What’s Next: It’s heating up at NextGen - check out our August agenda! ☑️✊

July 21, 2025

Welcome back to NextGen’s What’s Next newsletter! From now until August 18th, it’s the Legislature’s official summer recess. Over the next several weeks, individual members of the NextGen team will enjoy some much-deserved vacation time, and we’ll also take the opportunity to develop our plans for the final month of the legislative session.

In this issue of What’s Next, we’re covering topics that include the recent launch of NextGen’s first ever Instagram page; a round of thank yous to Governor Newsom, the Legislature, and key partners for their collective support of the Healthy School Food Pathway program, which received another year of funding; an exciting opportunity to take the Climate Action Counts pledge, a campaign designed to link fellow Californians in the effort to help build a more climate-resilient California; and several other NextGen policy and advocacy priorities.

Let’s check out What’s Next at NextGen:

★ NextGen Joins Instagram: Here’s some exciting news: the NextGen team is now active on Instagram! Give us a follow today so that you can keep up to date with our policy, programmatic, and advocacy 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’re super jazzed to be joining the Instagram digital community and to continue finding new avenues to spread the word about the work we are doing to create a more equitable, prosperous, and climate resilient California for all. We’ll see you over on Instagram!

★ Celebrating Healthy School Food: It’s with genuine appreciation that NextGen wishes to shout out our partners and state legislative leaders, particularly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar Curry and Assemblymembers Gail Pellerin and Liz Ortega, for leading the charge to allocate another year of funding in the state budget for the Healthy School Food Pathway program, which ensures that California students receive healthy, freshly prepared school meals. We’d also like to thank Governor Newsom and the First Partner for their continued leadership – they have consistently prioritized career pathways and economic mobility opportunities for school food professionals as well as the health and safety of all California students. Finally, we’d like to give a big thank you to our partners at the Chef Ann Foundation for their work they do to advocate for and deliver the Healthy School Food Pathway program throughout California – get more information about the program and learn how it helps ensure that California students receive fresh, quality school meals every day.

★ Take the Climate Action Counts Pledge: Small steps can add up to big changes, especially when it comes to protecting California’s environment. That’s why NextGen is excited to invite you to take the pledge and join the Climate Action Counts Campaign! Developed by California Volunteers, the state agency with a diverse set of responsibilities from working with AmeriCorps members to finding ways to connect Californians to their government, the Climate Action Counts campaign empowers and recognizes everyday climate heroes like you by giving each of us the opportunity to do our part to protect the environment.

When you pledge to join, you’re contributing to our collective efforts to build a more climate-resilient California by making the various climate-friendly choices that Climate Action Counts is promoting – donate used clothes, compost and recycle, shop at local farmers markets, opt for public transportation, grow a garden, and more. Many of us are already taking these environmentally responsible actions, but we can go one step and take the pledge – join the movement and let’s fight to save California’s climate!

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★ Did You Know? Now more than ever, NextGen is saying it loud and clear: everyone should know your rights! Take a look at the detailed information, legal resources, and other materials available on NextGen’s website to help support and protect immigrant communities. For an easy-to-access list of your constitutional rights, please be sure to also view and download the Red Cards available on our website, offered in both English and Spanish. Stay informed and stay empowered, California!

★ Member Spotlight: This week NextGen is shining a spotlight on Senator Jerry McNerney, who represents California’s fifth Senate District which includes Alameda County’s Tri-Valley area and all of San Joaquin County. Senator McNerney has served in the California Senate since 2024, having previously served in the United States House of Representatives for 16 years. During his time in Congress, he was a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, among others, and he played a key role in helping to open the Richard A. Pittman VA Clinic in French Camp.

Currently, in the California State Senate, Senator McNerney serves as Chair of the Revenue and Taxation Committee and is a member of several other committees which cover a broad array of issue areas, including the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. His work advocating for and providing for California’s veterans directly aligns with NextGen’s own advocacy work in support of our veterans community, and we’re thankful for his continued leadership.

Additionally, the NextGen team is pleased to be in support of Senator McNerney’s SB 24, which helps protect California consumers by prohibiting public utilities like PG&E from using customer funds to pay for political activities such as advertising and lobbying. Our team thanks Senator McNerney for his years of service and for doing his part to build a better California for all – make sure to follow Senator McNerney on Bluesky to stay up-to-date with his work!

★ Legislative Deadlines and Insights: The Capitol Community is now officially on Summer Recess – a four week period where Legislators return to their districts and connect with their constituents. It also provides a chance for legislative staff to catch up on their work, prepare for the final month of session, and take much needed vacation time. Advocacy organizations, like NextGen, will also be taking this time to reconvene on bill strategy as well as meet with Legislators in their districts to discuss critical issues still working their way through the legislative process. The NextGen team will certainly be taking this time to start the final planning push for our priority bills and to start positioning ourselves for next year’s legislative process.
When the Legislature returns from Summer Recess, the Capitol Community will also be keeping an eye out for actions the Legislature and Governor may take to respond to the federal budget reconciliation bill that was passed over the July 4th weekend. A major emphasis for the Legislature when they return from summer recess will involve shaping the various policy details and budget allocations that will serve as the key components necessary to reauthorize the state’s Cap and Trade program – one of the state’s main programs to fight climate change.
★ Follow NextGen on Bluesky: We encourage you to check us out there for the latest updates on California legislative bills and budget issues, learn about NextGen’s advocacy efforts, and discover opportunities to take meaningful action toward building a more equitable, prosperous, and climate-resilient California. We’ll see you over on Bluesky – follow us today!
★ 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 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 California