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Read the latest updates from LOPPCA.

LOPP-CA 2026 Ballot Proposition Recommendations

Each election year our Policy Council meets to study the propositions that will be on the California Ballot. Using the ELCA Social Statements and Messages, we discern recommendations consistent with these statements. The current proposition recommendations are found in this document link, 2026 LOPP Ballot Recommendations. We all agree that rational minds may differ and each person should vote their conscience.

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COP30: Faith, Gender, and Climate

Navigating the complicated terrain of theocracy at the UN climate conference By Regina Banks This post was originally posted in the Austin Chronicle on November 23, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZSDl2t3rL4 The Gender Action Plan (GAP) is a key component of the Enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG), which aims to integrate gender equality into all aspects of climate policy and action. The GAP provides clear guidance for countries to implement gender-responsive climate policies and actions – policies that recognize that climate impacts are not gender-neutral and that women, girls, and gender-expansive people are disproportionately affected. The LWPG was established in 2014…

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COP30: It’s All Fun and Games Until There’s Text in Print

The climate negotiations get complicated By Regina Banks This post was originally published with the Austin Chronicle on November 20, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9k5-zDHH18 Before COP30 even began – and throughout most of the first week – the halls of Belém echoed with the familiar chorus of pre-negotiated talking points. Parties, from national delegations to civil society observers, dutifully recited the lines they arrived with: “We support the UNFCCC process.” “We must act in a way that every decision contributes to life on Earth.” “We must ensure climate, gender, and migration justice, and justice between generations.” “Our commitment is to chart the pathways…

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