July 1, 2024

The entire NextGen team wishes you a happy start to your summer and we hope that you are enjoying the warm weather and also staying cool! There is big news since our last issue – the 2024-25 State Budget has been signed by the Governor! In this issue of What’s Next, we will share the NextGen team’s reaction to the final state budget agreement and how our program and budget priorities fared as well as what this means for our policy work moving forward. In addition, we will take a closer look at several NextGen projects including a couple of advocacy and policy wins the team achieved in the food insecurity space; an op-ed written by labor icon Dolores Huerta in support of Cal Grant Reform; the latest post on our Let’s Talk blog which focuses on how we can continue to address digital discrimination; and much more! So, here’s What’s Next at NextGen:

★ NextGen Responds to the State Budget: After weeks of negotiations, Governor Newsom and State Legislative leaders came to an agreement on the 2024-25 State Budget. To address the over $40 billion shortfall, the final budget is a mix of program cuts, project delays, fund shifts, the use of reserves, and other tools to balance the budget. The final budget package does preserve funding for a number of important programs that help protect and support the state’s most vulnerable families and communities, including key food assistance programs such as the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) and School Meals for All (more on those below)!

However, we must make note that with everything that needed to be done to balance the budget critical programs were negatively impacted in significant ways. The final budget falls significantly short when it comes to maintaining funding for California’s Climate Commitment, investing in key digital equity programs as well as providing additional state financial aid resources for our lowest-income students through the Cal Grant Reform Act.

NextGen’s Executive Director, Arnold Sowell Jr. responded to the final budget package with a declaration about striving to continue our advocacy efforts to create a more equitable, prosperous, and climate resilient California for all: “In light of the serious budget limitations that the State of California is facing, several of our policy priorities in the digital equity, climate resilience, and student financial aid spaces as well as other key program areas were significantly impacted. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to advocate on behalf of California’s most vulnerable communities who will feel the sting of these budget impacts more than other Californians, and we will continue to work with the Legislature and the Newsom Administration to reinstate and fully fund crucial safety net programs….” Read our team’s entire response to the 2024-25 State Budget!

★ Victory! Celebrating California’s Food Insecurity Wins: NextGen is thrilled to be celebrating two major budget wins in the food insecurity space – the final state budget included funding for both School Meals for All and the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) – which helps fund important nutrition assistance programs like Market Match! This means California students will continue to receive free and healthy school meals thanks to School Meals for All, and that California’s low-income families can continue to purchase healthy and nutritious foods thanks to CNIP and Market Match. Most of all, we want to thank you for taking action to help us make the case to the Legislature and the Governor to prioritize these key programs for funding  – combined, you sent more than 350 letters to state elected officials to support School Meals For All, and over 1,150 letters supporting CNIP! Give yourselves a huge pat on the back, because thanks to your advocacy California will be better positioned to address the growing problem of food insecurity! Here’s how to stay on top of NextGen’s work to combat food insecurity.

★ Dolores Huerta Champions Cal Grant Reform: While we will have more work to do next year in the fight to expand and fully fund the Cal Grant program, we’re honored to have the voice of labor leader and civil rights champion Dolores Huerta on our side! She wrote an article for Capitol Weekly which discussed how financial aid programs like Cal Grant are key to helping California students achieve their higher education goals and why it’s essential for state leaders to fund the reforms needed to implement the expansion of this program. Read the full op-ed featuring Dolores Huerta and learn why Cal Grant Reform helps uplift low income students throughout California – such an investment will also help put an end to generational poverty!

★ NextGen in the News: Check this out! The CalMatters’ Digital Democracy Project ranked how successful organizations are that advocate in front of the Legislature for their policy priorities and NextGen Policy was number 28 out of 105 organizations. Most of the organizations ahead of us are much larger, have bigger budgets, have a national footprint, and have been in existence much longer than NextGen – we are super proud of our ranking and the incredible work of our team. Check out the CalMatters Digital Democracy website and learn more about the NextGen ranking as well as the other advocacy organizations who have also been recognized for their work.

A brand new post is up on NextGen’s Let’s Talk blog! 🗣️💬 

Hear directly from our Digital Equity team on how we’re tackling digital discrimination in California, and how legislation like AB 2239 can help us achieve this goal.

Find a quiet place to focus, get comfortable, and Let’s Talk:

★ Did You Know? You can get the facts on how Secure Automatic Voter Registration (SAVR) will help boost voter registration in California by checking out the latest report co-authored by NextGen’s Policy Advisor Amy Hamblin – “Boosting Voter Registration: New Evidence from Delaware”. In the new report, learn how SAVR can help boost voter registration here in California by taking a closer look at the successful rollout of SAVR in Delaware and other states that have implemented automatic voter registration.

★ Member Spotlight: This week, we’re shining a spotlight on Assemblymember Mike Fong, who represents California’s 49th Assembly District. Assemblymember Fong serves as both Chair of the Higher Education Committee and Assembly Vice Chair for the AAPI Legislative Caucus. Throughout his career, he has worked tirelessly to create equal access opportunities for all California students to pursue their higher education goals. This includes Assemblymember Fong’s efforts to fund Cal Grant Reform in the state budget and help thousands of low-income students access higher education and secure a brighter future. While the fight continues to fund Cal Grant Reform, we’d like to thank Assemblymember Fong for being a champion for California’s students and helping open the doors to higher education for all! Keep up with Assemblymember Fong’s work by visiting his Twitter (X) page.

★ Legislative Deadlines and Insights: As the state’s fiscal year begins on July 1st, the Governor and Legislature have come to a state budget deal that closes the $45 billion budget deficit. SB 108 – the so-called 2024-25 Budget Bill Jr, – provides amendments to AB 107 which Governor Newsom signed on June 26th. The combination of these two bills constitutes the final state budget and they are also accompanied by a package of trailer bills passed by the state Legislature. With the exception of one trailer bill related to public safety that is still pending for a final vote, the rest of the trailer bills contain the necessary policy changes to implement the funding allocations in the two budget bills. The Governor has 12 days to act upon SB 108 and the package of trailer bills once he receives them and we do expect them to be signed in time for the new fiscal year.

Concurrent with all the budget activities, the Capitol Community is also wrapped up in final negotiations on an education bond and a climate bond. The Legislature must pass these bills before the start of the Legislative Summer Recess which begins upon adjournment on July 3rd in order for these bonds to appear on the November 2024 statewide ballot.

★ 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,

NextGen Policy