August is off to a productive start! 🙌 Catch up with the NextGen team

August 5, 2025

We’re excited to present the latest issue of NextGen’s What’s Next newsletter! August is now officially upon us and the NextGen team is gearing up for the final stretch of the California legislative session – which begins on August 18th. This issue of What’s Next will highlight important news in a few of our focus areas, including: a newly published op-ed written by climate investors Ari Freisinger and Nik Mittal, outlining why it’s imperative that California lawmakers not only immediately reauthorize but also strengthen the state’s Cap-and-Trade program; an opportunity for you to engage in meaningful action to better our climate by taking the Climate Action Counts pledge; an article featuring NextGen’s Arturo Juarez sharing his thoughts about the recent legislative decision regarding internet affordability; and much more!

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

★ Climate Investors Talk Cap-and-Trade: NextGen has been very vocal about our support for not only reauthorizing California’s Cap-and-Trade program but also strengthening it. Our Cap-and-Trade program is one of California’s foundational policies in the fight against climate change. Right now, California leadership in the Senate, Assembly, and Governor’s Office are beginning their negotiations on the policy contours of a Cap-and-Trade program extension as well as how to allocate and invest the billions in revenue generated by this program annually. The outcome of these negotiations will determine the length of the program reauthorization, any new program design features, and how it might be retooled to help California meet its 2045 climate goals.

In a recent op-ed published in Capitol Weekly, climate investors Ari Freisinger and Nik Mittal provide their perspective on the Cap-and-Trade reauthorization efforts. Their viewpoint is loud and clear – they want lawmakers to renew and strengthen the Cap-and-Trade program to help stabilize it and also provide greater market certainty. Additionally, they highlight that strengthening the program will help the state meet its climate goals and invest in programs that will make California more affordable and benefit all Californians! Read more about Cap-and-Trade from Ari and Nik in Capitol Weekly!

★ Join the Climate Action Counts Movement: Here’s an exciting way for you to help protect California’s environment – take the Climate Action Counts pledge and do your part to fight climate change! Developed by the California Volunteers Agency in an effort to help bring Californians together to make a big difference around climate, the Climate Action Counts campaign recognizes the role of everyday climate heroes like you and empowers you to take climate action in the way that works best for you and your family. By taking the Climate Action Counts pledge, you’re joining the movement to build a more climate-resilient California by making simple, climate-friendly choices throughout your day – this can include composting and recycling, donating used clothes, gardening and shopping at farmers’ markets, riding a bike or taking public transit, and so much more. Most Californians are already making these environmentally responsible choices in their everyday lives, so why not go one step further to help foster a healthier climate? Take the Climate Action Counts pledge today and let’s fight to save California’s climate!

★ NextGen in the News! Arturo Juarez Talks Internet Affordability: NextGen’s Arturo Juarez recently sat down with Jon Brodkin from Ars Technica to share his thoughts on recent California legislative developments concerning internet affordability. Arturo spoke with Jon about AB 353 (Boerner), a bill which aimed to require large internet service providers (ISPs) to offer affordable, $15-per-month plans for low income California families. NextGen initially supported this bill as part of our partnership with the California Alliance for Digital Equity (CADE). However, when extremely problematic changes pushed by industry were amended into the bill, NextGen was forced to reverse course and oppose AB 353. Due to the heavy advocacy against the bill, the author pulled it from consideration in committee last month, citing arbitrary and inapplicable federal guidelines about the highly uncertain Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) funding as the reason.

With the bill now shelved, advocates are focused on pursuing a new approach to help provide quality, reliable, and affordable internet service to struggling California families. The widespread consensus from leading experts for affordable broadband is this: California lawmakers should neither fold to heavy industry pressure nor bend the knee to the federal government when it comes developing a program to require industry to provide low income broadband plans in California – get the full scoop and hear Arturo’s thoughts on the matter in Ars Technica!

We'd like to welcome the newest member of the NextGen team – Audrey Scholtter! We’re excited to have Audrey join the NextGen team as a Policy Intern. She’ll be supporting our climate and higher education advocacy and policy initiatives over the next several months as we continue our work to build a better California for all!

Get to know Audrey and the rest of the NextGen team.

Meet the Team!

★ Did You Know? August 6th serves as a historic day for the United States, marking the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965! This week, we commemorate the passage of this historic piece of federal legislation, which has protected the rights of voters throughout our country by legally putting an end to racial bias and discrimination in our country’s voting systems and processes. The fight for civil rights, however, continues to this day. The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing gutting a key provision of the VRA amid a backdrop of racialized gerrymandering, voter file purges, and assaults on civil rights more broadly. It's imperative that we honor and safeguard the Voting Rights Act, while pushing for updated legislation to respond to the current attacks on voting rights. In our democracy, every eligible voter is entitled to have their voice heard at the ballot box – get more information on the Voting Rights Act in the National Archives!

★ Member Spotlight: This week NextGen is shining a spotlight on Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, who represents California’s 27th Assembly District which comprises Fresno, Madera, and Merced Counties. Assemblymember Soria grew up in California’s Central Valley, regularly working alongside her parents on farms and agricultural fields during her childhood. She worked her way through college and graduated from UC Berkeley before earning her law degree from UC Davis. Before serving in the California Assembly, she served as a Fresno City Councilmember, focusing her work around issues including community development, job creation, affordable housing, homelessness, and more.

Assemblymember Soria was elected to the California Assembly in 2022 and she currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee. NextGen is grateful for Assemblymember Soria’s leadership and commitment to bettering the lives of all Californians, and we’d like to thank her for her work authoring AB 1400, a bill that would authorize community colleges in California to develop a Baccalaureate of Sciences degree for Nursing. NextGen is proud to support this bill as part of our ongoing advocacy efforts to address the state’s workforce needs and expand career opportunities in communities that stand to benefit the most. Make sure to follow Assemblymember Soria on Instagram to stay up-to-date with her work!

★ Follow NextGen on Instagram: The NextGen team is now active on Instagram! Give us a follow today to keep up to date with our advocacy and policy work; get notified of important news coming out of the State Legislature and Capitol community; stay in the loop on opportunities to take meaningful action; check out exclusive content from our team, and so much more! We’ll see you over on Instagram!

★ Our Mission: NextGen California is a nonprofit advocacy organization that breaks down barriers and rebalances power in the State Capitol on behalf of all Californians.

Thank you,

NextGen California