Category: State

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State Updates

2024 LOPPCA Budget Letter

We have completed our budget letter containing our concerns and asks regarding the proposed 2024 State Budget. The letter has been sent to the budget committees in the Assembly and Senate.

Our asks come from consideration of our partner coalitions’ budget concerns and our faith discernment of the Governor’s proposed budget text.

Apart from our LOPP specific budget letter, LOPP signs onto other budget and bill letters that come through our networks throughout the legislative session as well. You can find our budget letter and some other sign-ons we’ve done so far in 2024 on our Sign On Letters page.

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.
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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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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
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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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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!

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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.

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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