What’s Next: NGP has had a busy month! ✊ Updates on racial equity, climate, broadband & more!
January 29, 2024
It’s been an exciting start to the year for the NextGen team, as we’ve had to get right to work on several of our 2024 equity and justice-centered priorities. This issue of What’s Next will take a close look at the work our team has focused on in the past few weeks. It will also offer a glimpse of what lies ahead during the month of February, including updates on our efforts to support California’s Racial Equity Commission; an overview of the recently released Climate 100 report which details the impacts of the Governor’s proposed state budget on California’s climate agenda; and all the activities surrounding our work in the digital equity space – specifically, the NGP Connect Corps program and how it is inspiring development of a statewide program. Plus, there is plenty more that you won’t want to miss out on in this edition of What’s Next!
We first want to kick things off with a reminder that February is Black History Month! So, in the weeks ahead, please keep your eyes on our Twitter (X) page where we’ll be highlighting, in honor of Black History Month, the importance of addressing the issue of racial equity within California government policies and programs. We will also discuss how eliminating racial disparities ties into and helps to center the work being done by the NextGen team. Now, let’s jump into this edition of What’s Next at NextGen:
★ Racial Equity Commission Updates: Last week, California’s Racial Equity Commission held its first public meeting. As a Black-led organization working to advance racial justice, NextGen, along with a coalition of other like-minded partners, played a pivotal role in championing the creation of the Commission through the Executive Order Governor Newsom issued in the fall of 2022. We look forward to working together with the Commission to develop a racial equity framework and best practices modules to help California address the residual effects of structural and systemic racism in government policies, programs, and initiatives. Read what the California Racial Equity Coalition had to say about the Commission’s first meeting!
★ Climate 100 Budget Report: California faces a budget deficit of nearly $38 billion and to close this shortfall Governor Newsom has proposed several cuts to California’s $54 billion Climate Commitment. Our latest Climate 100 report breaks down the cuts outlined in the proposed state budget while taking a closer look at what specific funds and programs are at risk. The report also highlights why California can’t afford to delay its climate leadership and these important climate investments!
As California considers scaling back various vital climate programs due to the budget deficit, we should also take a closer look at where we are spending money, particularly in the state’s transportation sector, and its effect on our climate goals. NextGen’s Climate Policy Fellow, James Pew, recently shared his thoughts with Streetsblog California on why the California Transportation Commission must exercise increased oversight and put a pause on a questionable highway expansion project to widen I-15 between Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
★ NGP’s Digital Equity Activities: The NGP team has been championing issues of digital access, inclusion, literacy, and equity for several years and we are especially committed to developing a statewide digital navigators program as an essential component needed to close the digital divide. That’s why our Connect Corps program is focused on helping historically marginalized communities across our state access the resources and tools necessary to navigate today’s digital world.
On January 24th, representatives from California Volunteers – the state entity tasked with administering the College Corps Program toured Compton College to get a closer look at our Connect Corps program. Our LA team was proud to discuss and answer questions about the impact of our Connect Corps program with the California Volunteers staff. We hope that this program will provide a blueprint for how the state’s Digital Equity Plan could foster and fund the creation of similar digital navigator programs around the state. Learn more about our digital navigator partnership with Compton College!
Happy CalEITC Week! 💸 Attention working families making close to $31,000 or less a year! The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) provides families who qualify with extra cash to help support their needs rather than worrying about how they will pay their bills month to month. Learn why CalEITC is one of California’s strongest poverty-fighting tools:
★ Did You Know? AB 1160 (Pacheco), the Protecting Students from Creditor Colleges Act, just passed the Assembly Floor with bi-partisan support! Thank you for taking action to ensure AB 1160 and the student-centered consumer protection provisions it provides move on to its next stage. Stay tuned for more on this from NextGen, we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop!
★ Member Spotlight: We’re shining a spotlight on Senator Nancy Skinner, who joined our friends at the Chef Ann Foundation last week for the inaugural graduation of the first cohort of Healthy School Food Pathway Fellows! Thank you Senator Skinner for being a champion for healthy school meals! NextGen was honored to help plan and participate in the event – we are immensely proud to work with the Chef Ann Foundation to support workforce readiness and help expand the pipeline for the next generation of school food leaders.
★ What’s Next: In the coming weeks, there will be more news on the work of the Racial Equity Commission, our public comments about the state Digital Equity Plan, and ways California communities can get the technical assistance they need to apply for infrastructure funding and other grant dollars. In the State Legislature, our elected officials are now turning their attention to their legislative packages as the bill introduction deadline quickly approaches on February 16th. For advocates, this is also a prime time to submit letters regarding budget priorities as the California budget process is now officially underway! As always, we will continue to keep you posted on all the exciting news around our climate, food insecurity, affordable housing, higher education, and other priorities!! Also, please stay tuned for our month-long celebration of Black History Month!
★ 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.