Call to Action - PROTECT KIDS OF CALIFORNIA ACT OF 2024

---

Assembly Bill No. 1955 ,  Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth Act. 

 Despite the cries of protest from parents across the state of California, Governor Newsom signed AB 1955 into law on July 15th, 2024. AB 1955 by Assemblymember Ward, was a "gut and amend" bill aimed at legally prohibiting any school employee, teacher or contractor from disclosing "any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent." 

This controversial bill has sparked backlash due to its implications on parental rights and children's well-being. It was championed by the Attorney General of California, Rob Bonta, who lacks legal grounds within state law to pursue legal action against pro-family school boards advocating for parental rights policies concerning sexually-confused children. This law will go into effect January 1st. 2025.  

 PERK Advocacy remains committed to careful monitoring, active lobbying, and consistent advocacy for California legislation. Rest assured, we are dedicated to providing you with ongoing updates on the status of these crucial bills, along with actionable steps you can take to bring about meaningful change. For more frequent updates and convenient access to the PERK Advocacy Action Center, be sure to visit www.perkadvocacy.com. 

PROPOSITION  1

California Proposition 1, the Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure

PROPOSITION 1  passed by a narrow margin.    

Democrat Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Thousand Oaks, carried the bond proposal in the Legislature.

Will Prop 1 actually help the homeless crisis in California?

California is facing state budget cuts for the second consecutive year with some estimates projecting a $73 billion dollar shortfall.

PROP 1 is a BOND MEASURE - actually it's 2 Bond Measures:  The Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program and Project Homekey.

PROP 1 also changes a longstanding tax on personal incomes over $1 million, known as the Mental Health Services Act, by requiring counties to spend 30% of that revenue on housing INSTEAD OF OTHER SERVICES.

Additional Reading:

CalMatters Article:

  https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/02/mental-health-risk-proposition-1/

What CA Counties have to say about it:

  https://www.counties.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/sb_326_amended_8-23_county_coalition_letter_-_asm_appropriations.pdf

Here’s what the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) has to say about it:

  https://lao.ca.gov/ballot/2024/proposition-1.pdf

“How Would the Bond Impact Homelessness? The state government estimates the bond would build up to 4,350 housing units, with 2,350 set aside for veterans. The bond would provide housing to over 20 percent of veterans experiencing homelessness. The number of housing units built by the bond would reduce statewide homelessness by only a small amount.”

History of CA Mental Health bills:

  California Proposition 1, Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure (March 2024)

1.  Giving Free Lawyers for Illegal Immigrants (State Budget)
2.  Taking Children Away from Parents (AB 665)
3.  Advancing Government-Run HealthCare (SB-770)
4.  Creating a More Toxic Workplace (SB 497)
5.  Stripping School Boards of Curriculum Powers (AB-1078)
6.  Eliminating Discipline in Schools (SB 274)
7.  Making it Easier to Release Criminals (SB-81)
8.  Infringing on Your Right to Self-Defense (SB 2 and AB-28)
9.  Setting the Stage for a Carbon Tax and an SUV Tax (SB253 and AB251)
10.  Repealing Prop 13 and Raising Taxes (ACA-1 and ACA-13)

Published by Reform California.