Progressive Coalition Advances 15 Pieces to the Governor’s Desk

It’s been a busy couple of months for the Building the California Dream Alliance in lead-up to the September 14th legislative deadline for each house to pass bills. Earlier this year the Alliance kicked off the 2023/2024 legislative session with a package of 28 progressive bills aimed at rebalancing California’s priorities, putting people and communities ahead of profits and politics. In total, 15 of those bills are headed to the Governor’s desk for signature. One of those bills has already been signed into law. A run down of those bills can be found below.

As significant to getting this legislation to the Governor’s desk is the organizing work member organizations of the Alliance have done collectively to help position these bills for potential signature. Just last month over 138 community members from across the state, representing 31 Alliance member organizations gathered in our State Capitol for our annual advocacy day. In total, community members took part in 58 meetings with targeted legislators to ask for their vote on Alliance priority legislation. Now the work for shifts to ensuring the Governor signs the legislation by the October 14th constitutional deadline to sign or veto bills.

The Building the California Dream Alliance was founded in 2015 to further a progressive, positive vision for California, offering a sharp contrast to the Chamber of Commerce’s cynical, anti-worker, anti-environment agenda. Each year the coalition outlines an ambitious agenda to uplift families, empower workers and communities, and expand opportunities for all Californians to take part in the California Dream. You can learn more about the Building the California Dream Alliance by visiting us at www.cadreambuilder.org or on X @CADreamAlliance

Alliance Priority Legislation Headed to the Governor/Signed

CIVIL RIGHTS (DISABILITY RIGHTS)

• SB 365 (Wiener)
  Lead Organizations: Consumer Attorneys of California, California Employment Lawyers Association

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & JUSTICE

• SB 253 (Wiener, Gonzalez, Stern)
  Lead Organization: California Environmental Voters

GENDER EQUITY

• AB 524 (Wicks)
  Lead Organizations: Equal Rights Advocates, California Employment Lawyers Association, Legal Aid at Work

HEALTHCARE & LONG-TERM CARE ACCESS FOR ALL

• SB 525 (Durazo)
  Lead Organization: SEIU California
• AB 1645 (Zbur)
  Lead Organization: Equality California

HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS & TENANT RIGHTS

• SB 567 (Durazo)
  Lead Organization: PICO, ACCE, Housing Now!, Western Center on Law and Poverty, Public Advocates, Leadership Counsel
• AB 12 (Haney)
  Lead Organization: Progressive Caucus

IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE JUSTICE & INTEGRATION

• AB 1306 (W. Carrillo)
  Lead Organization: Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Southern California

INCOME & FOOD SECURITY

• SB 725 (Smallwood-Cuevas)
  Lead Organization: UFCW Western States Council

LGBTQ EQUALITY & RIGHTS

• SB 760 (Newman)
  Lead Organization: Equality California

FINANCIAL SECURITY (RETIREMENT, TAXATION)

• AB 1356 (Haney)
  Lead Organization: Tech Equity Collaborative

VOTING RIGHTS & STRENGTHENING OUR DEMOCRACY

• AB 421 (Bryan) -SIGNED INTO LAW
  Lead Organization: SEIU California

WORKER RIGHTS

• SB 497 (Smallwood-Cuevas)
  Lead Organization: California Coalition for Worker Power
• SB 616 (Gonzalez)
  Lead Organization: California Labor Federation
• AB 1 (McKinnor)
  Lead Organization: California Labor Federation