Thanks to the 400-500 people who joined us last night in front of the Ventura County Government Center, from both our county and from further afield, who chose the sidewalk over their couch and the cold over comfort.
Thanks to those who joined over 600 other events across the country to remind our legislators that no one is above the law in America.
Thanks to those who wrangled big flags in strong winds and those who patiently held flashlights to illuminate them.
Thanks to those who brought cookies and sugary joy.
Thanks to that amazing woman who set up the hot cider station!
Thanks to those who made signs – artistic signs, simple signs, funny, sad, angry and heartfelt signs, and to those who held light – candles and flashlights.
Thanks to those who manned our voter registration table and to all who were already registered and ready to vote.
Thanks to the volunteers who held our big “IMPEACH” letters and who transformed themselves into an impromptu, yet impressive drill team.
Action #1 – UPDATE! Ask the Governor to sign AB 342 – “No New Oil Leases Act.” Oil pumps coming to a neighborhood near you!
Update 10/13/19:
AB 342Public lands” leasing: oil and gas: prohibitionAPPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR.
On Friday, while we were tranfixed by the political soap opera which is now our presidency,the Trump administration announced it would make 725,000 acres in California’s central coast open to oil and gas lease sales, ending a five-year moratorium. The BLM, ignoring 400 public comments and scientific research to facilitate the administration’s “energy dominion” policy, is now putting both the land, wildlife and people in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Stanislaus Counties at increased risk of toxic pollution.
The BLM is also looking closer to home with a proposal to conduct new oil and gas development on 1.6 million acres of public land in an area which covers Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Venturacounties, includes about 400,000 acres of public land and 1.2 million acres of federal mineral estate, according to the report.
Action #1 – Ask the Governor to sign AB 1282 – “No Private ICE Act”
AB 1282 will prohibit the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), our state prison system, from facilitating or allowing private security corporations to conduct immigration enforcement arrests of individuals in CDCR custody. Currently, private security corporations, specifically notorious global private prison corporation G4S, conduct about 1/3 of the immigration arrests of individuals who have earned their release from CDCR and are subjecting them to inhumane conditions on ICE’s behalf without legal authority to make arrests.
Minimal script: My name is [___], and I am calling to urge Governor Newsom to sign AB 1282, the ‘No Private ICE’ Act. I support AB 1282 because this bill protects immigrants who have earned their release from state prison from being unlawfully arrested by private prison contractors paid by ICE. California should not allow private corporations to profit off of mass deportations.
Action – Call the Governor about the bills heading to his desk and find out how your favorites did in our bill update below.
Today 9/13: – last day for bills to fight their way through both houses of the CA legislature.
Oct. 13:Last day for Governor Newsom to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature on or before Sept. 13 and in the Governor’s possession after Sept. 13
“Californians for Recycling and the Environment (CRE)”, a plastics industry front group, is actively trying to kill SB 54 + AB-1080. They have an slick website and logo, filled with scary promises that we won’t have toothpaste, baby food and dog food. Nonsense. What’s NOT listed is who’s funding it. But according to Calmatters, there are no surprises. “The coalition represents the packaging industry and officially formed “maybe a few weeks ago,” according to spokesman Micah Grant. Despite its effort to kill at least one of the bills, Grant insisted in an email to CalMatters that the group “doesn’t ‘oppose’ SB 54.” However, their “Take Action” page says differently.
Tell your legislator to step up into the future we need. There’s a list at the bottom of nervous ones who haven’t signed onto SB 54 + AB-1080 yet. Call yours if they’re on the list. (Jacqui Irwin – we’re looking at you!) If your legislators AREN’T on the list, call them, thank them and ask them to encourage their colleagues.
Action – “One word: Plastics. There’s a great future in plastics.“
CA legislation actions on plastic pollution and chemicals behind the words “fragrance” and “flavoring” in your hygiene products and cosmetics earlier this week, go here.
Call the governor at (916) 445-2841 to sign the bill that bans trapping for fur in CA. IT’S ON HIS DESK! Also ask your federal legislators to use a CRA (Congressional Review Act) against the Endangered Species Act. Go here.
We asked Newsom to pull out some problematic amendments his office made to AB 1505 in favor of for-profit charter schools.
Also, check out bill updates from 8/16/19 at the bottom.)
Minimum script: Hi, I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Assemblymember [___] to to support SB 29 to expand Medi-Cal access to undocumented immigrant elders. California is stronger when everyone has access to healthcare and we are all healthier when everyone is covered.
Contact: [Click to tweet] Patch-thru number: 760-891-CALI, press 2 to be connected State Assemblymember Monique Limón (CA-37):SAC (916) 319-2037, SB (805) 564-1649, VTA (805) 641-3700 email Not your people?:findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.
Action #2 – There is no plan “B” for plastic waste.
Summary of AB 1505 text reflects insertions in blue by, reputedly, the governor’s office to weaken the strong version passed by the Assembly. The language in red with strikeouts represents strong Assembly language in the April 24, 2019 version, and the blue text with red X represents a rollback to status quo Ed Code that favors charter authorization, as if the Assembly version had never been voted through.
ICYMI:
CA legislation actions against the proliferation of plastic pollution and the mysterious and possibly toxic chemicals behind the words “fragrance” and “flavoring” in your hygiene products and cosmetics earlier this week, go here.
Ask the governor to sign the bill that bans trapping for fur in CA. Also ask your federal legislators to use a CRA (Congressional Review Act) against the Endangered Species Act. Go here.
Also, check out bill updates from 8/16/19 at the bottom.)
Action #1 – Hey, Gavin, who got to you over summer vacation?
At the last election, we told our legislators that public funds should be prioritized for public schools with public oversight. Charters deplete Oakland Unified schools of about $57 million a year, and Los Angeles Unified of nearly $600 million a year. Our governor and State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond were all on board and our state legislature responded by passing a strong Charter School Accountability Bill. But something happened over the June-July recess and the Governor’s office added amendments to AB 1505 and AB 1507 that once again allow state and county school boards to authorize charter schools while undermining the ability of local elected school boards to deny fly-by-night operators. Local control with the intentional abeyance of the state, is crucial to the decision making of school districts to allow or deny charter expansion within their borders.
Minimum script: I am a parent/ community member and support local school control and strong charter school accountability found in the Assembly version of AB1505. I DO NOT support the amendments you pushed on behalf of the California Charter Schools Association. Please recall those changes and sign into law robust Charter Accountability that ALL California families deserve!”
Please Call Governor Newsom at (916) 445-2841 and ask him to put AB 1505 back the way he found it.
Action #2 – Tell these kids they are not forgotten…
(If you missed the CA legislation actions against the proliferation of plastic pollution and the mysterious and possibly toxic chemicals behind the words “fragrance” and “flavoring” in your hygiene products and cosmetics earlier this week, go here. Also, check out bill updates from 8/15/19 at the bottom.)
Action #1 – Call the Governor to pass AB 273 into law!
(Guest action from Jim Hines, Sierra Club) GREAT NEWS!…. the California state senate passed AB 273 to ban the trapping of California native mammals for fur.
This bill is a one of the top priority bills in the current legislative session for the Sierra Club.
Many of us walked the halls of the state senate advocating for the bills passage and all of YOUR voices were heard.
Now the bill goes to Governor Newsom for his signature to become law.
Please Call Governor Newsom at (916) 445-2841 and ask him to sign AB 273.
Action #2 – Let’s use the “Congressional Review Act” against the GOP’s attack on the Endangered Species Act. Also, call Gavin!
The California legislature’s legislative session resumed yesterday! Here’s our latest list of bills we’re following and what you can expect in the next month:
August 12: Legislature reconvened after summer break!
August 30: Bills must pass out of Appropriations
September 13: Final deadline for bills to be passed
Action #1 – “One word: Plastics. There’s a great future in plastics.”
We know a lot more about plastics than we did when “The Graduate” was being filmed in 1967. The future we’re envisioning now would phase out non-recyclable single-use plastic, drive massive reductions in California’s plastic footprint, and push companies to redesign packaging, creating a blueprint for the zero-waste future we need. If you haven’t heard about CA’s bills AB-1080/SB-54 – “California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act”, you can read about them here.
The plastics industry is ramping up efforts to kill the bill, so we need to pull out all the stops and remind legislators who they represent ahead of a crunch vote in the Assembly and Senate, as well as to send a strong message to Governor Newsom.
Minimal Script for assemblymembers: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Assemblymember [___] to vote “YES” on SB-54 California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act.
Minimal Script for state senators: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Senator [___] to vote “YES” on AB-1080 – California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act.
Extra credit: For those who can make it to Sacramento on Wednesday, 8/21, you can sign up to become part of a day of action regarding these bills. RSVP here. Join a show of strength at a press conference outside the State Capitol and then help deliver messages by calling on legislators to support SB 54 and AB 1080! More details on their Facebook page here.
(Contact information for legislators after Action #2 below)
Action #2 – Question for today – “Why are some things “toxic” in Europe but “OK” for Americans?”
Minimal Script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Senator [___] to vote “YES” on AB-12, AB-61 and AB 392.
Contact: State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (SD-19):SAC (916) 651-4019, SB (805) 965-0862, OX (805)988-1940 email Not your people?:findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.
Action #2 – Ask Assemblymember Monique Limón to vote yes on the following bills…
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 