ will NOT meet next Wednesday, January 24th. We encourage you to attend the ELCA webinar on COP28, the UN Climate Conference, happening at the same time. Register here. Join us for AiQ again on Wednesday, January 31st.

Categories
AiQ

AiQ Begins Jan. 17

Welcome to the start of a new year and a new legislative session! Get ready to hit the ground running with us next week on Wednesday, January 17th at noon when AiQ starts again. We’ll cover the current legislative landscape in 2024, the Governor’s proposed budget, and initial legislation we’re watching this session.