What’s Next: Check out ALL of the exciting advocacy work happening at NextGen! 📣✊
April 28, 2025
Welcome to another exciting issue of NextGen’s What’s Next newsletter, the best place to stay on top of what’s happening in and around the State Capitol and keep up with the work of the NextGen team. It’s hard to believe that this is the last week of April! Our team is preparing for the release of the upcoming May Budget Revision as well as a packed policy committee schedule in the weeks ahead.
In this edition of What’s Next, enjoy a recap of our recent April activities plus a preview into new initiatives including: information on the annual Big Day of Giving and how you can donate to NextGen; details about a NextGen priority bill to expand California’s youth apprenticeship efforts, SB 845 (Pérez); the latest on our work to help California students afford college through AB 850 (Pacheco); an opportunity to help build a more climate-resilient California; and plenty more that we’re looking forward to sharing!
Let’s check out What’s Next at NextGen:
★ Celebrate Big Day of Giving with NextGen: This Thursday, May 1st, is a BIG day for those who are in a giving mood – it’s the Big Day of Giving! The Big Day of Giving is an annual event that provides generous people like you the opportunity to donate to organizations doing great work in our communities. We humbly ask that you take your interest in and commitment to the mission and work of NextGen one step further and celebrate the Big Day of Giving by supporting the NextGen Policy team! Your generosity will make a big difference in our ability to do our work – from addressing climate change, fighting food insecurity, and supporting students to expanding access to broadband services and strengthening California’s economy and workforce. Celebrate the Big Day of Giving and make a secure donation to NextGen Policy today!
★ Victory – AB 850 Passes Assembly Higher Education Committee: As federal budget cuts to research programs and financial aid continue to impact the lives of college students and their families, California is taking steps to support our students and provide solutions. Last week, thanks to your help in sending over 100 letters to elected officials and our advocacy efforts, AB 850 (Pacheco), the Increasing Institutional Debt Transparency and Protecting Students Act, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee! This important bill enables students to stay enrolled and on track to graduate by addressing the issue of institutional debt—charges that students owe directly to their campus and that often keep them from enrolling in courses or graduating. AB 850 creates a common sense process to assist students in repaying these debts without being immediately forced into collections or to drop out of school.
NextGen is proud to stand with California’s higher education students across the state as we continue working to provide better consumer protections and financial stability to all our students. Thank you to everyone who sent a letter in support of this bill. With its passage, AB 850 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Stay tuned for the next round of opportunities to support this bill as it moves through the legislative process!
★ Expanding California’s Young Apprenticeship Network: What better day than National Apprenticeship Day, April 30th, for NextGen’s co-sponsored bill, SB 845 (Pérez), to be voted on by the Senate Labor Committee! The NextGen team will be at the State Capitol this Wednesday, celebrating the bill’s growing list of supporters and highlighting our complementary programmatic work to bolster and expand apprenticeship opportunities in communities throughout California. Get more information on SB 845 (Pérez) and learn how this bill will benefit apprenticeship programs in California.
Take action with NextGen to help California move towards a healthier climate and a more prosperous future!
Join us and tell State Legislators to strengthen California’s Cap-and-Trade program – no more handouts to big oil companies! Send a quick email (it’s already written) to your State Assemblymember, Senator, and Governor Newsom now to help support a more climate-resilient California.
★ Did You Know? Have free school meals made a positive difference for you and your family? NextGen is doing our part to help protect funding for California’s School Meals for All program, and we need your help to make sure students continue receiving free school meals! Your voice matters – please share your experience on how free school meals have positively impacted your life and help us keep School Meals for All funded in California.
★ Member Spotlight: This week, NextGen is shining a spotlight on Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías, who is from the city of Martinez and represents California’s 15th Assembly District. Assemblymember Ávila Farías is a co-author of SB 845 (Pérez), a bill that NextGen is excited to be co-sponsoring along with our partners from the California Workforce Association. We’re proud to be fighting alongside state leaders such as Assemblymember Ávila Farías and countless other partners in an effort to expand and strengthen California’s youth apprenticeship programs – we thank her for her continued work on behalf of all Californians! Make sure to follow Assemblymember Ávila Farías on Facebook to stay up-to-date with her work!
★ Legislative Deadlines and Insights: The Capitol community is quickly closing in on another important deadline in the legislative process. This Friday, May 2nd, is the deadline for policy committees to hear and report out to fiscal committees, any bills that have a significant cost. Of the over 2,000 measures introduced this year, the vast majority of them have some sort of cost or cost savings that requires them to be deliberated by the fiscal committees – the Appropriations Committee in the Senate and Assembly. These fiscal bills must be passed out of their respective policy committees by May 2nd in order to then be considered by the respective Appropriations committees. For NextGen, this means some long days for our team as we will need to attend multiple policy committees to support the 23 bills we are working to pass this week!
★ 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 items in front of the California State Legislature as well as learn more about the NextGen team’s advocacy efforts and discover 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 California 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,
NextGen California