What’s Next: Springing into action! ✔️🍀 Catch up on NextGen’s advocacy work
Hi friend,
It’s time for a new issue of NextGen’s What’s Next newsletter! As always, we are going to take a deep dive into the happenings around our State Capitol. In this issue, we will update you on a few initiatives and upcoming projects that our team is undertaking including; highlighting resources available to help support our veteran population, overview a newly introduced climate bill that NextGen is co-sponsoring, recap the Powered by School Food Professionals campaign awards ceremony, provide scheduling reminders regarding this month's California Racial Equity Commission meeting and much more.
March is Women’s History Month and the NextGen team is joining the celebration! All month long, we’ll be honoring Women’s History Month by spotlighting women leaders whose work focuses on and advances social, gender, and economic progress and, in so doing, is making a lasting and positive impact throughout our state. Keep your eyes on NextGen’s Bluesky and Twitter (X) pages during this month to follow our specific shoutouts and join us in celebrating the amazing women who are making such a difference in California!
Now let’s check out What’s Next at NextGen Policy:
★ Protecting and Supporting Our Veterans: The NextGen team has always focused on the veterans population, not only because many of our team members have ties to the veterans community but also because so much of our legislative work directly touches and impacts the veterans community: access to healthcare and mental health services, workforce training and job placement, consumer protections for student loan borrowers, and homelessness prevention, just to name a few areas of intersection.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) serves over 9 million veterans nationwide, including the 1.8 million Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps veterans who reside in California (we are home to more veterans than any other state). These brave men and women have been protectors of our democracy, made enormous sacrifices for our country, and due to their military service, are entitled to a suite of essential benefits: healthcare, disability assistance, housing support, mental health care, educational benefits, and much more. However, recent federal actions by the new Administration have resulted in the termination of over 2,400 employees within the VA, suspended more than $2 billion in contracts, and eliminated the Office of Equity Assurance – a leaked memo from VA Secretary Doug Collins revealed plans to cut another 80,000 jobs, nearly one-fifth of the VA workforce.
At a minimum, these cuts will lead to devastating delays in disability claims processing, medical appointments and treatment, mental health services, housing and suicide prevention assistance, important research, as well as critical support through the Veterans Crisis Line. Not only will these reductions affect veterans who have earned these services but they will also place even more strain on an already overburdened VA workforce. If you or someone you know is being or will be impacted by these harmful cuts, visit the VoteVets Tip Line, a resource created specifically for veterans and military families.
★ Creating More Climate Resilience in the Transportation Sector: AB 1132 (Schiavo), the Roads to Resilience Act, is a newly introduced piece of climate legislation that NextGen is proudly co-sponsoring with the Greenlining Institute. AB 1132 addresses the needs of California communities impacted by climate disasters by strengthening the community resilience factors used in transportation vulnerability assessments. “The Roads to Resilience Act adds criteria to the design framework that transportation agencies need to use in the planning process in order to build a vastly more climate resilient transportation system in California,” said NextGen’s Policy Advisor Chloe Ames. Get information on AB 1132 (Schiavo) and stay tuned for more updates!
★ Celebrating California’s School Food Professionals: On Wednesday, March 12th, NextGen’s Research & Policy Advisor, Tiffany Germain, attended the Powered by School Food Professionals campaign awards ceremony in Los Angeles. This first-of-its-kind public education event placed a spotlight on the skill, commitment, operational effectiveness, and creativity of local school food professionals. Tiffany joined our partners from the Chef Ann Foundation to celebrate and honor the culinary leaders in our state who are providing more freshly-prepared, locally procured school meals for California’s students. Tiffany indicated that, "it was quite the privilege to participate in the event and be a part of a deeply appreciative audience who were there to congratulate and thank the hard-working individuals who help ensure with every nutritious, free school meal they provide that no California student goes hungry.” Learn more about the Powered by School Food Professionals campaign!
★ Mark Your Calendars: Join the California Racial Equity Commission (the Commission) for their upcoming meeting, Thursday, March 20th at 2 pm. The meeting will be held at Imperial Valley College located at 380 E Aten Road in the City of Imperial, for those attending in person or the livestream can be accessed via Zoom. We encourage you to join the meeting and participate during the public comment period to share your thoughts on how California’s state government can modify and improve its policies, programs, and practices to help shape the state's first ever Racial Equity Framework. Learn more about the Racial Equity Commission and register now to attend the upcoming meeting!
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In our latest post, NextGen’s Policy Advisor, Amy Hamblin, sheds light on how the federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act will disenfranchise millions of eligible California voters.
★ Did You Know? Everyone should know their constitutional and legal rights! The NextGen team recently compiled a resource guide that provides important legal defense and immigrant legal assistance information. Everyone should review and share this resource guide to ensure that you “know your rights”.
★ Member Spotlight: This week, NextGen is shining a spotlight on Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, who represents California’s 64th Assembly District. Assemblymember Pacheco is the author of AB 850, the Increasing Institutional Debt Transparency and Protecting Students Act, a bill that will protect California students from the harmful repercussions of institutional debt and help make degree completion more achievable. Institutional debts are debts that students owe directly to colleges and universities, which can prevent students from graduating, may affect their credit ratings, and are a growing problem. NextGen is honored to co-sponsor this piece of legislation with our partners from the Campaign for California Borrowers’ Rights coalition and the UC Student Association, and we thank Assemblymember Pacheco for her continued work supporting and uplifting California’s college students. Make sure to follow Assemblymember Pacheco to stay up-to-date with her work!
★ Legislative Deadlines and Insights: For the Capitol Community, March marks the start of a very busy committee season! Bills introduced earlier in the year can now be heard and debated in their respective policy committees. This means advocates and stakeholders are gearing up to attend bill hearings to state their support, opposition or concerns with specific bills. In addition, by the end of the month, bills introduced with language that does not substantively change current law, or commonly referred to as “spot bills,” will need to be amended with substantive language in order to be referred to a policy committee and scheduled for a committee hearing. Concurrent with the bill process, Legislators, advocates, and stakeholders are also busy in Budget Subcommittee hearings, reviewing and analyzing funding and programmatic proposals contained in the Governor’s January Budget. It is a busy time for the Capitol Community, as advocates, Legislators, and staff may all need to be in multiple hearings happening at the same time!
★ Follow NextGen on Bluesky: NextGen is now active on Bluesky! We encourage you to check us out there and receive the latest updates on bills and budget issues in front of the California State Legislature, learn more about the NextGen team’s advocacy efforts, and discover opportunities on how you can take meaningful action to help build a more equitable, prosperous, and climate resilient California for all. We’ll see you over on Bluesky – follow us today!
★ Our Mission: NextGen Policy fights for progressive policy change to address environmental, social, racial, gender, and economic inequities through justice-centered legislative advocacy, grassroots partnerships, and democratic civic engagement.
Thank you for being a part of our journey toward a more equitable California. As we continue to push for progressive policy change, we invite you to make a difference by donating to support our organization. Your contribution will directly impact our efforts to address environmental, social, and economic inequities in our state.
Thank you,
NextGen Policy