What’s Next: October has arrived! ???? Catch up on NextGen’s Legislative wins & more!

Welcome to the month of October! We’re very excited to share the latest and catch you up on NextGen’s work! With the final strokes of his pen on September 30th, Governor Newsom signed or vetoed the bills remaining on his desk, concluding the bill signing period for this year’s legislative session. Although we did not accomplish everything we wanted and there is still much more work to be done in the year ahead, the NextGen team can celebrate several hard-fought legislative wins. The Governor signed NextGen bills that: hold oil companies accountable for the pollution their wells emit; prohibit AI generated deepfakes of candidates and election officials; continue to make progress to end food insecurity; and more. Read about the supported bills that were signed into law below!

In addition to a recap of our 2024 legislative victories, this issue of What’s Next covers several other timely topics, including a closer look at Prop 4 – bond funding to fight climate change – and its various environmental and economic benefits; information about NextGen’s upcoming Free My Future: Virtual Student Loan Debt Summit, which is taking place on November 19th; a spotlight on our latest Let’s Talk blog post that focuses on school nutrition in California; and plenty more that we’re looking forward to sharing with you!

Let’s jump into this week’s issue of What’s Next at NextGen:

★ Reflecting on Our 2024 Legislative Victories: The NextGen team is celebrating several policy wins after Governor Newsom signed 13 of our priority bills into law, in the areas of climate change, digital equity, election protection, and food insecurity. We also thank the Governor for vetoing a couple of bills we opposed: “On behalf of the entire NextGen team, we would like to thank our partners, State Legislators, and Governor Newsom for their support prioritizing policies and solutions that uplift, protect, and enrich the lives of Californians, particularly those from communities which are disproportionately impacted by equity and justice-centered issues,” said Arnold Sowell Jr., Executive Director of NextGen California. Read NextGen’s official response to the conclusion of this year’s legislative session and find the full list of bills we supported that were signed into law!

★ Get the Facts on Prop 4: California’s vast agricultural sector nourishes our communities and the nation with healthy, locally-grown food but extreme weather events like floods, heat waves, wildfires, and drought threaten our farmers. Prop 4 offers crucial support to help California’s farmers overcome these challenges by investing in the future of small family farms and socially disadvantaged farmers; supporting sustainable water and soil management practices to fight climate change; and funding infrastructure to support year-round and mobile farmers’ markets. Learn more about the programs funded by Prop 4!

★ Save the Date for Free My Future 2024!: On Tuesday, November 19, NextGen Policy, alongside an incredible lineup of speakers, will host our fourth annual Free My Future: Virtual Student Loan Debt Summit. This free, all day virtual convening is a “must-attend” event for California policymakers, legislative staff, advocates, and borrowers alike. At the summit, learn about student loan repayment programs, hear directly from higher education and student debt experts, and engage with government leaders, students, and fellow advocates. We’ll be covering the latest federal updates, policy developments, as well as provide valuable technical assistance through a series of panels and workshops. Please stay tuned for more information including digital registration, the agenda, and panelist information!

????? Our latest Let’s Talk blog post is waiting for you!?We’re highlighting how California is addressing childhood hunger through the universal school meals program.

Learn more about the School Meals for All Program and why it's getting so much attention:

Read the Blog!

Did You Know? Here’s some big news – NextGen’s Partnerships Manager and Senior Policy Advisor, Elena Santamaria was recently interviewed and featured on the front page of the Sacramento Bee! Read about Elena’s experience navigating dual cultural identities as an AAPI Latina, and learn more about how AAPI Latinos are reshaping the California cultural landscape. Read the full Sacramento Bee article written by Esther Sun and Mathew Miranda!

★ Member Spotlight: This week, we’re shining a spotlight on Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Toni G. Atkins , who represents California’s 39th Senate District. The NextGen team has worked with Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Atkins on a number of issues like combating climate change and addressing the state’s housing crisis. Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Atkins made history by becoming the first woman and first openly LGBTQ+ person to lead the Legislature’s upper house. The NextGen team commends her for a distinguished career in support of enriching the lives of all Californians. Follow along to keep up with Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Atkins' work!

★ Legislative Deadlines and Insights: The Governor completed taking action on the pending legislation sitting on his desk by midday on September 30th, the bill deadline – differing from previous years when he has made decisions right up until the last minute. On Monday, September 30th, the Governor completed his review of all 1,206 bills that made it to his desk. Of the 1,206 bills, he signed 1,017 and vetoed 189 – about his average rate for vetoing bills. This concludes the last step in the legislative process with Governor Newsom continuing his reputation for taking action on all the bills before him, rather than allowing a bill to become law due to no action.

The Special Session on gasoline price spikes is now well underway and the Assembly has started the first part of the process, holding committee hearings and passing two bills off their Floor. ABx2-1 (Hart) provides the California Energy Commission with the authority to require oil refiners to store more gas in order to buffer against supply shortages and ABx2-9 (Petrie-Norris) requires the California Air Resource Board (CARB) to finish its review of a higher-ethanol gas blend so California could potentially have access to more gas supplies. These bills now head to the Senate for consideration. President pro Tempore McGuire plans for senators to return to Sacramento and convene the 2nd Extraordinary Session on October 11th so they can begin their deliberations on these two proposals.

★ 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 throughout the state.

Thank you,

NextGen Policy