Categories
AiQ Federal Legislation Homelessness & Housing Hunger Issues Poverty

AIQ News: 4/3/24

It’s the active season in the California state legislature! Bills are moving through their various policy committees, and we at LOPPCA are in attendance giving our support in many hearings.

Some upcoming hearings of key bills we’re supporting this session include:

If your legislator is on any of these committees, please CALL them and ask them to support these bills in their respective committees!

Federal: Call your Senators to ask them to pass the Child Tax Credit expansion bill.

Categories
AiQ Children's Issues Enviroment Gender Justice Homelessness & Housing

No AIQ on 3/27

Due to the Legislature having their spring recess this week, their are no major updates or weekly homework share, so we are cancelling AIQ for this week, Wednesday, March 27th.

The following bills will be heard in committees early next week and will need our support:

  • AB 2785 (Wilson)- strengthening tenant protections through rental app fee reform; hearing on Tues., April 2nd in Asm. Judiciary Committee
  • AB 3170 (Ortega)- preventing hospitals from implementing blanket drug testing on pregnant persons receiving care & reporting to CPS; hearing on Tues., April 2nd in Asm. Judiciary Committee
  • SB 1061 (Limón)- prohibiting credit card reporting agencies from placing medical debt on credit reports; hearing on Tues., April 2nd in Sen. Judiciary Committee
  • AB 1851 (Holden) – clean drinking water in schools pilot program; hearing on Wed., April 3rd in Asm. Education Committee

If your legislator is on any of these committees, call them early next week and ask them to support these respective bills in those committees!

Categories
AiQ Children's Issues Enviroment Homelessness & Housing State

AIQ News: 3/13/24

Many bills have recently been added to our 2024 bill tracker. Check them out here: Bill Trackers

Our official LOPPCA budget letter has been completed and turned in to the legislature in response to the Governor’s 2024 proposed budget. You can read that letter and see what other bills and budget letters we’ve been signing onto so far this year on our Sign On Letters page. We express our concerns over funding delays and cuts to critical programs and services in Human Services, Housing & Homelessness, and Climate/Environment.

Committee hearings are ramping up! That means we’ll need your voice contacting your legislators about bills we’re tracking!

  • For next week: call your legislators telling them to support AB 1851 (Holden) – clean drinking water in schools. It is being heard in the Assembly Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials Committee on Tuesday, March 19th! Your calls are especially important if your member is on that committee. You can see ES&TM members here.
Categories
Events Homelessness & Housing

SB 4 Celebration!

A celebration event for the passing of SB 4 took place last week at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) in San Francisco! Regina Banks was in attendance and shared that it was a truly joyous event that brought together faith communities and the labor unions that advocated on behalf of the bill this year.

Below are some photos from the event. LOPP will work with congregations in the coming year to help them begin taking advantage of SB 4 to house our neighbors.

Categories
Homelessness & Housing State

SB 4 Signed Into Law

Happy, happy news, advocates! Governor Newsom signed SB 4 (Wiener) – The Affordable Housing on Faith-Based Lands Act into law on Wednesday, October 12th. This bill is so important for advancing affordable housing efforts and enabling faith organizations to answer the call to house our neighbors.

Thank you SO much to everyone who attended AiQs and took action, those who attended Lobby Day, and those who did various other bits of advocacy this session to get SB 4 across the finish line. We could not have done this without you. Now is the time to celebrate!

Categories
AiQ Homelessness & Housing State Updates

AiQ News: 9/13/23

Great news, advocates! SB 4 passed out of the legislature and is on its way to the Governor! This is the product of years of advocacy, and we cannot be more excited to get this important housing bill across the finish line. Please call, email, and tag the Governor’s office on social media to urge him to sign the bill.

AB 249 (Holden), another one of our Lobby Day priority bills, has just one more vote to go in the legislature before going to the Governor as well. That means 2 of the 4 Lobby Day bills have a great chance to become law! Thank you for your continued advocacy to get these and other important bills done this year.

Important dates:

  • September 14th- Last day for each house to pass bills; legislative recess begins upon adjournment
  • AiQ is on hold until Wednesday, October 18th
  • Save the date! We will be holding a virtual legislative session wrap-up call on November 1st, at 6:30 pm PT
Categories
AiQ Education Homelessness & Housing Hunger Issues State

AiQ News: 8/16/23

AiQ has started again now that the legislature is back in session. Some key updates following the legislative recess include:

  • Appropriations hearings are taking place the next 2 weeks. Remaining bills must get out of Appropriations before floor votes in early September.
  • SB 4 (Wiener) and AB 249 (Holden) will be in heard in their respective Appropriations committees during this time.
  • AB 712 (W. Carrillo) was signed into law by the Governor! This new law will now include hot and prepared food access for EBT users.

SB 4 (Wiener), the Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act, needs our continued support as we approach a floor vote. Please reach out to your Assemblymembers to urge their support!

Other news: AiQ is cancelled next Wednesday, August 23rd. We look forward to seeing you again on Wednesday, August 30th!

Categories
Enviroment Homelessness & Housing State

SB 4 & SB 253 Testimony

Hear Director, Regina Banks, and Hunger Advocacy Fellow, Savannah Jorgensen, give public testimony in support of SB 4 (Wiener) and SB 253 (Wiener) at the Assembly Natural Resources Committee hearing on Monday, July 10th.

Regina & Savannah Testify on SB 4 & SB 253

Categories
AiQ Enviroment Federal Legislation Homelessness & Housing State

AiQ News: 7/12/23

SB 4 (Wiener): Affordable housing on faith-based lands – passed out of Assembly Natural Resources Committee with amendments on 7/10. It next heads to Appropriations.

SB 253 (Wiener): Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act – passed out of Assembly Natural Resources Committee with amendments on 7/10: It next heads to Appropriations.

**Any bills still active as of today will need to be passed out of their respective policy committees by the end of the day on Friday, July 14th to meet the legislative deadline. Bills that do make it to Appropriations will need our support in those committees. From there, we encourage you to start calling your representatives to urge them to support these and our other priority bills on the floor.

Federal advocacy: Please complete the ELCA Advocacy Action Alert on the Endangered Species Act. You can do so here.

AiQ schedule: We will NOT be meeting for AiQ until Wednesday, August 16th on account of the legislative summer recess (July 14th-August 14th).

Categories
AiQ Enviroment Homelessness & Housing Hunger Issues

AIQ News: 5/31/23

Thanks to our continued advocacy, SB 4 (Wiener) The Affordable Housing on Faith-Based Lands Act, has passed out of the Senate! Continue to engage with us at AiQ to hear about how you can continue its advancement in the Assembly this summer.

AB 660 (Irwin)– Food Waste, Labeling Reform, passed out of the Assembly this week as well.

Food4All legislation has passed out of the Senate. The partner Assembly bill, AB 311, is still on the Assembly floor.

Please call your Assemblymembers and tell them to support AB 249 (Holden)- Clean School Drinking Water, on the Assembly Floor!