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Enviroment Immigrant Justice State Uncategorized

Lobby Day 2025 Bill Results

Thank you to everyone who attended our 2025 Lobby Day on May 28, 2025! We appreciate your commitment to LOPP-CA and faith-based advocacy.

Overview: At the conclusion of the California legislative session, 3 of the Lobby Day bills were passed, 2 will become a two-year bill, and one died. Our budget asks were directed toward both the state government of California and federal government of the United States of America.

Passed: SB 635 (Durazo), AB 49 (Muratsuchi) , SB 624 (Caballero)

Two Year Bill: AB 1243 (Addis), SB 684 (Menjvar)

Died: AB 794 (Gabriel)

About the Bills

SB 635 (Durazo): Food vendors and facilities: enforcement activities – Passed

This bill will prevent local governments from sharing personally identifiable data to federal immigration enforcement agencies, it will also prevent the collection of an individual’s immigration status, citizenship status or place of birth, criminal history, or collection of fingerprints, or requires a background check in order to receive a vending permit.

AB 49 (Muratsuchi): School sites and daycare centers: entry requirements: immigration enforcement – Passed

Protects undocumented students and their families by prohibiting ICE officers from entering a school site or childcare facility for any purpose without providing valid identification, a written statement of purpose, a valid judicial warrant, and approval from the school district’s superintendent or director of the childcare center.

SB 624 (Cabellero): Nonminor dependents: tax guidance – Passed

This bill will require county child welfare agencies and juvenile probation departments to mail information about the Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC) and tax filing to all nonminor dependents. It will also require the state to provide guidance to counties on best practices for implementing the FYTC.

AB 1243 (Addis), SB 684 (Menjvar): Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025 – Two Year Bill

Ensures polluters pay to protect Californians and lower costs by funding critical climate solutions, including transitioning to clean energy, disaster resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and support for workers and communities suffering climate harms.

AB 794 (Gabriel): California Safe Drinking Water Act: Emergency Regulations – Died in amended assembly

This bill would have required the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to adopt an emergency regulation based on the existing federal standards. After setting the regulations, the board must set standards for PFAS chemicals in drinking water.

Budget Asks: State and Federal

State of California: Restoration of Medi-Cal Funding

Our Ask: We advocated for a restoration in funding to the Health and Human Services funding lost in the May Revise of the California state budget. Categories included reinstating the Medi-Cal asset limit, the cap of in-home supportive services overtime and travel hours at 50 hours, the mandatory Medi-Cal enrollment freeze for undocumented immigrants age 19 or older, and imposing a $100 monthly healthcare premium for adults age 19 or older with unsatisfactory immigration status.

Result: The Medi-Cal asset limit was reinstated. Medi-Cal enrollment remains frozen for undocumented immigrants age 19 and older. Premiums for unsatisfactory immigration status adults are now capped at $30 a month down from $100 a month.

Federal Government: Restoration of Health and Human Services funding

Our Ask: We advocated for the full restoration of $800 billion from Healthcare and Medicare Programs, $300 billion from education programs, and $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We also urged our legislators to stop the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill in Congress, as these tax cuts will impact millions of working families, those with disabilities, and low-income communities.

Result: Tax cuts from the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” and the federal government were passed. Federal funding for SNAP was cut by nearly $200 billion – about 20% — across 10 years. The state Department of Health Care Services estimates that work requirements will result in up to 3 million adults losing coverage as well as a loss of at least $28.4 billion in federal funding for Medi-Cal. In addition, currently-qualifying immigrants’ healthcare will be taken away, as HR-1 restricts access to Medicare to only US citizens, green card holders, Cuban-Haitian entrants, and individuals from COFA nations (Compacts of Free Association). The bill also eliminates the Graduate Plus loan program and limits borrowers to just two repayment options: a new fixed-payment option called the “standard” plan and a new income-based plan called “Repayment Assistance Plan” (RAP).

Once again, thanks to all who attended Lobby Day 2025. We invite you to remain connected to LOPP-CA going forward, and hope you will consider attending next year’s Lobby Day in 2026.

Categories
AiQ California Ballot Measures Federal Legislation Immigrant Justice Uncategorized Updates

LOPP-CA Letter on Prop 50 and a Letter from our Bishops


In faith and hope, we pray.

The letter below hopes to inform you of our discernment regarding Proposition 50, which we provide alongside an accompanying letter of support from the Bishops of the Sierra Pacific, Pacifica, and Southwest California Synods of the ELCA.
In all things, we pray for God’s guidance and your discernment in the coming days.

Categories
Health Care Immigrant Justice Poverty Racial Justice

State Budget Adds Sweeping Cuts to Medi-Cal Access for Immigrant Adults 

On June 27, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the new state budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 that makes sweeping cuts to Medi-Cal access for immigrant adults as a way to offset the state’s $11.8 billion dollar budget deficit. A handful of legislators led efforts to oppose these harsh cuts with us and our work continues to urge all of our state representatives to equitably invest in and support immigrant Californians.

The budget decisions at the state and federal levels will exacerbate the harms immigrant communities are already facing in their communities. The deployment of federal immigration agents, the military and National Guard for indiscriminate raids in Southern California and the Central Coast have created fear and chaos and resulted in the kidnapping of thousands of community members. 

Despite these challenges, we cannot give up! The fight for healthcare access is not over. Several groups remain committed to fighting against the Medi-Cal rollbacks and won’t stop until we win. 

Categories
AiQ Immigrant Justice State

AIQ News: 6/7/23

Thank you to those of you who called in last week about AB 249 (Holden)! It successfully passed out of the Assembly and will be sent to the Senate to continue in the policy bill process.

Other hearings are taking place in the next few weeks, but most major legislation is on hold until the state budget is passed. The legislature has until the end of the day on June 15th to pass the Budget Bill.

Federal: Advocates in the D.C. ELCA Advocacy office, along with LOPPCA, are monitoring the illegal and unethical transportation of migrants from Texas and Florida into Sacramento. We will follow-up here and on our social media channels with concrete action steps for how you can help as we organize efforts to assist the migrants.

Categories
AiQ Events Immigrant Justice Racial Justice

Yuba Detention Closure Celebration!

Join LOPP-CA and other partners for an afternoon celebrating the ending of the ICE contract at Yuba County Jail! The event will take place on Sunday, March 19th, from 1-3 pm outside of Yuba County Jail. More details, including the link to RSVP, can be found on the flier below.

Categories
AiQ Events Immigrant Justice Racial Justice

AIQ News: 3/8/23

Join us for the celebration of the end of the ICE contract at Yuba County Jail on Sunday, March 19th from 1-3 pm! RSVP & register for transportation at www.bit.ly/YubaClosure

Registration is open for Lutheran Lobby Day 2023! Register here: Lutheran Lobby Day 2023 Sign-up and invite your friends, congregations, family, everyone!

Committee hearings for some of the bills we are monitoring will be coming soon. Hearings of note:

SB 253 (Wiener, Gonzalez, Stern)– Climate Corporate Leadership & Data Accountability Act; hearing set for March 15

AB 1128 (Santiago)– YCTC expansion; can be heard in committee March 18

AB 1498 (Gipson)– CalEITC minimum amount; can be heard in committee March 20

SB 245 (Hurtado, Rubio)– Food4All; hearing set for March 20

Categories
AiQ Hunger Issues Immigrant Justice Poverty State

AIQ News for Feb. 15, 2023

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
Categories
AiQ Immigrant Justice Racial Justice

ICE Contract With Yuba County Jail to End!

it is with joy that we announce that the last U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract with a California county’s jail has been terminated.

The Yuba County Jail has had a more than three-decade-long contract with ICE for a detention center. On Friday, officials announced that the contract would be ending within in the next 60 days. The news comes after years of public outcry over substandard and dangerous conditions in the facility. This is an answer to prayer!

Categories
Immigrant Justice Poverty Racial Justice State Uncategorized

Five Thousand Attend the Rally at the End of the Farm Worker Rights March!

Categories
AiQ Events Immigrant Justice Poverty

United Farm Workers March Final Day!

On August 3rd, farm workers launched a 24-day, 335-mile “March for the Governor’s Signature” from the UFW’s historic Delano CA 40 Acres. They’re arriving on August 26th at the State Capitol in Sacramento. Will you join us for our final steps?

Farm workers are marching to win the right to vote for a union, free from intimidation and threats. This march is to convince Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign AB 2183, the Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice Act (AB 2183-Stone). The bill will give more choices to farm workers so they can vote without fear. Farm workers will be able to vote in secret whenever and wherever they feel safe. 

Be a part of history. On August 26, thousands of farm workers and supporters will march the last mile from Sacramento’s Southside park to the big finish at the capitol. Join us!