Category Archives: Action Alerts

Help fix the Gov.’s bond proposal

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California’s elected leaders are currently considering multi-billion-dollar bond proposals to invest in our state’s infrastructure.

A growing coalition of more than 43 environmental, social justice and public-health groups, led by the Planning and Conservation League, is urging Gov. Schwarzenegger and members of the Legislature to adopt a set of principles that will guide decision-making so that the right kind of bond package is passed.

As constituents, you can help by making it clear to the Governor and your legislative leaders that you agree with this approach and urge them to sign on to the 10-Point Program that has been put forth by this environmental coalition. Send a letter to your elected leaders today!

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It’s going to be close…and you can help!

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Today is Election Day! There are two main things you, as a progressive, can do to make sure none of the six destructive and right-wing initiatives on the ballot (Props 73-78) pass in California.
1) VOTE!
If you have not mailed your absentee ballot yet, you can bring it to any polling place today. To find your polling place, look up your county here.
2) HELP OUT!
The Alliance for a Better California, which is working on Props 74 through 80, has field offices throughout the state that will be hosting volunteers to help get our voters out to the polls.
Look up the one nearest you by region here:
Northern California
Southern California
Los Angeles County
The Campaign for Teen Safety, working against Prop 73, also has field offices around the state. For a list of contacts, click here!

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Governor: Support equal rights for all

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Update, Sept. 29: Gov. Schwarzenegger has vetoed this bill, which marked the first time a state Legislature granted same-sex couples the legal right to marry. See this post on the weblog for more details.

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Less than 24 hours after the California Legislature passed groundbreaking legislation giving same-sex couples the legal right to marry, Gov. Schwarzenegger has said he will veto the measure.
We must do everything we can to pursuade him against a veto that would only pander to a minority right-wing constituency, while furthering blatant discrimination in our state.
As progressives, our values of tolerance and understanding call on us to judge people on the quality of their character and not superficial names and labels. Send a letter to the Governor now, calling on him to demonstrate true leadership and strength by signing the Civil Marriage and Religious Freedom Act.

Three bills for a better California

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Update, Sept. 29: The Governor vetoed AB 48, which would have required a $1 minimum wage increase for California workers currently making $6.75 an hour. You can read his shallow and hypocritical veto message here.
Update, Sept. 9: Thank you for all of your letters in support of three bills for a better California. The Legislature has passed AB 48, but we must keep the heat on Gov. Schwarzenegger, who has hinted that he will veto the measure. Speak Out California will continue to follow AB 172 and SB 840 in the next legislative year.

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The legislative session is winding down, but it is not too late to take action now in support of three bills that together send a strong message to our legislators and the Governor about our values and priorities:

  • AB 48: Minimum wage increase
  • AB 172: Universal preschool
  • SB 840: Health care for all

These bills go to the heart of our progressive agenda of equal access to quality education, economic fairness and the basic human right of health care coverage. All of these legislative proposals reflect some aspect of our core values, and would help in the long process of getting our state back on track.
While Speak Out California will be part of the effort to defeat Gov. Schwarzenegger’s ideas at the ballot box this November, we also refuse to let his $50 million distraction deter us from advocating for what really matters: improving the lives of working families in this state.

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Stop the foxes from guarding the henhouse

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UPDATE, Sept. 1: Cindy Tuck, the oil and chemical industry lobbyist that Gov. Schwarzenegger tried to put in charge of the state’s clean air program was soundly rejected by the Senate, a victory for environmental advocates and all state residents who care about the quality of the air we breathe.
Speak Out California played a role in that victory by sending more than 3,000 petition letters to decision-makers on the Senate Rules Committee and 37 Senators from throughout California. Sen. Debra Bowen’s office said the grass-roots activism made a difference in the outcome. We thank all of you for taking the time to be a part of this important fight, and for continuing to be active members of the California progressive community.

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The Senate Rules Committee is set to vote Wednesday on whether to confirm Cindy Tuck, Gov. Schwarzenegger’s choice for California Air Resources Board chair. Tuck is a longtime oil and chemical industry lobbyist who has spent her entire career fighting against the kinds of air quality protections that it would be her new responsibilty to oversee.
Take action now and tell the members of the Senate Rules Committee that when it comes to top environmental positions, Californians demand leaders whose interests are in protecting public health, not corporate wealth.

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