Blog

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.

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…

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.

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…

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).

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…

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!

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…