Lutheran Office of Public Policy - CaliforniaCheck out the short video linked below to hear LOPP Director, Regina Banks, testify on SB 4 (Wiener). SB 4 would streamline and make easier the process for nonprofits and religious organizations to develop affordable housing projects on their land. The bill is onto Appropriations and needs our continued support. SB 4 will also likely be a Lobby Day bill!
The Southwest California Synod hosted a meeting on World Water Day for celebrations, reflections, and calls-to-action on water and water justice. Here are some bills related to water that LOPP-CA is tracking in the state right now:
AB 1453 (Dixon)- Would require a 5-yr grant program to be established by the coastal conservancy to fund regular cleanups of beaches and waterways
AB 664 (Lee)- Would address safe drinking water in domestic wells at rental properties
AB 249 (Holden)- Would increase testing requirements & disclosure requirements of school drinking water lead levels; would also include infrastructure funding to improve water quality
Join us at AIQ on Wednesdays at 12pm Pacific Time to hear about these and other bills we can advocate around for water justice. Find the Zoom information here.
Remember to register for Lutheran Lobby Day 2023! Water issues fall under our theme of environmental justice and creation care. Register here!
An important piece of legislation will be announced on Monday, February 27th starting at 8 am from Los Angeles. Assemblymember Santiago, joined by the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) Coalition, will hold a press conference on AB 1128.
AB 1128 (Santiago) would expand the $1,083 Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) to one million more families who are eligible for the CalEITC, helping fight poverty amid record costs in the state.
If you’re in the area, you can come out to show support for this bill at Central City Neighborhood Partners, 501 S Bixel St, Los Angeles, CA. For those not in the area or unable to attend, tune into the press conference from home and make a note of AB 1128 for your advocacy efforts!
About the CalEITC Coalition (LOPP-CA is a member!): The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) Coalition is a broad group of 35+ advocacy and community and faith-based organizations, including policy advocates, low-income service providers, and labor organizations across the state of California committed to expanding access to the CalEITC and other cash-back tax credits.
Following the 2022 midterm elections, our updated 2022 voter guide now includes the results of each California proposition beneath the original recommendations from the Policy Council of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy-California. Download the PDF document below to see the results and compare them to the council’s recommendations:
These recommendations by the Policy Council of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy-California are made within the framework of the principals, values, and commitments of ELCA Social Statements and Social Messages. Download PDF Document Below.
1. Please send out this announcement to your congregation encouraging everyone to register for Lutheran Lobby Day on Wednesday, May 18th:
Lutheran Lobby Day is Wednesday, May 18th: Advocate with us on Lutheran Lobby Day, Wednesday, May 18th as we respond to our baptismal calling as Lutherans to strive for justice and peace in all the earth. We are grounded in Lutheran theology, and all are welcome regardless of faith or lobbying experience. We will gather virtually on Zoom to pray, learn, and meet with California’s legislators. Go to https://lutheranpublicpolicyca.org/lobby-day-2022 to register.
2. Also: it is not too late to register for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, April 25th-27th. EAD 2022 is a virtual gathering to be held April 25-27, 2022. Register today! https://advocacydays.org/. Scholarships are available at https://blogs.elca.org/advocacy/ecumenical-advocacy-days-with-scholarships/
3. Immigrant Day of Action April 26th: Are you ready to build an equitable California where everyone—our family, friends, colleagues and neighbors can thrive? Join us Tuesday, April 26, 2022, as we gather our collective power virtually for Immigrant Day of Action! to register go to: https://caimmigrant.org/event/immigrant-day-2022/
These are 3 bills LOPP-CA may be supporting during this legislative session.
This bill would establish California’s first baby bond program for children who lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 and eligible foster youth. The bill also lays the groundwork so one day California can expand the program to all children living in low-income circumstances. I’ve attached the support letter template for more details.
This bill would establish the Taskforce for Children with incarcerated parents and caregivers as California lacks a statewide entity that focuses on identifying and addressing the needs of system-impacted children. Asm. Wicks will be including this bill in her working class families package of bills as an emphasis to the disproportionate impact mass incarceration has on working class families, especially women, and the destabilization that leads to.
It’s important to learn what Congressional, State Senate and State Assembly Districts you are in. These will be our districts for the next ten years, beginning with the June 2022 Primary. I used the following link to find mine. It is important to click just one final map at a time to see the districts you are in. If you are close to a line between two districts you can put in your exact address to make sure which one you are in. I needed to do that to verify my State Senate District.