By David Bocarsly
Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California
SACRAMENTO, California — The Appropriations Committees in each house announced the fate of 830 remaining bills. The Appropriations deadline is the penultimate – and often the most-challenging – legislative hurdle.
Despite fierce opposition, the committee approved our highest priority bills – which address campus antisemitism, expand Holocaust education, and support refugees – along with most of the other bills we’re supporting!
The 80 people who convened in Sacramento last week to testify at this committee, and the 2,000 people who wrote to the committee members via our action alerts had a clear impact on these results.
ICYMI: In partnership with the Jewish Caucus, we also made the tough strategic decision to hold our ethnic studies bill this year so that we can put forward a more comprehensive bill next year. Click here for our statement about why we came to that conclusion and our plans for the future.
All remaining bills now head to the Senate and Assembly floor for votes of the entire body. They must pass the legislature by the end of the month in order to get to the Governor’s desk for signature. Here are some of the bills that made it to this final stage:
AB 2925, authored by Assemblymembers Laura Friedman and Josh Lowenthal, requires each of the top 5 most targeted groups – including the Jewish community – to be included in higher education anti-discrimination and DEI trainings.
» Despite opposition from CAIR and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), this bill now heads to the Senate floor.
SB 1287 (by Senator Steve Glazer) will be a critical tool to ensuring Jewish students are safe from violence, intimidation, and harassment on California college campuses by requiring campuses to develop a code of conduct to respond to such incidents.
» This bill also passed amidst strong opposition from CAIR, JVP, UAW and others. It was probably our most contentious bill remaining, and its passage is a big win.
SB 1277 (by Senator Henry Stern) makes the California Teachers Collaborative on Holocaust and Genocide Education an official state program, creating curriculum and training materials for teachers to effectively teach about the Holocaust and other genocides.
» A third bill targeted by JVP, they made a significant effort to try to kill it on the grounds that Holocaust education should not be taught by Zionist organizations. They were unsuccessful again.
SB 85 (by Senator Scott Wiener) extends critical case management services for new refugees beyond the federal government’s 90 days. It would offer an additional three months of support to help refugees access jobs, shelter, and services.
» This bill is in its second year, having stalled last year due to budget constraints. Despite an even more challenging budget outlook this year, we were able to get this passed through this fiscal committee.
On the Governor’s Desk: AB 2867 (by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel) helps California residents recover art stolen in times of political persecution. This is a critical tool for many in our own community who were victims of the Nazi looting during the Holocaust.
» This bill sped through the legislative process, and was just approved by the full Assembly. It now heads to Governor Newsom’s desk, where he has 12 days to sign or veto it.
In addition to our sponsored legislation above, we are supporting a number of other bills that counter antisemitism and hate and uplift vulnerable communities. Click here to see the full bill package and the status of each bill. If a bill doesn’t have an update, it is alive and on the Senate or Assembly Floor for a final vote in the next two weeks.
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David Bocarsly is the executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California