California Policy and Political
California Policy – Advancing Precedent-Setting Policies
V4P launched its California-focused work in 2015 because of the state’s history of being a model for precedent-setting legislation for the rest of the country. Since that time, CA V4P members helped pass Buy Clean in 2017, the first-of-its-kind supply chain legislation addressing climate emissions generated by the manufacturing of industrial materials, the strongest campaign finance disclosure law in the country, and major reforms to the criminal justice system, including its interactions with the immigration sector.
2022 was V4P’s most successful CA legislative session to date, with V4P members helping to pass five progressive measures and preventing the passage of one anti-democratic measure.
This includes:
- Governor Gavin Newsom signing a bill that would require any oil or gas drilling site to be built 3,200 feet back from homes, schools, and hospitals;
- the passage of a law that requires supporters and opponents of ballot measures to be listed on the ballot itself, helping prevent voters from being deceived by the hundreds of millions of dollars spent by conservative interests;
- two key paid leave bills; and
- a law that will improve the working conditions for the more than 100,000 fast-food workers across California.
Finally, in 2022 V4P members helped stop a provision from moving forward that would allow a council meeting to be conducted entirely by teleconference, infringing upon the civil rights of the public to petition lawmakers in person, and creating an unequal playing field for those who have varying degrees of access to elected officials. V4P members gained vital information during advocacy meetings to stop this measure from advancing.
California Political – Electing Tomorrow’s Progressive Champions
Because the CA state legislature is overwhelmingly Democratic but includes significant numbers of Democrats heavily influenced by conservative corporate interests, V4P’s CA political program focuses on expanding and strengthening the progressive bloc in the state legislature by prioritizing open seats and flipping districts, and endorsing candidates from historically marginalized communities.
Through one-on-one advising and V4P member briefings, the CA political program works to ensure that V4P members have the information necessary to make well-informed political investments that strategically advance their values. Additionally, through candidate interviews and mixers, members are given opportunities to build relationships with candidates (including incumbents up for reelection) for future advocacy and to advocate to candidates about needed policy changes to ensure they prioritize them once in office.