Bid November farewell with the NextGen team! 🍂☑️

November 25, 2025

Seasons Greetings and welcome to a brand new issue of NextGen’s What’s Next newsletter! The chill of winter is in the air and there are only a few short weeks left before the New Year! This issue of What’s Next features several current topics including an opportunity to celebrate Giving Tuesday on December 2nd; a shoutout to our Executive Director, Arnold Sowell Jr., who was selected as a 2025 California Forward Steward Leader Award winner; more information on California’s recently reauthorized and strengthened Cap-and-Invest program; a recap of CalVet’s 2025 Leadership Summit which NextGen’s Deputy Director, Stacy Smith, attended earlier this month; and a few additional items we want to share with you!

Find a comfortable spot and enjoy this issue of What’s Next at NextGen:

★ Celebrate Giving Tuesday with NextGen: December 2nd is Giving Tuesday: an annual, global celebration of generosity and an opportunity to make a year-end donation in support of non-profit organizations whose work is benefitting communities in our country and around the world. This has been a challenging year in so many ways and the NextGen team has worked vigilantly to achieve successes over a range of important policy areas this past year. Your gift of generosity on Giving Tuesday will help to continue to support NextGen’s efforts to build a more equitable, prosperous, and climate resilient California for all! Our team celebrated major policy wins in 2025 – let’s keep the momentum going into 2026! Will you please consider donating to NextGen in celebration of Giving Tuesday?

★ Honoring Our Executive Director’s Leadership Award: NextGen is incredibly proud to share that our Executive Director, Arnold “Arnie” Sowell Jr., was honored by our friends at California Forward and the California Stewardship Network as their 2025 California Steward Leader! This annual award is granted to those who display stellar leadership and recognizes organizations like NextGen whose work advances economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental sustainability. We’re thrilled that Arnie was recognized for his leadership and years of public service. Learn more about the California Steward Leader Award and read Arnie’s statement here!

NextGen’s Executive Director, Arnold Sowell Jr., receives the 2025 California Steward Leader award from California Forward and the California Stewardship Network.

★ The Latest on Cap-and-Invest: It’s been several weeks since Governor Newsom signed an historic climate bill – AB 1207 (Irwin) – which will extend and strengthen California’s Cap-and-Invest program and help our state achieve its climate goals. The NextGen team would like to once again recognize Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin for her leadership on this significant piece of climate legislation and her commitment to helping California achieve a climate resilient future. You’re probably wondering: what’s next for Cap-and-Invest? The California Air Resources Board is currently soliciting public input on program implementation. In addition, we are expecting to hear the results from the latest Cap-and-Invest auction since the program was reauthorized in the coming days. The public comments about Cap and Invest program implementation and the results of the auction will help to guide the NextGen climate team’s advocacy work in 2026 and beyond.

★ NextGen Attends CalVet’s 2025 Leadership Summit: NextGen’s Deputy Director, Stacey Smith, attended the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) 2025 Leadership Summit in San Diego on November 3–4. This annual event brings together advocates, service providers, community partners, and other veteran community stakeholders to discuss key issues affecting California’s veterans. Learn more about CalVet’s commitment to ensuring that California’s veterans remain the most “connected, protected, and respected” in the nation by visiting their website, and be sure to check out NextGen’s work on issues affecting California veterans.

CalVet Secretary Lindsey Sin and NextGen Deputy Director Stacey Smith at CalVet’s 2025 Leadership Summit.

Let’s come together for a greener California! Here’s how easy it is: commit to do your part with Climate Action Counts by taking simple steps like recycling, using public transportation, utilizing energy-efficient lightbulbs and appliances, and plenty more whenever possible.

Make a Difference!

★ Did You Know? The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) recently released a report detailing the devastating impacts of the federal administration’s H.R. 1 on California’s CalFresh program. In addition, the California Senate Human Services Committee held a hearing that underscored the profound risks this bill poses to this program – the state’s largest anti-hunger program. The bill’s changes, from tighter eligibility requirements to benefit limits to cost shifts from the federal government to the state of California and its counties, are major changes and come at a time when food insecurity is on the rise. These shifts could reduce benefit levels, increase administrative burdens for the state and counties, and make it harder for many CalFresh recipients to stay eligible. The LAO estimates that California will begin absorbing up to $2 billion annually in new benefit-cost obligations starting in federal FY 2027–28, with almost 400,000 Californians losing coverage. Read more about what California is doing to combat the impacts of H.R. 1 in our Let’s Talk blog series.

★ Member Spotlight: In this issue of What’s Next, NextGen shines a spotlight on California’s 50th Senate President pro Tempore, Senator Monique Limón! We congratulate her on her new role serving as Senate President pro Tempore, and we honor her for making history as the first Latina to serve in this leadership position in California. During her time spent serving in both California’s Assembly and Senate, Senator Limón has championed several pieces of legislation that focus on assisting California’s most vulnerable communities and her work often intersects with NextGen’s policy initiatives. We look forward to future collaborations with the new Senate Pro Tempore next year. Stay up to date on Senator Limón’s work by following her on Instagram!

Thank you,

NextGen California